Thursday, February 28, 2013

My UPSC Interview - 2nd Attempt

Pardon the poor text editing in this post. LBSNAA's training doesn't offer enough luxury of time for me to sit down and correct it.

Interview details:-

Name of Candidate: Rajat Bansal
Profile: HERE
Attempt: 2nd (Selected for IPS in 1st)
Optionals: Geography and Public Administration
Board Chairperson: Ms. Rajni Rajdan
Interview Marks - 215
UPSC rank - 85


PART 1:- The Chairperson

CM:"Rajat? What is your roll no.? Date of Birth? Is this you (showing the photo)?"
Me: answered ... Yes Ma'am (smiling)
CM:"Are you working anywhere?"
Me:"Yes Ma'am, I am an IPS officer and am undergoing training at the National Police Academy in
Hyderabad"
CM:"When were you selected?"
Me:"In my last attempt, so I am in Hyderabad just now".
CM:"OK..(brief pause).. what is Roaring Forties?"
Me: (without any pause)"Ma'am roaring forties refers to the westerly winds. They are called so because
they are predominant at 40 degrees latitude and are of high speeds"
CM:(nodding approvingly)"Ok, what is aurora borealis?"
Me:"Ma'am I cannot recall the technical definition but these are the beautiful displays of
colorful light which are found in the Norwegian region."
CM:"So these are lights in the sky which are found in northern hemisphere only?"(she was smiling and
just re-framing what i said in a way to reassure me that i knew the answer)
me:"Yes ma'am, they are found in northern hemisphere only"
CM:"What are the different names of cyclones in the world?"
me:"Ma'am cyclones are called by different names - eg. hurricanes, typhoons, willy-willies"
CM:"Where all are these names being given to"
me:"Ma'am Hurricane term is used in U.S., willi-willies is used in australia, typhoon is used in Japan (She
frowned), and there others which i can't recall"
CM:"Typhoon is used in South China Sea, taifu is used in Japan (she smiled) and baguio in phillipines..
what about the term cyclone?"
me: "Ma'am cyclone term is frequently used in India only"
CM:"Yes, in the Indian ocean region. What is the difference between fog, mist, cloud and hail?"
me:"Ma'am all the three, except clouds, are modes of precipitation. Clouds are condensed water vapor
present at high altitudes. Both fog and mist are low altitude precipitation. Their technical difference lies in
the amount of visibility that they permit- fogs usually allow only less than 100 meters of visibility while
mist provides greater visibility. Hail is when the falling raindrops get solidified in transit and fall as
concrete ice."
CM:(nodding)"What is dew?"
me:"Ma'am when the water vapour in the atmosphere comes in contact with cold surface, it gets
condensed into the dew drops."
CM:"when was the last amendment to CRPF made?"
me:"Ma'am i don't know"
CM:(Surpised)"Don't they teach you law in the academy?"
me:"Ma'am we are taught law but maybe this wasn't covered"
CM:"How can they not cover this? Do you know about Civil procedure code?"
me:"Ma'am were you referring to the CrPC?"
Another member- "Yes, Yes"
CM:"Oh! Yes YEs CrPC, I'm sorry, I meant amendments in CrPC"
me:"Ma'am CrPc was last amended in 2008 and was notified in 2010. It added the sections 41-A,41-B,41-
C and 41-D which adds to the provisions of arrest in line with the D.K. Basu judgement"
CM:"Yes, do you know about CPC?"
me:"No ma'am that hasn't been taught to us"
CM passes the baton to the member on her right, it turned out later that he was an IPS. (Referred to as
IPS from hereon)

PART 2:- The member IPS

IPS: "Achcha have you read the Indian Constitution at least?"
me:"Definately sir"
IPS:"what is the difference between the powers of SC and HC?"
me:"Sir, the foremost difference is in the territorial jurisdiction - while HC's jurisdiction is confined to
states' territorial limits, SC's is stretched across India. Secondly sir, the nature of writ petition jurisdiction
is different (I searched for words for a few seconds here), Art 32 makes it mandatory for SC to take up
writ petitions while it's not so for HC. Thirdly, the article 136 defines Special Leave Petition for the SC
which is not so HC."
IPS:" There is a white marble in front of the library in your academy, what is written on it?"
me:"Sir, there is a martyr's block in front of the library but there is a white marble as soon as we enter the
academy on which it is written that there is a fine police officer in each one of you and the process of
training is essentially a process to hone you to bring that officer out. It's a quotation by Michelangelo Sir.
(Looking at CM, trying to engage her) -It is essentially a white bare rock structure that symbolizes the
influence of training"
IPS:"What are the national security threats to India?"
me:"Sir the national security issues that India faces include the state sponsored terrorism across the J&K
border, the Left Wing Extremism and (after a moment's break) also the radical groups present within the
country that add to the problems"
IPS:"Is the terrorism from Pakistan our only external concern?"
me:"Primarily yes sir, at least on the land front but the alleged movement of Chinese troops across the
Gilgit-Baluchistan border may also be considered an external security threat".
IPS:"How many neighboring countries does India have?"
me:"Seven sir"(without even a moment's break, although i wasn't sure)
IPS:"OK. and which is the border that exists only on paper"
me:"I think you are refering to the small border that India shares with Afghanistan, it measures only 26
kms"
IPS:"No, it measures 126 kms"
(Chairperson interjects)
CM:"Oh? It is 126 kms?"
IPS:"Yes Ma'am".
me:"Sorry sir, 126 kms, but it is a relatively small territorial interface".
IPS:"OK how long is India's coastline?"
me:"Sir, it is around 7500 kms long"
IPS:"What are the threats to the coastline"
me:"Sir, due to the long coastline and the geo-political sensitivity of the Indian Ocean, India faces several
marine threats, the most predominant one being from China's contiual expansion vis-a-vis its string of
pearls theory" (I wasn't very fluent with this answer and had to stop for words in between)
IPS:"Where is china actually confronting India in the Indian ocean?"
me:(I knew China confronted India in south china sea but since he asked about Indian ocean I chose to
say something else) "Sir, it is Sri lanka's territorial waters, Maldives,..."
IPS:(interrupting)"No, there is a case where china actually told India to step out and mind its own
business"
me:"Yes sir, that was in the case of Vietnam's territorial waters in the south china sea where India
acquired few exploration blocks in Nha Trang. Here china confronted India outrightly" ( I gave this
fluently and noticed that CM was looking at me intently).
IPS:"Yes. What are the layers in which India's coastline is policed"
me:" Sir after the 26/11 attack, India's coastal security was revamped and now its a three-tiered system in
which the immediate territorial waters are guarded by the coastal police stations manned by special wings
of the state police force. The Next contiguous zone is guarded by the Coastal guards and the further
waters are protected by the Indian Navy."
IPS:(looked satisfied)"Which country has been holding Indian ships hostage?"(he said something about
Italy too.. which confused me)
me:"Sir are you refering to the Italian incidents where two marines shot Indian fishermen?"
IPS:"No, there is a country which often comes in light about attack on merchant ships etc."
me:"Yes Sir, it is Somalia which is a cause of international concern due to its pirates"
IPS:"So Why should we be bothered about it? Why should we not let these incidents continue?"
me:"Sir, given Somalia's position in the east Africa wherein it borders the heavily used trade route of west
Indian ocean, it becomes important for India to protect its vessels. The Indian navy has shown good
capability of tackling these issues and has been successful in foiling a few incidents of piracy."
IPS:"So how should it be tackled"
me:"Sir it needs bilateral and multilateral cooperation between countries, especially in terms of
intelligence and real-time information sharing that can enable effective counter operations. Also the fact
that Somalia has a non-existent governance structure that can keep its territory free from pirates, the
concern for Somalia's development is also picking up in global forums. There is also an issue of choosing
the right justice delivery procedure for the pirates who are captured."
He passed the baton to the third member [AP] who appeared to be, based on his questions, from
Andhra Pradesh.

PART 3:- The Member from Andhra Pradesh

AP:"So Rajat you are undergoing training in the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy (APPA)?"
me:"No Sir, in the National Police Academy, as an IPS officer Trainee" (APPA trains state police of
Andhra, so I wanted to make sure that he knows that I am IPS).
AP:"Ok. You are interested in swimming, there is one IPS officer from Andhra Cadre who has won
numerous medals in swimming... (he went on to praise him)"
me:(I gave an excited look as I had seen and read about him) "Yes sir, I have seen his achievements
written on the swimming pool notice board in the academy, but his name escapes me just now"
IPS:"Yes, he has crossed the English channel too"
me:"Yes sir, I remember his face clearly but not his name"
AP:told his name
me:"Thankyou Sir"
AP:"Som, sir has asked you about national security issues, can you tell me some state security issues
pertaining to Andhra Pradesh"
me:(no break, just speaking whatever came to my mind, but fluently) "Sir, the foremost issue is the threat
of re-insurgence of naxalism, although the grey hounds has been able to successfully oust naxalism from
Andhra, but due to their activities in surrounding states, this threat consistently remains. Secondly sir, the
issue of communal disharmony, as we have seen in today's newspaper, there was a communal clash in
Hyderabad, so this friction throws up certain challenges from time to time" (IPS was nodding in
agreement)
AP:"That's all?"
me:"Sir these are what i can think of specifically"
AP:"So did you work during the Telangana agitations?"
me:(It showed that he was confused about the fact that I haven't worked in the field yet)"
SIr I have read about the Telangana issue"
AP:"So in what capacity did you work?"
CM:"No, He's under training still"
AP:"Ok. So there are administrative setups in different parts of the country. Are they same in each state or
are they different?"
me:"Sir they are different for each state"
AP:"So tell me in detail about AP's administrative structure"
(I was convinced that he had understood my job experience in a wrong sense but I still went ahead
answering)
me:"Sir, As such I don't know the specifics but being a south Indian state I know AP has a strong
Panchayati Raj Setup ingrained in its administration. So the Zila Committiees, etc play an important role"
AP:(interrupting) "No tell me from the lowest level"
me:"Sir, do you mean, the tehsildar level?"
AP:"No...from more basic"
me:"Sir, I don't know the specifics as I haven't worked in Andhra Pradesh"

He passed the baton to the 4th member(NE) who sounded like a professor.

PART 4:- The Academic

NE:"So Rajat you have mentioned community service as your interests. Tell me what is the difference
between social service and community service?"
(I liked the question, and smiled at him and the CM just to engage them into my thought process)
me:"Sir, As such we tend to use the two terms interchangeably but the difference exists in one's
perception. Social service is a term which reflects that the beneficiaries
entities while community service seeks to adopt models in which projects are meant to increase the
participation of the community members in the resolution of the problems that they face as a community.
So in the latter there is higher participation and external help is seen as catalysts, it's ultimately the
community that is prepared to solve its own problems"
NE:"So, we can use this is policing also?"
(I was on a high just now, and therefore had louder voice and was commanding the attention of the entire
board)
me:"Yes sir, in fact in the NPA we have been given strong focus on the service aspect of the IPS
acronym. And if we combine that service element with models of community policing, it effectively
becomes community service"
NE: "So you are interested in travelling, tell me what all countries or states have you traveled in?"
me:"Sir as far as countries go, I have traveled to France, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and in terms
of states, I have covered the entire north India and Kerala and Andhra in the south, among others".
NE:"Since you have been abroad, tell me what differences do you notice in the conditions of abroad and
in India? "
me:"Sir, if I talk of France per se, an immediate difference that comes to my mind is the way life is
percieved and lived in both the countries. In India we experience a continual rat race, i.e. every Indian
seems to be toiling to eke his livelihood, we have a huge section of population living in absolute penury
and poverty, while in France work is treated as a means to enjoy the leisure and explicit emphasis is laid
on quality of life. Apart from this Sir, there are other differences in the economy, politics ans societies".
NE:"Yes, but what is the difference in terms of the public service delivery system?"
me:"In terms of the public service delivery a rights-based approach of delivery is practised, while it has
been taking roots in India, it has a long way to come. Also the grievance redressal mechanisms were much
more effective. Thirdly the efficiency of the inter-agency coordination also sets it apart"
NE:"Have you heard about RTI? What is its objective?"
me:"Yes Sir, the Right to Information Act seeks to bring transparency in the process of governance. It acts
as the statutory framework for exchange of information from the state to the citizens."
NE:"Suppose you are posted in a naxalite area, let's say Chattisgarh. What will be your first
step as the SP, except the normal operations part.?"
me:"Sir my first step would be to reach out to the tribals and the people in the most naxal affected areas. It
is very important to bridge the trust divide through a more deliberative process. I will need to give them
the room to air their grievances and engage with us. I am sure the civil administration will be desperately
seeking to address the public service delivery, we will be there to engage the community in our efforts so
that they are not alienated".
NE:"But it is a very soft approach. Do you think it will work?"
me:"Sir I think it won't just be successful but it is the very necessity of the present time. You can call it
soft in a pejorative manner only if I am going loose on a person who has perpetuated crimes, but I am
making a conscious attempt to avoid harrassment of the innocent victims. Not all the tribals are naxals sir
and as an SP, I will make sure that this message reaches clearly to my force." (NE looks at CM, who I
think was listening and interpreting the assertiveness in my demeanor in her own way).
The baton is passed on to the 5th member(ECO), who focussed a lot on economics.

PART 5:- The Economics Member

ECO:(with a serious look)"What is the inflation rate in India as present?"
me:"Sir the headline inflation rate as of today is around 9 %"
ECO:(nodding)"Yes, but it was hovering around 10% in the last 2-3 years, which is the agency that you
think controls inflation?"
me:"Yes sir, the RBI is the primary agency that seeks to monitor and control inflation through its demand
management techniques. However, since the current inflation in India is caused by supply side factors
rather than demand ones, RBI's efforts haven't borne much fruit."
ECO:"Is inflation always bad? IS there anything like good inflation?"
me:"No Sir, to a certain extent inflation is healthy and it is a natural byproduct of GDP growth. The RBI
considers inflation of 4.5 to 5 % as healthy. It is only when it reaches beyond a limit that it makes certain
commodities and services as prohibitively expensive for certain segments of our society."
ECO:"What is inflation rate?"
me:"Sir Inflation rate essentially shows the trend of current market price of a particular basket of
commodities, with respect to that in a benchmark year, which in India's case is 2004-5."
ECO:"What is the rate in it?"
me:"Sir rate is simply the ratio of present price with the benchmark price multiplied by 100"
ECO:"Yes.What is global warming?"
me:"Sir global warming refers to a general rise in ambient temperature of the global atmosphere"
ECO:"So why has it been suddenly causing so much of hullabaloo, since, the last 20 years?"
me:"Sir there has been a concern about the anthropogenic nature of origin in global warming which shows
that human activities have been effectively changing the global ecosystem which could have multiple
negative ramifications on the human survival."
ECO:"So you are talking about GHGs?"
me:"Yes Sir."
ECO:"Tell me some processes that release GHGs?"
me:"Sir the foremost process is the burning of fossil fuels. Also, mining activities also contribute due to
release of methane."
ECO:"And?"
me:"Sir automobile combustion also adds, but it is also a fossil fuel"
ECO:"Think more. Think"
me:... pause.....
ECO:"Ok, anyways, what is the difference between WB and IMF"
me:"Sir both are Bretton Woods institution but while WB is focused mainly on the development needs of
the developing countries, the IMF is concerned about the macroeconomic balance on the globe and it
seeks to keep the currency balances of its countires in check in order to promote a predictable trading
environment."( I did stop a little in this answer to search for right words)
ECO:"Can you name the IMF President who was in news?"
me:"Sir, DSK"
ECO:(smiling)"Attempt the full name"
me:"Sir, it is Dominique Strauss Kahn. K-A-H-N ( I pronounced it)"
ECO:"(smiling) "OK good"
CM:"Thank you Rajat"(Smiling)
Note: Unlike my last interview, in this attempt I was maintaining eye contact specifically with the
member who asked the question. Except for a few questions where I looked at the chairperson and
engaged her, most answers were given directly looking at the member who questioned. (I don’t know if it
will be a positive or negative). I used voice modulation a lot – the factual questions were given on a “as-amatter-
of-fact” tone while in the question of naxalism I showed the intensity of my conviction with an
assertive voice – however my hands were interlocked and I made sure I was not moving them around.
Since there were no cross questions, I felt that they were satisfied with my content but at the same time I
had an uneasy feeling of whether the answer was correct or not. It went on like a question-answer session,
since in most questions my response time was less than a second. Let’s see what happens.

4 comments:

ibadat said...

nice one

VINIT T2 said...

Sir like the way you put your thoughts and ideas. ..congratulations. ..

bestblog.only for you said...

Sir your leadership ..quality is so good.u r confidential men ....i like ...u sir

Unknown said...

This is truely inspiring

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