UPSC IAS INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE (36)

Name: M. Rohit
Type: Interview

Me: May I come in Sir.
Me: Good Morning Mam. Good Morning Sir.
PSA: Please have a seat.
Me: Thank You Sir.

PSA: Why Madras has been changed to Chennai but the name of these institutions have not been changed.
Me: These institutions have been kept of any kind of disturbances or distortions in the society.... (PSA was n' t convinced and interrupted me and moved on to next question)

PSA: What do you think about Indian democracy. I have so many of my colleagues which say that Indian democracy it at its worst low and there is a very pessimistic scenario in the country.
Me: Sir, there have been some turbulences and disturbances in short term but Indian democracy will eventually become more stronger and mature in future in a long term.

PSA: Why do you think so?
Me: Sir, India is like an oasis in the Indian subcontinent surrounded by all failed states and it is due to our democracy only. Even TS Krishnamorthy has in his book Miracle of Democracy, India is India because of democracy only. Navin Chawla has also said that if the youth is dynamic, then all the distortions in the system will eventually wither away.
PSA: I'm not interested in others quotes, but more interested in your views.
Me: Sorry Sir,

PSA: So now tell me why do you feel so optimistic.
Me: Sir, our Judiciary has been very proactive in the last couple of years and it will become the biggest bulwark of Indian democracy in the future tomorrow.

PSA: Yes, that is one...what else
Me: Sir, Election commission has been becoming very assertive now and people are also getting empowered and now they know their rights. ( PSA wasn't looking very convinced here...I guess was expecting something better... moves to next question )

PSA: I'm happy that you think optimistically about Indian democracy.
PSA: Rohit, you have been in Chennai for last 6 years or so, If I'am not wrong. Have you picked up some Tamil?
Me: Sir, I know some words and some numbers but I often forget them.

PSA: Why, didn't you felt the necesssity to learn it in Chennai.
Me: Sir, in campus everyone from peon, sweeper, Professor all speak English. Even if one goes out, all autowalas understand English

PSA: You never went out of Chennai?
Me: Sir, I've been to some places like Madurai, Tirupati, etc but everywhere people understand English.
Me: I've a personal feeling that when north Indians go to South India they don't learn south Indian languages but when people come from South India to North India they pick up Hindi very fast. PSA: See, in this board two members are from South India and they know Hindi very well. Don't you think people are very rigid in North India?

PSA: Why do people from South India learn Hindi fast?
Me: Sir, people in South India are more forward...
Me: Sir, I don't think so people are rigid here and people learn it often.

PSA: But your case doesn't suggest so
Me: Sir, If I get posted in Tamil Nadu tomorrow, I'll learn Tamil very soon.

PSA: See, that's it. We learn it when there is necessity and not out of interest.
M1: Rohit, You know about Panchtantra?
Me: Sir, I remember reading about it in school

M1: Ok, so you know about it.
M1: Can you try to recollect what you remember>
Me: (after a pause for 5 seconds) Sir, its a book written by Vishnu Sharma

M1: Can you tell me what is the meaning of the word Panchtantra.
Me: Sir, if you give me permission, I can break the word in Hindi and try to explain it.

M1: Sure, please go ahead.
Me: Sir, Panch means five and tantra means some tactic or tool or technology to get the work done.

M1: Rohit, you are telling about Yantra and not tantra.
Me: Yes Sir, I'm wrong. I'm confused.

M1: Can you tell me about Vedanta?
Me: Sir, I know only about Vedanta Mining group

M1: (confused). PSA interrupts and says he is talking about Vendanta Industries of Orissa.
M1: No I'm talking about the word Vendanta?
Me: Sorrry Sir, I know about word Ved-Puran only.

M1: What do you know about policies towards informal and formal migrants from developing countries to European countries what policies have been taken towards them?
Me: Sorry Sir, I don't know about this aspect?

M1: What about USA?
Me: Sir, post economic recession, USA has taken many protectionist policies and has tightened the visa fees and other terms. It was very relaxed in the Bush regime. This protectionism has harmed countries like India. (He was not convinced...was expecting something else I guess)

M2: These days there have been lot of talks about different regulatory bodies in India like MCI, NCHER, etc. What is your take on it. Should they be merged into one integrated body or they should work as different bodies?
Me: Sir, they should be merged into one integrated body working under one roof. This will promote lot of cross -cultural research in the country. Technologists, managers, etc willbe able to work together and lot of new creative ideas and innovative solutions will come up. It will also reduce the red-tap in the bodies.

M2: Have you heard of IPR.
Me: Sir, do you mean I...P... R?
Me: Yes Sir, I know about IPR.

M2: Can you explain what it is?
Me: Sir, it means Intellectual Property Rights.

M2: Ok, these days lot of new companies are coming and taking up patents in agriculture...have you heard of anything like this?
Me: yes Sir, companies take the patents of seeds, fertilizers, etc and monopolise the market.

M2: what effect does it have.. .?
Me: Sir, it has led to loss of indigeneous technology of production which the farmers have and production suffers.

M2: Can you tell any specific exampple?
M2: (after remaining blank for 3-4 seconds) Sir, I remember about Monsanto case. How it mopolised the market.
M2: (not very convinced) Can you elaborate.
M2: (again not very confident) Sir, It got the patent of Bt Brinjal and there were lot of apprehensioned from people

M2: You have lived in Tamil nadu. Andhra pradesh is near to Tamil Nadu. In AP lot of agricultural universities are working and producing creative agri-models but still there are lot of farmer suicides. What is the reason>
Me: Sir, there is a gap between the research being done in the universities and the actual implementation in the farms.

M2: No, but still there are lot of models being implemented. I want a specific answer why in AP this problem is present.
Me: Sorry, Sir, I don't know any specific reason for such problem in Andhra Pradesh.

M3: Have you heard of Police Act?
Me: Yes Sir, It was passed in 2007

M3: (PSA interrupts, that is what Supreme Court has directed, he is asking something else). When was the original Police Act passed?
Me: Sir 1861

M3: Yes now you are on track. Now tell me why was it passed by the Britishers?
Me: Sir, it was passed to keep the people of India down

M3: Not only that, it was also passed to give the SPs enough powers to collect the revenue from the people and SPs use to work directly under the DMs
M3: Have you heard of Police Commissionarate System?
Me: Yes Sir, it has been started in Jaipur and Jodhpur recently.

M3: What system is in Tonk where you were born and what system is in Chennai.
Me: Sir, I'm not sure but I guess it is SP only.

M3: These days powers of DMs have been diluted and SPs have been granted more powers for law and order. Do you think this relationship be diluted.
Me: Sir, police should have some kind of regulatory body over it and DM is the best person. Otherwise there might be some police officers who have go out of the system and use their extra discretion and then people may suffer

M3: Yes you are correct
(M2 drops in again)
M2: (he explained me about secret ballot system in the Parliament for nearly 6 minutes. Even after listening to him hard I could not make a word out of it what he actually meant and what he wanted from me. I had a horrific expression on my face...He had a Bengali accent)
Me: Sir, could you...(PSA interrupts and takes over after seeing may facial expressions)

PSA: Do you remember when was the no-confidence motion adopted few years back.
Me: Sir, in 2007
PSA: for what purpose...?
Me: (not very confident) Sir, nuclear deal bill

PSA: Yes, in that Congress had 80 MPs and when secret ballot was done no one knew from where extra 18 MPs came out. It remained a mystery. Do you think this system of secret ballot should be removed?
Me: Yes Sir, it should be removed and ful transparency should be brought in the system. Opaqueness should be removed.

PSA: Don't you think it will create lot of uncertainty in the system.
Me: May be Yes Sir, but people have every right to know what decision their representative has taken on the issue. Is that good or bad? Party is secondary and people come first.

M4: Rohit, I'm not from technical background. You have written Robotics as your hobby. Can you explain me what is a Robot?
Me: Sir. Sorry Ma'am Robot is a tool or a device which can do the work which man does it from its own hands.

M4: Do you know about movie Robot?
Me: Yes Ma'am . Rajnikant is working in this movie.

M4: What did you like in the movie?
Me: Sir, Aishwarya Rai is working in that movie. (PSA interrupts and says yes that is the best thing to watch in that movie and the panel bursts into laughter. PSA again says but I haven't wathced it)

M4: I'll tell you what was there in the movie. There was a robot which finally became uncontrollable and than it was difficult to control it.
M4: Do you think such intelligence should be given to Robots?
Me: Sir, Sorry Ma'am intelligence should be given but not to the extent that they sit over man.

M4: You mean man shoud drive the robots and robots shoudl not drive man.
Me: Yes ma'am

M4: Can you tell how can Robots can be useful to society? Can you give some examples?
Me: Ma'am few days back there was nuclear meltdown in Japan and 50 odd workers are fighting there to cool down the reactor. If we can produce 50 robots in their place who can cool the reactor than that will be a wonderful contribution to the humanity. Our soldiers take enemy bullets in the war zones, if we can replace them with robots or in Naxal affected areas if we can produce Unmanned vehicles, Unmanned Ground Vehicles to detect the landmines many lives of police people will be saved.
(Interview abruptly ends here)

PSA: Thank You
Me: I was clueless and was expecting it to go some more long.

PSA: Rohit you may go now.
Me: Thank You Sir, Thank You Ma'am . Thank You Sir.

Exam Interview Details

Subjects Taken : Geography and Public Administration
Date: 26-Mar-2011
Interview Board : Purushottam Agarwal