UPSC IAS INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE (28)

Name of Examiner : MAMTA GUPTA

AIR 413 CSE - 2011

Attempt No. : 4th Attempt

"This was my 3rd interview in UPSC. Last year I had got 413 rank and had been allocated IRS (C&CE). I was less nervous this time but really wanted to do well in the interview as I had not got good marks in last 2 interviews.

It was then Board of Madam Alka Sirohi, new member in UPSC. This was the first time I had got board of a lady member.

(cp: chair-person, M1, M2, M3, M4: members of board)

I entered into the room after taking permission.

M1: What is the difference between AM and FM.(Being an engineer, this question was reasonable for me but in the past some time, I was not in touch with technical things so became a bit uncomfortable)

Me: AM stands for Amplitude modulation and FM for Frequency modulation.

M1: Which one is better.

Me: FM.

M1:Why it is so.

Me: Sir, I am not able to recall(Chairperson madam interrupted and explained that because more amplitude results in more interference so in FM, there is less interference)

M1: Can you send a signal from Delhi to Chandigarh using FM.

Me: Yes

M1: How and do you need to put antennas in between. What is the range of FM signals.

Me: (I was not very sure) Yes. can be sent using FM. About range, I am not very sure.

(The member now felt that I was not feeling very comfortable with technical questions, he said that lets move away from technical things. But then next questions was again technical)

M1: you have heard of terms like VLSI, Embedded system. What are these and what are the differences.

Me. Sir, VLSI stands for very large scale integration.

M1: There is some law related to it. Which law it is.

Me: Moore's law.

M1: Explain it.

Me: In every next year, number of transistors in unit area gets doubled.

M1: The period is 18 months not one year.

Me: Sorry Sir.

M1: Being an engineer, you should know things things very clearly.

(There were some other technical terms he asked me to explain which I had not heard of. The member was very surprised that why I don't know these terms.)

M2: Given a choice, what will you choose, Benevolent autocracy or Anarchic democracy.

Me: (I thought for a second). Sir, Anarchic democracy. Democracy in any form is better than autocracy. People will be happy only when they have freedom and it is possible only in democracy. Also as the society develops, there are more heterogeneity and an autocratic ruler may not be able to understand needs of everyone.

M2: What is machinery for Disaster Management at different levels in the government.

Me. At the national level, we have National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) established by Disaster Management Act, 2005. At the state level, we have SDMA. At District level, District Collector is the final authority in this matter. We also have NDRF.

M2: Is there any international organisation also working for this.

Me: Sorry sir, I am not able to recall.

cp: Like UNESCO or UNEP. She gave some hint that it has some colour related to it.(Chairperson madam was helping me throughout the interview. She was giving me small hints so that I can try to give an answer)

Me: Red Cross

cp: Does Red Cross work for disaster management.

Me: I am not sure mam.

M3: What is the difference between Judicial activism and judicial overreach.

Me: These both are almost same things. First one is a positive concept and other one is negative. Recently judiciary has interfered in some matters such as PDS, environment issues where government could not take timely and right decision. Some people are considering it as undue interfere in legislative powers so term as judicial overreach.

M3 : So this is right.

Me.: In short term, yes. But then government has to realize and take the proper action and then there wont be any need for the judiciary to interfere.

M3: So is it happening in India.

Me: Sir, this is a new phenomenon in India and definitely it will have an positive impact in the future.

M4: Reading Biography is your hobby. What have you read recently.

Me: Mother Teresa's biography.

M4: What you found inspiring about her.

Me: She started her work alone and did what she wanted to do. She took the initiatives and devoted her life to help poor and sick people.

M4: But she was an nun and they do these works.

Me: Yes. She initially joined the church but later she felt that she needs to do something for poorest of the poor and then she started her separate work where in the start, she was all alone. She felt that God has ordered this to her.

M4: Do you think such things happen like God's order. You are a Science student and then you believe in these things.

Me: Sir, its a belief. one can term it God's order or inner voice or strong wish.

cp: What are the layers in the atmosphere. Also tell their uses.

Me: First is Troposphere. Here rain, clouds take place. Above the Troposphere, there is Stratosphere. Here aeroplanes fly.

cp: It also protects us from some rays. which rays

Me: Yes. It has ozone. I am able to recall name of the rays.

cp: Try once again.Think and then answer.

Me: Sorry Mam.

cp: It is UV rays which are harmful for us. So which is the next layer.

Me: It is Ionosphere.

cp: Are you forgetting some layer in between.

Me: Sorry mam. I am not able to recall.

cp: It is Mesosphere. Ok so what is the use of Ionosphere. It is related to your electronics.

Me: Yes mam. It has free ions and signal from Earth are reflected from this layer.

cp: Why tides come on Earth.

Me: Due to gravitational force of Sun and Moon.

cp: Which gravitational force is more.

Me: Moon because it is near to the Earth even though its size is smaller than Sun.

cp: Your interview is over. You can leave now.

Me: Thank you mam. thank you sir.

I came out of the room.

Date of Interview: 9/4/2012
IAS Interview Board : Madam Alka Sirohi
Your Native City : Jaipur