UPSC IAS INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE (16)

09 April 2012
07:14 PM

Age – 25

Optionals- Public Administration and Sociology

B.A.(Public Administration and Sociology) M.A. (Public Administration) – both from IGNOU.

I joined Department of Post at the age of 18. Presently, I am working in the North-East in field of
rural development.

Board – Shri Purushottam Agarwal

Afternoon Session – I was the second last to go in.

Ch. Since when you have been working in North-East.
Answered.
Ch. What do you think about the Manipur blockade.
Answered.
Ch. How do you think should the government have handled the issue.
Answered.
Ch. What do you think about the sense of alienation among the people of North-East.
Answered it on the basis of my experience and people I have come across while traveling in Assam,
Meghalya, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Ch. How does the media cover the issues of North-East.
Answered.
Ch. Why the mainstream media ignore the issues of North-East.
Talked about the psychological distance between the mainland and the North-East.
Historical reasons etc. Chairman was participating in the manner of a conversation.

M1. What is the difference between upper Assam and Lower Assam.
Answered.
M1. What is Kaziranga famous for.
Answered.
M1. What is your organization doing for development of tea sector in Assam.
Answered.
M1.What is Tea Wages Act. And the small tea growers.
Answered.
M1.What is minimum wage for tea labour.
Answered.
M1.Why do the labour unions and management agree for such a low minimum wage viz. Rs.76.20
(Revised Rs.96).
The tea plantations provide ration, schooling, residence and medical facilities.

M1. I was going through this (pointing towards summary sheet or whatever) – you have had such a
checkered career. You started in post office and today you are working in ---- and now you are sitting
in interview for the IAS. I wish to congratulate you for this.
Thank you, Sir.
M2. What is the difference between plan allocations to North-East and Mainland India.
Answered.

Interviews Page 43

Answered.

M2. What is Tea Board.
Answered.
M2. There is Tea Board, Coffee Board, Rubber Board. Being at the helm of affairs, if the projects
come to you from these boards. How would you prioritize the allocation to these boards.
Talked about economic and financial viability and sustainability of the project.

M3.(lady) – you got this award from The Indian Express. Why did you get this?
Answered.
M3 – a few more questions on my writing for newspapers.
M3- Rate of growth in Manufacturing sector has come down, why and what can be done?
Answered.
M3- What will be impact of Pakistan granting MFN status to India, on Punjab. ( I am from Punjab).
Answered.
M3- Your first preference must be IAS.
Yes, Ma’am.
M3- Where would you like to work?
Answered. Talked about high preference for Nagaland, Manipur etc.
M3- working and living among the people leads to a sense of empathy for the people and the land.
Yes, Ma’am.

M4- you have traveled widely in North-East, so you have traveled across the length and breadth of
Brahmaputra in a way.
In a way, Sir.
M4- Majuli was to be accorded UNESCO heritage site status. Tell me about Majuli.
Answered. Told about the cultural heritage of Meising, the majority tribe of Majuli.
M4- What about the sense of alienation.
Answered in one line. Sense of alienation among the people of North-East is “Politically
Manufactured”.

M4- Tell me about someone who writes letter to editors prominently.
Mr. S.K. Agarwal. M4 nodded with a smile to Chairman.

The Chairman said thank you and my interview was over. I thanked the board and came out a happy
person. Board was extremely cordial. It was an experience to be interviewed by the board.

Looking back, none of my answers seem perfect to me. But I believe, there can never be anything
like perfect in an interview, because I don’t possess the ‘perfect personality’.
I have included the one-line answers above, because I can remember those in exact manner.
I have not written my answers in detail because, we have the tendency to fine-tune the answers.
The answers in front of interview board are crude and not well polished. So I leave it to the board to
assess my answers.

My first attempt at the exam and my first interview. The UPSC exam has been fun, while preparing
for this exam, I have learnt so much about myself and our wonderful country.
I am an outsider to the whole UPSC power centers in Delhi viz. coachings, notes and mock
interviews etc.
Online blogs and reading the interview experiences of other candidates has been of immense help to
me. Thank you so much, all of you.