Upsc interview experience 2013 cse 2012...

My interview:

Board: Sh P.K. Mishra, former Chief Secretary, U.P.

Me: May I come in Sir?

Chairman: Plz come in Vikas

Me: (After going near the chair meant for the candidate) Good evening Sir,
goodevening madam

Chairman: Plz have seat

Me: Thankyou Sir (I took the chair)

Chairman : So Vikas, you have been working in CBI since 2011. There
have been a lot of allegations of using CBI for political means and also of
corruption. What is your view?

Me: Sir, I have heard allegations in Media, but personally I have never
encountered such a situation.

Chairman : Name some intelligence agencies in India.

Me: IB, RAW, DRI, Military Intelligence, CID at state level.

Chairman: Suppose you are the head of the intelligence unit. The
government asks you to give some inputs about an X terrorist
organization. How would you provide.

Me: Sir, I would penetrate it at its cadre level....

Chairman: No, no vikas. What inputs about that organization would you

give?

Me: OK, sir. I would find out about its cadre strength, its sources of
funding, the kind of weapons it has, whether it is getting any external aid,
what is its level of penetration at the social level.

Chairman: (Smiling) Now your boss is happy. (passes me on to 1st
member, M1)

M1: So Vikas, tell me something about Plato's Philosopher King.

Me: Madam, Plato wanted a ruler who had wisdom. According to him only
a person well versed in Philosophy could become a good king.

M1: Did he support property for the king?

Me: No madam. Plato wanted king to have no family or property.

M1: What about Aristotle?

Me: Madam, Aristotle was pragmatic. He didnt think it as a good idea to
devoid the king of family or property since it would be against the human
nature. Aristotle believed in institutions (law) instead of individuals
(philosopher king).

M1: What is the name of J.S. Mill's book ?

Me: Sorry madam, I am not able to recall the name.

At this point the chairman passes me on to the 2nd member.

M2: Which Indian Philosopher you have studied well?

Me: Sir, Shankaracharya.

M2: What is his philosophy?

Me: Sir, it is Advaitism. Meaning reality is non-dual. He talks about unity of
everything...

M2: So is it deterministic?

Me: No sir, it is non-deterministic.

M2: Is relativity involved here?

Me: Yes sir. According to Shankaracharya, dream state is less real relative
to concious state. Concious state is less real relative to Brahman.

M2: Is Advaitism related to Physics in some way?

Me: Yes sir. In Physics, scientists have been in constant search for a single
unifying theory which would describe everything. Initially, it was thought
that electricity and magnetism were separate. But Maxwell combined them
into a single branch of electromagnetism. Currently, superstring theory,
called M-theory, has been proposed which would unify all the forces under
a single theory, a theory of everything..

Chairman : Who was the Indian President having good command over
Indian Philosophy?

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

Chairman: Take your time, recall.

Me: (after 2-3 seconds) Dr S. Radhakrishnan.

Chairman: What was his own Philosophy?

Me: Sorry sir, I do not know.

Chairman passes me on to M3.

M3: Vikas, which is more important, rights or duties?

Me: Sir, rights and duties are complementary. There can be no rights
without duties and vice versa. Once right is another's duty and...

M3: What is meant by work is worship?

Me: Sir, it means that work is the fundamental basis of life. Like Gandhiji
said that every person must do some physical labour to justify his both
ends meet...

M3: What was the philosophy of Gandhiji?

Me: Non-violence based on Satyagraha was Gandhiji's philosophy. It
meant that the situation itself is changed by changing the heart of the
opposition rather than destroying the opposition.

M3: See vikas, I have a picture in my mobile. Tell which phenomenon of
Physics is involved in the picture. (He gives the mobile in my hand. It has
the picture of sunlight passing over a temple and creating a ring).

Me: Scattering of light

M3: Scattering?

Me: I am sorry sir, it is due to diffraction of light.

M3: What is it?

Me: Sir, when light encounters an obstacle of comparable wavelength, it
bends around it to make such a pattern.

The member gives the mobile to the lady member and asks her to see the
beautiful picture.

The chairman meanwhile hands me over to the 4th member.

M4: Have you heard about dirty hands? Professionals ethics have to be
compromised in business and politics. What is your view?

Me: Sir, there are both good and evil elements in a human being. For
example, it is inevitable that there would also be criminal elements in a
society, for that law is there to deal with them. (I couldnt explain it
satisfactorily to him).

M4: Are there any situations where only duties are involved but no rights
are there?

Me: Sir, in case of an infant child, his parents have duties towards him but
they cant claim any right corresponding to these duties.

The member seems dissatisfied. He tells me that if a person is working in a
poor African country out of a sense of duty then the situation entails the
given condition.

The chairman interrupted.

Chairman: OK Vikas, I would ask you a situational question. Suppose there
is a state. There is an organization which is having subversive activities

and has taken control a large size of its territory. The state is unable to
deal and gain control. The Central government advises the state to take
help of the Central forces to regain the control of the territory. The state
refuses. The situation becomes more bad. State losing more territory to
the organization. Center again asks to take help of Central forces. The
state again refuses. What is the solution?

Me: Sir, the Union government can use article 355 of the constitution. It
can send its forces...

Chairman: Yes, article 355 entails the union to protect state from internal
disturbance and external aggression....

Me: Yes sir...

Chairman: And if the state is still reluctant....

Lady member: It can invoke article 356.

Me: Yes madam.

Chairman: Thankyou vikas, your interview is over, you can go now.

Me: Thankyou sir, thankyou madam..

Upsc interview experience 2013 cse 2012 on 12th March 2013

12th March 2013 FN session.
Optionals: pol sci & intl rel and anthropology.
Board: PKM
3rd person to be interviewed.
Me: Good Morning sir and good morning madam, good morning sirs.
CM: good morning...good morning have u r seat.
CM: (going thru bio data) what is u r name?
Me: My name is K Anil Reddy
CM: what is u r date of birth?
Me: 16th June 1987.
CM: you are passed out in 2009 and u have been preparing for civils from 2009?
Me: Yes sir.
CM: people he has an interesting aspect in his biodata. He has done a project on indigenous
knowledge and sustainable development.
Me: yes sir.
CM: What is sustainable development?
Me: Satisfying the need of the present generation without sacrificing the needs of the coming
generations.
CM: how can it be done?
Me: by rational and restraint utilization of resources.
CM: so basically it is utilization of resources.
Me: Yes sir
CM: How can we integrate so called indigenous knowledge?
Me: sir we cannot solve the entire problems with indigenous knowledge but it can be integrated in a
way we have been trying to integrate AYUSH with allopathy medicine.
CM: say me one area where we can apply indigenous knowledge in farming.
Me: I am not sure.
CM: make some guess
Me: BT plants etc.
CM: no no...........think
CM: Algae cultivate in a water and add it the field thats it.
Me: yes sir organic farming is one of the examples of use of indigenous knowledge.
M1: so you have an optional of anthropology.
Me: Yes sir.
M1: Explain me the relation between anthropology and other disciplines. Start with Archaeology.
Me: both are concerned with emergence of human being and process of civilization.
Sociology and anthropology are concerned with man as a social animal.....but basic difference is
anthropology is considered abt holistic study of man.
M1: how old is anthropology.
Me: it is of recent origin abt 100 years old.
M1: how would u use anthro as an IAS officer?
Me: It is helpful in policy making and implementation.
For example adult education was started with great objectives but could not achieve the objectives
because people adults thinking that they will lose respect if someone see them as school going
children.......similarly in case of chicken pox they still believe it is a course of god......in this areas

anthro field studies can help us to understand the problems to effectively implement the policy.
M2(killed me with geo questions): Anil have u observed the map on u r right side on wall.
Me: Yes sir.
M2: there are rivers on western side such as narmada, tapi etc..And on eastern side Krishna,
Godavari, kaveri, Mahanadi etc...Why do eastern rivers form delta and western rivers form estuaries.
Me: because of presence of Western Ghats which are continuous where as Eastern Ghats are not as
continues as Western Ghats and because of geology of the structure on which they flow.
M2: yea this also point what is the exact reason make a guess.
Me: thought for a moment and said sorry sir i could not.
M2: see anil what i will do i will dam the entire rivers without even allowing single drop of water to
reach the sea...........what are the implications?
Me: because of this silting will increase and water carrying capacity will decrease leading to floods
and in addition it affects biodiversity of the rivers and cause water disputes between states.
M2: Its ok.....no water disputes because i am damming full water so plenty of water available what
are the implications. Make a guess?
Me: i repeated that entire thing such as silting, biodiversity etc...
CM(intervened and prompted me the answer): Loss of biodiversity etc...Then he said ok leave abt it
here madam you proceed
M3(lady member): Anil we have been discussing about tribes quite a bit let me know which one do u
like earlier tribal legislations and forest rights Act 2006. Which one does u like the most?
Me: I like Forest rights Act 2006.
M3: why?
Me: Madam, it has rectified their earlier loop holes. Such as giving rights on the land to the
tribes and giving right on minor forest produce. Because these were the major causes of the land
alienation and hard ships of the tribes.
M3: even there are some objections to forest tights act 2006... Are u aware of it?
Me: No madam i don’t have idea.
M3: she asked some name who is working in Maharashtra who is working for the tribes in bringing
down their mortality rate.
Me: Madam I don’t know.
M3: She started saying about him to chairman...sir he has been working since decade to bring down
the infant mortality rate among the tribes after reaching to a certain level he could not bring it down
further.....he has been working from years and he could not.
Me: I said that there is an attitude barrier which has to be overcome if we want to achieve our
objects. After all these attitudes are developed from centuries and even it is futile to accept that
these attitudes can be changed in a decade or two.
CM: Ok Ok leave it here.
CM: Anil you have done your graduation in communication engineering. So u are an IPS officer head
of combing party and you lost your communication set and it has fallen into the hands of Naxals.
What would u do?
Me (actually did not understand the question): Sir, I use modern technologies like using radar’s and
said I will take help of satellites........will use informer s
CM: (in unsatisfied manner) no no already naxals have all this latest technologies....u just simply
deactivate it.
CM: there was chipko movement what was it?

Me: sir it was movement started to protect the trees from cutting it down by hugging the trees.
CM: ok, which place was it?
Me: sir it was in north india may be in and around uttarakhand.
CM: do u know the name of the person who was famous in this movement.
Me: Sir, I could not remember sorry sir.
CM: It’s ok..He was sunderlal bahuguna.
Me: thank u sir.
CM: Anil u may leave.
M4 (who went outside when int was started came back): sir i did not asked.
CM: ok sorry. U may ask now
M4 to CM: CM should not say sorry to board members.
M4: we are celebrated womens day last time.......can u guess how many women noble laureates are
there?
Me: (By laughing i said) sir is it about 15-20.
Ma: come on man don’t be so conservative.
M4: Anil which is the worlds oldest legislative body?
Me: UK parliament.
M4: Ok correct.
M4: Which is the largest tribe in india?
Me: Sir is it Gonds ?
M4: No...they are santhals.
Me: But gonds have the largest spread area wise.
M4: it is correct but population wise it is santhals.
M4: Who was the British PM during world war 2?
Me: i could not remember sorry sir.
M4: ok who was the British PM during india’s independence?
Me: i could not remember sir.
M4: make a guess anil?
Me: sorry could not recollect.
M4: he is versed in drama. Poetry, music and received noble prize in literature?
M4: his name starts with A.
M4: make some wild guess. He has long beard.
Me: so irritated i said akbar (every one laughed)
M4: Ok anil there was some temple in Andhra Pradesh which has been shifted stone by stone
because of inundation.(it was done in 2008)
Me:Sir is it thousand pillered temple (presently similar work is going ).
M4: no...it is in mahabubnagar....try to guess?
Me: sorry sir.
M4: Its alampur.
M4: started asking again something.
CM: ok stop now....anil u r interview is done u may leave and all the best.
Me: Thank u sir, thank u madam and wished them have a nice day.
(Through out the interview PKM was very cordial and supportive and was giving clues to the
answers)
Expecting around 160+ if he gives more than that, i will take with both hands happily.

Upsc interview experience 2013 cse 2012 (march 2012)

board - p.k.m sir

last one to go for the day

hobbies - Designing models of real things , teaching

Associated with Art of living

Electrical engineer from IITD working with NTPC ltd .  Optionals ELectrical And Geography

me:goodafter noon sirs

cm: please have a seat

me :thankyou sir, thankyou ( i say thanku two times , cm looking at me )

cm: the photo you now brought is not matching with your application photo .

me: sir , at that time i had a haircut;

cm: it seems now u had a haircut :

i kept silent

cm :ok , u sign 15 times on the paper to establish ur identity

i confidently signed

cm to members : ok , sign is matching , ok let us start the interview .

cm: who is founder of art of living ( i have done a course here)

me: Shri shri ravi shankar

cm: why 2 shri's

me:sir , his father name is ravi shankar , so one shri for his father and  another for his own name.

cm:ok ,so shri shri ravi shankar

cm: there is some kriya there , what is it

me :Sudarshan kriya

cm: what does it do

me : this kriya maintains a rythm between breath, body and mind . while doing it rythmically we make a sound so hum.

cm : what is so hum

me : vah main huin ( i said it in hindi , means i am god)

cm: so it means u are god

me : yes , i am god

cm: what is the meaning of god

me: for things which we have answer we call it science and and for which we dont have any answer we call it god:

cm: so , god created the science or science created the god ;\

me: god creted the science

cm to m1 : u please ask

m1: what is this your hobby "designing models of real things"

me: i have a habit of making a model of any real thing which i see , for example i have designed lift, ceiling fan , cooler

, escalator of around 2 feet height

m1: does escalator work

me: yes

m1:then why are u coming here (taunt-type)

cm to m1: please ( in a way requesting him not to say such things)

m1:what else u have designed

me:and solar cooker

m1:how does solar cooker works

me:sir , when the sun ray first come , they are of short wavelength but after striking the glass of solar cookker , they becomes

long wavelength and got trapped there , and this infrared ray heats up the materail there

m1: any energy source which can serve the indian needs

me: sir , it has to be solar energy due to very large potential and easily available across india

m1:how will u trap this energy

me:through photovltaic cells

m1:how much is the voltage generated by them

me :sir , about 1 volt ,infact even less than 1 , ie around 0.7v

m1:how will u save this energy for night

me: By storing it in the battery

m1:can u tell what do they call the human model in a garments shop

me: sir , i know it  in hindi , "BUUT"

m1:no not in hindi , i have not heard this

cm: BHUT is ghost , not what the sir is asking ( cm thought i have said BHUT)

m3 interrupted : sir , he is saying "BUUT" not "bhut" which means a statue or similar sort of thing

m4, m5 also whispering about this bUUt

m3: do u like questions about constitution

me: yes sir

m3: what is the basic structure of the constitui

me: (i was thinking as i couldnt understand what does structure means)

cm: something that is sacrosanct

me: (now i got what m3 was asking)  sir , federalism ,

cm: more

me: fundamentals rights

cm:but what about right to property

me: it is still in the constitution.

cm: yes, it is now a legal right

cm: more basic structure

me:seperation of power

cm :more

me:judiciary and executive are independent

cm: this is same as seperation of power

me: yes sir( very politely)

m3:ok , have u heard about issue behind Afsal guru hanging

me:yes sir , the issue was that they havent told his family about hanging

m3: how is it justifeid

me:sir , according to our jail manual it is not necessary to inform the family

cm:but how it is morally justified

me:if we would have told his family , there may have been violence in jammu and kashmir

cm face lights up now

m4:do u like questions from nuclear side

me: yes sir

m4:( he said some 4,5 sentences , i could not make what he said due to his accent, i understand only the word  nuclear which

he said in his last sentence)

me: pardon me sir , could u please eleborate the question ( with utmost ploiteness)

m4: ( again what he said i couldnot get it)

me:sorry sir, i dont have complete facts about this topic.

m4: its ok , will u like kashmir issue

me:yes sir

m4:what do u think we should do,

me:first of all violence is not a solution in any case . rather we should put the pressure on them. yestereday only ,our honorary

  supreme court has asked the govt to take up the matter in international criminal court.

m5: so , u are working in ntpc

me:yes sir

m5: what is the installed capacity of our contry and demand .

me: 210 gw is the installed capacity , and if we take the T&D loss to be 30% then around 270 gw is the demand

m5 somehow look perplexed ,i think he now our country demand in units not in Gw which i said

me: can i say my answer again

cm:yes

me:(now i explained clearly) 210 gw is installed capacity and we further require 80GW.

m5:do our country import electricity

me:( i know for sure that all the contries suurounding us already have energy crisis , so how they will give us electricity,)

m5: do we import

me: sir , during the recent grid failure ,we took the electrcity from BHUtan

m5:which plant of bhutan

me:(i know the name , but forgot it)  sir , name not coming to my mind

cm:ok

m5:which plants of ntpc are coming in bihar

me: barh

m5:more

me:(taking time to think) kahalgaon

m5:it is already established ,

m5: nabinagar

me:yes sir ( even though i heard this name for the first time)

m5: schmes in education sector

me: sarva shiksha abhiyan

m5:more

me:mid day meal scheme where in students are given compulsry meals so that their parents will send them there

m5:more schemes

me:(no more scheme i remembered)  sir , also they are distributed books, scholarships and ..

cm interrupted :what else

me : clothes etc

m5:what is the relevance of panipat

me: sir , in the very 1st shlok of shrimad bhagwad gita , "dharamshetre kurushetre" dharamshetre refers to panipat

cm: this is mythological relevance , tell the historical relevance

me:there were 3 battles of panipat

m4: what are the dates

me: (thinking and saying very slowly) 1st in 1526 , 2nd in 1556 , 3rd in 18th century

cm:exact year

me:not able to recall sir

m4:1761

me:yes sir

m5:tell betwwn whom the third was fought

me: i know the parties sir ., one was marathas and another was (taking long time to recall) ... mughals

cm: not mughals , ahmed shah abdali

me: exactly sir (i think my voice goes little higher here)

m5:what is the economic activity undertaken in karnal

me: there is National dairy research institute , there is also central soil research alkaline institute

m5:in NDRI what do they do

me: research on milk and dairy products

m5: also on different breeds of buffaloes

me:yes sir

m5:what economic activity in panipat

me:sir , cotton textiles are produced here

m5:for example

me: silk sarees, cotton sarees

m5:have u seen the film Robot

me:yes i have seen it

m5:so is it possible to make a model of human showing emotions as well

me: sir , i personally think this is possible (with conviction) . for ex , when we speak there are vibrations in our neck

which are signals , and which can be tapped and so such model is possible

m5:how was the school curriculum at your times( not sure if indeed this was the ques)

me: sir , even at that point of time in science subjects we used to make modles, lab practicals etc were also there.

cm:ok ,at what class u have studied sanskrit ( since i have been awarded by delhi sanskrit samiti)

me: 10 class sir

cm:10 class( amazed)

cm: i will give u one shlok from sanskrit , can u translate it

me:yes sir  (cm looked happy to see my confidence)

cm: (he recited the shlok ,out of which i could get the meaning of only some words)

me: i had got the meaning of some of words ,  can i tell the idea

cm:yes yes , this is sufficient

me: (i started translating , chairman was helping me throughout )

cm:you may go now

me:thanku sirs,

(there are many more questions which i dont remember)

expert comment from our reader

Everyone wants to know about the marking pattern of their respective boards.....i just want to say that all the present boards (excluding new members) give all kinds of marks in the range from 230-240 to 70-80....difficult to find a pattern in their marking but there are some common perceptions about the members as given below.......

p agar - gives all kinds of marks....better marks for arts candidates....marks based on how well opinion-based questions are answered....

pk mishra - gives all kinds of marks....cordial board....most of the time marks matches with performance....

img khan - extra cordial board....gives all kinds of marks....used to be liberal in his first and second years...now, not that liberal....

vijay singh - cordial...perf matches with marks....not very liberal as he used to be....my observation is that people from iits are not given the marks they deserve....

rajni - ac-dc type, many get above 200, equally many get around 100....perf doesnt match with marks in most of the cases....not cordial....relies on first impression about the candidate more than others...

venk reddy - likes assertiveness in the candidates....likes engineering candidates who have work experience....even otherwise, he is liberal....gives all kinds of marks....

alk sirohi - liberal, not very cordial....gives average marks if proper confidence levels are maintained even if answers are not good....

any corrections you people want to make??? :)
reply 

Upsc interview experience 2013 cse 2012 courtesy http://jadaun.blogspot.in/

Time 11:55 AM, 10th April 2013, UPSC office
Board chairman: Manbir Singh, i will refer him as MS
Members (M1, M2, M3, M4)
Subjects: History, Geography
Interest: Archaeology, Visiting Historic places, International affairs  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
[Neeraj] May i come in Sir?
[MS] Please come in
[Neeraj] Good Morning sir/Mam etc
[MS] You are working in a sun rise sector and still you want to join civil services
[Neeraj] Yes sir
[MS] What do you think of China's building of dam on Brahmaputra?
[Neeraj] Not good for India sir
[MS] Why?
[Neeraj] China will divert water to irrigate land in Yunan province (north and NE of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam can face water scarcity in near future.

[MS] Recently we got an award from a tribunal, what was that?
[Neeraj] Kishenganga river project, we got award on Pakistan
[MS] How is this issue different from China making dams?
[Neeraj] Sir, because we have Indus river treaty with Pakistan, signed in 1960 but we do not have any such treaty with China so we can not force China  in this regard.
[MS] Is China diverting water from Brahmaputra a speculation or something concrete?    
[Neeraj] I first read this in Frontline in 2011 but that time this was discarded now China has openly declared to do so. Moreover China does not inspire confidence because there is huge censorship over information/press there. Same thing happened in 1962 war with China, i have read this in Himalayan Blunder, famous book by Brigadier Dalvi. Indians were thinking that Pakistan was going to attack them but it happened otherwise and we were caught unprepared.

[MS] I have also read Dalvi's book, why his entire Brigade was annihilated?
[Neeraj] Because his brigade did not have artillery support while Chinese had come prepared.
[MS] OK
[MS] What is String of Pearl theory?
[Neeraj] China encircling India by building naval bases in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.They have already built Hambantota port in Srilanka and Gwadar in Pakistan. Pakistan-China friendship as they claim is Deeper than the deepest of Oceans and Higher than highest of the mountains so Pakistan can easily give its port to China in case of war etc.

[M1, a lady] Neeraj, you appear very intelligent but i am bemused to see that your hobby is archaeology and visiting historic places? How come it became your hobby?
[Neeraj] Mam, i did my B. Tech from IIT-BHU, Varanasi. I visited  historic site of Sarnath there and also the museum. I actually touched the National Emblem(Ashokan Capital) there. That time it started to interest me.

[M1] What are the sites you have visited?
[Neeraj] Sarnath, Qutb Complex, Karle Caves, Ajanta & Ellora caves, Daultabad Fort, Golconda Fort, Hampi, Meenakshi Temple, Winchester (city of King Alfred and Arthur).
[M1] What are the problems Indian ASI is facing?
[Neeraj] Shortage of staff, huge number of sites etc.
[M1] What are the threats to Ajanta caves?
[Neeraj] Flash camera light, vehicular pollution (I missed the vandalism part here)
[M1] Why IAS?
[Neeraj] Challenging, Public Service
[M1] IT is also challenging
[Neeraj] But public service is not there

[M2] Do you know about AFSPA? What are key provisions?
[Neeraj] (I told all the provisions and areas where it is in force, also told about the commission set up in 2004 that recommended to repeal it, He was very happy)
[M2] Do you know the name of the lady who is on strike?
[Neeraj] Irom Sharmila, fast unto death for last 12 years

[M2] Why AFSPA should not be applied in Naxal areas?
[Neeraj] It should not be applied anywhere and its should be reviewed or repealed. After all we all are Indians and no one should be allowed to have full immunity to do anything.
[M2] What innovative things you will do in rural areas?
[Neeraj] e-governance, e-FIR, MCTS, Solar Power, Agriculture BPO, Azim Premji University type venture in Education.

[M3] Who was PM of India in 1971?
[Neeraj] Indira Gandhi
[M3] Who was Indian Army chief?
[Neeraj] General Manekshaw
[M3] Who was Eastern Command Chief
[Neeraj] General Arrora
[M3] Very good
[Neeraj] Thank you Sir 

[M3] Bangladesh was liberated in 1971 but Mujiburrahman was killed in 1975, why?
[Neeraj] Effect of Jamat e Islami and pro Pakistani element in Bangladesh military
[M3] Where does Brahmaputra originate?
[Neeraj] Near Mansarovar Lake
[M3] Which regions it pass through?
[Neeraj] China, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh
[M3] Good
[M3] Assam is prone to Brahmaputra floods, show should we care China diverting water from it?
[Neeraj] Because we dont know how much water it will divert
[M3] Nixon threatened India by sending Naval battleship to Bay of Bengal, What did India do?
[Neeraj] India already had a treaty with USSR and Indira Gandhi said in meeting that dont worry, USSR is sending its nuclear submarine to counter that threat. USA buckled down finally.

[M4] You all answers were good but  have a doubt. You live in an AC environment, you simply want to join IAS for its fanfare. You are getting excellent salary, you will get less than half of what you are getting right now. Why you want to join?
[Neeraj] Sir, i still spend 1 month in my village, i still dont have an AC. I have helped my village by spreading awareness against leakage in PDS. 
[M4] OK

[MS] Thank you Neeraj
[Neeraj] Thank you sir (and I walked out)

Upsc interview experience 2013 cse 2012

Me - Good Morning Sir

Ch - Good Afternoon, Q, please sit down

So how are our relations with our neighbouring countries? Let’s start with Bangladesh.

Me - Good phase. Land boundary agreement, felicitation of Indian leaders and soldiers who played an active role in Bangladesh’s liberation. 

Nepal- India actively aiding the peace and democracy process since the beginning but has lost leverage because of high handedness and interference. Myanmar - geopolitical considerations have dominated approach - need to combat drug trafficking and insurgency in the NE but as an important regional player and world’s largest democracy and because of Suu Kyi’s important India connection has emphasised the desirability of democracy to the neighbour .

SL- India has voted for the US sponsored resolution at UNHRC but tried to dilute provisions keeping in view SL’s strategic importance - 

China, Indian ocean etc etc.

Ch (positively compliments) - But why IFS at no. 6?

Me - Interested in IR but first preference IAS.

(Lots of cross questioning here. )

Giving up IFS will be difficult decision to make. Family considerations and decided upon after much thought. Want to stay in the country.

Ch (not as happy anymore) - It’s your decision but you should give it higher preference.

Maam (long question on ... ) - Crimes against women - new phenomenon? Double standards in our culture - deification on one hand and ill treatment on the other? What will you do?

Me - Not new - more reporting, more awareness, media’s role, less stigma. but as women take to the public domain increase in violence also. Spoke something on the second part. Last part - education, gender sensitization - potential of women if given opportunities, changing attitudes n mindsets etc.. Law in the short term - deterrence - Criminal Law Bill - rattled off a few provisions. Gender sensitive policing.

M1 - But acid attack is bailable? They will roam around free?

Me (stuck) -  Yes, but the certainty of law catching up will act as a deterrent. Effectiveness of law important.

M2 - Can Indian Ocean countries collaborate?

Me - Already mecahnism exists - IOR -ARC but not effective -  diverse countries.

M2 (still can’t figure out his question; low point of my interview) - The IO region has three outlets (he elaborated), can the so called western imperial powers isolate the SA region??

Me ( i said some crap on .. ) - China - emerging superpower, spreading influence - String of pearls. Some nonsense on Strait of Hormuz. (Sir interrupts, elaborates about Gwadar port, China - pak) - China n pak close allies. nuclear and defence cooperation. implications for India’s security. (Interrupts)  Karakarom highway, LAC.

M2 - Goes back to can SA be isolated!?

Me- NO. China and India looking to cooperate.

M3 - Coalition politics- instability. what formal mechanism to prevent regional parties from influencing foreign policy (wrt DMK, AIADMK -SL issue) it?

Me- coalition politics accommodates regional aspirations so good but fragmentation. so upon regional players to have a national outlook.

M3 & Ch - But that is idealistic? formal mechanism?

Me- leadership has important role to play to bring everyone on the same page.

Ch - idealistic. (Before i could say more) M3- Sir, it is a hypothetical question. i am also just wondering!

M4 & Ch- two contrasting states of Kerala and Rajasthan in women’s empowerment? What to do?

Me- Will take a long time for kerala model to work in Raj. long process. Kerala had many advantages like matrilineal society of Nairs and religious institutions driven education etc.. contrasting cultures.

Discussion went to economy of both states - handled well.

(Everyone started talking and laughing amongst themselves)

P.S. It lasted for 30 minutes. I have omitted some background related and personal questions. Can’t remember the exact words i used so have written what, by and large, the crux of the matter of what i said was.

Questions weren’t much but I talked a lot. At some places rambled. Was quite flummoxed at M2’s question.

Overall, very general interview. Vibe was decent/positive.