Marriage: the Institutional Arrangement...Part 2

I guess getting married is a process colored by so many mixed emotions that a single blog post cannot capture it. I made an attempt to capture some of the substantial fears that I confronted before the process begun, here I attempt to capture the journey through which it finally happened.

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So it happened, 
The meeting that was meant, 
To make us decide our lives' bends - 

Did everything that we were advised not to,
Shared dark stories that few were known to...
Broke the images that were created of us,
Opened up in a way unimaginable even to us...

said Yes, without quite knowing why,
Just knew - we can be friends if we try...

It was indeed an adventure of the highest sort,
Felt we'll find the way that both sought...

In the celebrations that followed, 
our fears were drowned,
In laughter's noise from our loved ones around...

What followed it was what precedes for most,
We spent nights talking through the Mussourie frost,
Discussed everything big and small,
Saw our worries and our fears fall...

Got engaged in due course of time,
In our minds we were going out since a long time,
We knew by now we were meant to be, 
Life will unfold as through each others' eyes we'll see...

...How we wished to get married then and there,
The courtship period seemed too long to bear...

Can't tell you when it happened,
That the child within found its loved one...

Long forgotten were its cries for freedom, 
As it eagerly awaited the day of union... :) 

Season of Weddings: In The Name of Democracy

It's the 26th day of November today. An ordinary date - except for the fact that within the next 24 hours the ritualistic process of  my wedding will begin. Exactly a week back it was the anxiety of getting the polled EVMs back to the strong room (Chhattisgarh assembly went to elections) that described my life, now it is that of becoming a householder. In between elections and wedding, one sits here realizing how utterly similar the two are. 

Both Elections and Weddings (especially the big, fat ones) are exercises in mega event management that inevitably end up consuming the entire energy of the administrative (or the familial, whatever is applicable) setup for the preparation and conduct of "ceremonies" on a given day. Both exercises demand a lot of compromises from the routine aspects of life (again, administrative or personal) and leave the respective acting players praying for some time off.

Both are guided by heuristics/guidelines - either scriptural or ECI's. Irrespective of the source, they are almost always too cryptic to be understood by a novice and too sophisticated to render a singular interpretation. In fact, just as any other crucial event in Indian life, both elections and weddings invoke the divine power multiple times - whether it is to determine the exact date and time of submission of candidate's nomination paper or to check the match-quotient of the couple.

It's often stated that an Indian wedding is a miracle in itself - as it wrestles with multiple complications and expectations and still manages to fall into place, eventually. Over the  last few weeks, one has come to realize that elections are no different. A proactive and disciplined officer, if present at the right place, may streamline the process (i.e.decrypt the divine guidelines and cut through their absurdity to make people follow them) but there have been and are numerous places without such officers and elections have gotten conducted. One might argue the qualitative nature of things but the question of eventuality remains undisputed. So be it elections or weddings, the "Ram-Bharose" nature of things cut-through both.

A satirical perspective would not exclude the hope and utopian expectation that usually characterizes both elections and weddings. Despite that, both these mega-events are only and overtly cursed in common parlance. Yet one just hopes that maybe this time over, things will be different. Amen!

PS: All views expressed here are purely personal and have no connection with those of the Government. This post has been carefully modified to fit into the ambit of freedom of speech permitted to officers under the Rule 6 and Rule 7 of All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

God and Government

Shifting Vantage Points & Slipping Perspectives

It's an eerie feeling, sensing your perspectives reversing within minutes. Issues you felt strongly about, opinions you passionately held as your own, change inconspicuously without any one's intervention. I have been experiencing  this quite often since i have joined the field-rung of the government. What came across as perfectly rational and obvious while reading newspapers and scholarly articles during UPSC preparation, seems fraught with absurdities now. The simple, straight forward solutions offered by "experts" that invoked anger on the highhandedness of the "government", now often appear as practical impossibilities.

This is not happening because my cognitive capacity has been swallowed by the venomous monster called bureaucracy or because I have fallen prey to the incorrigibly corrupt government's ways (as some of u will immediately be tempted to comment). This is happening because with each passing working day, I am grasping the meaning of the notion of "government" better (and this is a long drawn process that has just begun).

Understanding Government: God & Religions 

The concept of "government" is in some ways similar to concept of "god"; There are hundreds of ways to fathom it. At the extreme is the notion that God (or Government, as the case may be) is in everything/everyone (with devolution through local self governments and expansion of government's ambit this may not seem very far from truth).The other extreme is that of Buddha like denial - "it's not this, it's not this", used in the context of government to pass the buck and evade responsibility ever so often.

Unlike the concept of god, which can be grasped through all the extremes and even the "middle paths", the concept of government lies somewhere in between the two extremes and is highly specific to the time, space and function continuum. In short - there's no easy answer to what government is. It's your vantage point that will decide what the term "government" will mean to you.

Complexities and the Xenophobia

For those located outside the govt. setup, the means to learn about the system's inside are limited. A large part of the govt remains unexpressed due to the legacy of the official secrets act. We see it in movies (mostly mindless and occasionally meaningful) and media publications (mostly event centric and occasionally process centric). We experience it in the nasty encounters with the cops and clerks, yet we never really "feel" it as a whole. So there will always be this divide of "Us, the citizens" and "they, the corrupt cops, clerks and politicians of the govt". This divide fans preconceived notion and hinders constructive collaboration between the "citizens" and the "government", the "us" and the "them".

This divide also allows for messiah driven politics that demonizes each and everything  - be it violent "Naxalites" or the non violent Jantar Mantar Gandhians; Absolute dissection of society as "us" and "them" is bound to leave negative sociological impressions.

Alas! Truth is that even within the govt things are not all that simple to grasp. There are hundreds of xenophobic tendencies cutting the length and breadth of the government setup itself. Some of which I have been experiencing myself.

Even when the "Citizen" sees the entire "Government" as a whole, there exist real psychological and functional divides between civil servants and politicians, "money- driven" and "rule-driven" civil servants, staff of various departments, etc. This list goes on and on, till you begin to see that each man/woman indeed feels(both personally and professionally) alone in this huge "system" that he/she refers to "government". But what is this "government" ?

Revisiting the Slipping Perspectives

So given the neoteric face-off with "reality", my perspectives on the RTI Act, environmental activists and print media have slipped considerably.

While reading about the RTI Act, it was apparent to me that proactive disclosure (section 4 of the Act) should be the way out and all the "concerns" that the critics (vested interests) throw should be addressed via it. But when I am planning for such proactive disclosure under RTI Act for my organisation - I am facing the fear of "nuisance creators" among the clerical staff. Although I will be analyzing the RTI applications data in detail and may publish some notes in a separate blog post, on the face of it, it was clear that there were some selected "RTI activists" in the district who earn their livelihood solely through the extent of harm they can do to the babus through embarrassing information. I think it's a good first step, at least there now exists the means for a "common man" to access such public information and bring embarrassing facts to light, but what is disheartening is that this whole activity seems to be driven solely by blackmailing and "internal settings" - there is no real activism around RTI that seems to be happening in the interest of common public.

This brings me to another interesting perspective that I used to have about the print media. Sometimes there is a front page news on an IAS putting a logbook entry for his official vehicle wrongly, amounting to misappropriation of public money to the tune of 250 Rs. and much more often than that, one doesn't see the journalists covering events/ activities of corruption that are considered a part of "public knowledge". People more experienced than me routinely tend to shrug these things off knowing them to be the difference between "ill-managed" and "well-managed" media - I am yet to find this out myself.

Being posted in an industrial district with a majority of tribal population, I routinely look for competent/willing civil society organisations that can supplement and monitor government efforts and act as catalysts for development. I am becoming habituated to my queries on such NGOs/Activist Fronts being answered by contempt. It's considered common knowledge that they are on the pay roll of the industries, who in turn "manage" them in order to avoid any nuisance causing activity. Needless to say, CSR funds, that I have written about before, help the companies in this respect. 

I strongly believe in not stereotyping individuals and organisations. I believe in looking for the silver lining when the sky is gloomy. I am sure that there are some activists, civil society organisations and media personnel in the district who defy these stereotypes and follow their conscience - I have found a few already, am not stopping till I find the rest ...

PS: All views expressed here are purely personal and have no connection with those of the Government. This post has been carefully modified to fit into the ambit of freedom of speech permitted to officers under the Rule 6 and Rule 7 of All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

Social Responsibility of Corporates - Zeroing the Externalities

Most of us know that India grows through its industries. With this term we usually imply privately owned corporate firms making huge profits out of their production units and creating wealth for their shareholders and owners. While revering these modern temples of GDP growth some of us may think of those thousands of people who are displaced from their land for their creation. Some may think of those people who bear the brunt of the pollution that their plants and mines cause. Some may point to the people who are directly affected by the oft-lethal traffic nuisance created by their trawlers and trucks. And some of us (possibly with an alleged “leftist” inclination) may also grieve for the few hundreds of workers who give their lives every year in industrial accidents and that multitude who silently faces serious health issues due to exposure to dangerous chemicals.

Corporate Social Responsibility – Buzzword denoting these corporates' gift back to the society. In the last 3-4 years this term has grabbed a lot of limelight. Justifiably so, after all who would not want that the profitable ventures do their bit for the people they directly affect? When I joined Raigarh a couple of months back, I also revered these temples and appreciated their effort to pro-actively deliver to the people (showcased so fervently via magazines dedicated for this purpose). The district has a number of primary and secondary industries and is also amongst the leading mining (both major and minor minerals) zones of the country. After a number of rude and subtle surprises, my view on this has undergone a tremendous change.

The Undefined Monster

As they say, the devil lies in the details. While the Central Government’s CSR Directives in Companies Act  and the Chhattisgarh state’s recent CSR policy debate on the mode of funding of CSR activities, it is necessary to carefully define what activities constitute CSR and who will judge (and be accountable for) the same. For those unfamiliar with the ways of the world, let me point out that any laxity in this allows for senseless booking of expenditure under CSR heads. A private company may construct a road solely for the purpose of transportation of its mineral ore and book it under CSR – this may be something that the locals protest against, but again – who decides? Worse, the company may be running a private technical college with profit in mind and no reservations for the students of the particular district or state and still call it CSR. Very often, the companies may even use the fund booked under this head to pacify the “trouble makers” – the politicians and rogue environmental/RTI activists who thrive on their nuisance value.

Stakeholder Justice & Governmental Regulation

Like all the things that are never admitted yet commonly understood, CSR is usually treated by companies as the dole out that keeps the government’s “task-forces” away from their compounds (there are some notable and creditable exceptions but those companies are increasingly becoming rarer). The size of the CSR kitty is indicative of the bargaining power of the district collector. The latter gets this power because it is understood that no industry follows the rule book to the word in its operations.

I have come to know of cases where collectors have got the mines of prominent corporate closed for months at a stretch for the latter’s failure to provide drinking water to the village that they had resettled. Such examples are few. More commonly, the collectors suggest a few big ticket items that account for nearly 10-20% of the district’s total CSR booking by various corporate and leave the rest unmonitored.

I expected earnestness on the behalf of the companies, a sort of ownership for the school that is physically contiguous to their plant’s boundary or a sort of quality in their CSR constructions that reflects the quality of their own industrial constructions. I saw none. Most big companies, despite having dedicated staff and funds to look after CSR, don’t tend to respond unless they have some pending work with the Government – fixing of date for their mine’s public hearing or acquisition of some land for their plant’s expansion.

Is There a Silver Lining?

Despite my apparent pessimism, I will admit that I have come across a few companies (a small percentage though) that took CSR in a more people-centric manner. This is an issue that needs a consensus at all levels of Government’s hierarchies. If we decide to define the non-negotiable questions in terms of booking of funds under CSR and ensure effective, time-bound follow-up at the district level, things will begin to move in a consistent manner. Most of all, the higher officials of these private companies, should probably spend lesser time in delivering high-sounding lectures on “participative profit making” and actually think and chart out their stakeholders’ lists in a prioritized manner.

When we, as the government, acquire land for the industries, we are consciously uprooting helpless people (and proudly calling it “eminent domain”). The least of our expectations is that of justice to them and to those who directly bear the brunt of their negative externalities. I hope it is they who make it to the top of such lists and the money flowing in CSR addresses their concerns.

PS: All views expressed here are purely personal and have no connection with those of the Government. This post has been carefully modified to fit into the ambit of freedom of speech permitted to officers under the Rule 6 and Rule 7 of All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

 

Of Clubs and the Communists

A post that was written 2 weeks back but remained un-blogged due to paucity of time :- 

I happened to attend the selection ceremony of a well known socialites' club yesterday. Informal sources revealed that money alone cannot buy you a membership to this most "prestigious" club of Lucknow (though an exorbitant amount of the same can help lubricate the process). All the biggies who aspire to join the club need to face an interview panel that judges them on numerous fronts, including the introduction that the couple (yes, the spouse is deemed to be judged) gives on stage. 

It was these introductions that made the otherwise taxing 2 hours interesting. One of the questions that people answered was "why you would like to join the club?". Some people attributed their desire to the fact that their father. grand father and (yes, it's true) great grandpa were members, others to the club's swimming pool and kitty party; There were a few candid enough to call it an "achiever's club" and openly admit that they think they have "arrived" in their lives. 

All these people were invariably rich (multi-million worth), owned their own houses, had kids studying in the top schools of Lucknow, wore a lot of make-up and were visibly wanna-be (some were embarrassed about it while the others flaunted it). The younger ones were invariably riding high on their parents' money while the self-made ones had grey hair before they could get shortlisted for the interview. 

Sitting there I just wished that I was called to introduce myself so that I can say something explosive to hurt their hubris but as it turned out I was being given entry through the automatic route of all India service so i was spared the embarrassment of claiming that i am an achiever in front of people who were already too full of themselves to lend an ear to someone else's feats. 

The club and its hinterland

There are some powerful people both in rural and urban India that thrive on disallowing economic development of the most poor. They look out to grab an opportunity to serve as middle men, brokers and deal makers for MNC projects that can dispossess millions. They are ever so ready to bribe the government servants and politicians in order to offer a higher return on investment for the big ticket capital. Some of them may also serve as high end car dealers and real estate brokers to allow the real "beneficiaries" to enjoy and park their spoils. After all isn't this a world of networking? 

If being an "achiever" is about money and money comes from making the "right" deals - this is their capitalist right isn't it? I wonder the source of all the Audis in the parking lot of this exclusive club in one of the poorest regions of the world. 

The purpose of clubs and cults is to shield each other from the "external", I wonder who these clubbers are shielding themselves from. 

Claustrophobic Peace

This spontaneously written piece captures the mixed sense of feelings that I feel when made to sit through hours and hours of academic inputs in the academy training. It may be childish, yet it does justice to a part of me. 

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Oh what is left here for me to see

Wen my future lies somewhere so far from thee

I am quieter than i have ever been

Accepting no one as close to me

I cant see why this is so necessary

Why to waste the time that is so costly

Please let me go, you heartless procedure!

Let me embrace the reality

Let me see how wise i have become

Give me challenges that matter to them

Maybe somewhere i see why this is

Maybe it is too cruel for me to accept

Still it doesn't douse the angst i feel

For the pain is real in these tests from high above..

Marriage: the Institutional Arrangement...Part 1

This is something I wrote on 2nd February, 2013.

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They say i have topped the social chasm
They say this is the  next step

The apt step;
Immune to procrastination
The step that leads to collective orgasm

But how shall i show them as vividly as i see
How crucial it is for me to be free
To fly like an eagle in the sky
Without any care for the crying boy

The only delay mechanism i own
Is the reason that is all known
That i may have reached the end of the room
Yet,
It needs psychological grooming to be a groom

I come to meet the one,
The one to bond,
My socially short-listed, numerological match
Of this life and those beyond...

I don't know what i shall say to thee,
How do i judge or how do i flee?

What game is it, please let me know
How do i sense which line to tow!

How do i tell you what needs to be told
Yet squeeze it into a digestible mould

Here is what i thought of it-
It may be apt, it may be fit
 it's not an adventure in my personal fold

But,Now i see what wasn't told...

It's about offering myself and the child within
To someone whom i have never seen

What a precarious game these societies play
It makes me shiver in the day...

How can i assure this little one its peace
Where will  life's surety be?

Maybe, this life is not meant to be sure
Its just an endless journey to the elusive shore

Aah! 
I need to forget these fears and the glooms they pour,
And reach out to discover that shore!
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BITS and Pieces of the Past

It seemed preposterous at first – spending 30 hours on road, on a well-deserved weekend, to spend less than 24 hours in our alma mater.

Yet, it happened – we found ourselves packed in hired cabs, negotiating the curves of Mussourie and the potholes of UP to finally land in that patch of desert where much of our lives were molded.

The SAC ambiance gave a sense as if

 I was here only yesterday 

It was a complicated experience as it ignited different feelings in each one of us; the feelings that consistently flickered and replaced each other through each passing moment. As for me, the initial burst of excitement soon gave way to fatigue which was subtly transformed into wonder about how things that seem so commonplace today, were so pivotal then.

As is usually the tendency, each batch tends to highlight its uniqueness and give wings to its vanity by proving that things have only worsened since it graduated. Needless to say, we were not immune to this J, and with our newly acquired bakar skills (courtesy the UPSC exam) we could easily justify how pivotal we had been to the institution as we knew it.

So while each one of us spelled out his/her theses of exactly how things have taken a fall, it was interesting to observe the changes that had slowly crept in over the past few years.

The Dug Up C Lawns where even photography is prohibited

The “crowd” looked just as we had left it – extremely casual (read sloppy) dressing sense, similar faces and the same unmistakably unique BITSian lingo. The campus had undergone a number of infrastructural modifications – from the more sanitized REDIs to the completely dug up C lawns, but despite all this the feel of the campus, as we knew it, was intact.

The interaction that we had with the BITSian junta and others who happened to eavesdrop was unexpectedly exciting. We were all expecting half-interested crowd of less than 20, who would (in a typical BITSian manner) walk out as soon as we became boring. But what greeted us was a hall brimming with people who were bubbling with excitement and filled with queries. It was a wonderful experience with each one of us giving gyan in his/her peculiar style.

With NVM Sir  - Revisiting The Old Times

Meeting NVM sir and other faculty members was also a reminder of the fact that nothing has changed – for what makes an institution is not its buildings but the people.

Overall, it was a well-timed closure to the intense love-hate relationship that I shared with the college that has had a larger than life impact on me.

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.

My UPSC Interview - 1st attempt

Name: Rajat Bansal

Attempt: 1st

Options - Geography and Public Administration

Profile - HERE

Marks in Interview - 210

Rank in UPSC - 168

...............................

This is what I wrote about my interview just after it was over on 15th April, 2011. It may help some aspirants in their interview preparation.

...............................

I am glad that the dreaded UPSC interview is over after the arduous and frustrating 1 month of wait since the mains results came out. Well, I have made an attempt to describe the interview experience as best as I could.

The board was chaired by Dr. Purshottam Agarwal. There was an old (70+ yrs) guy and a lady member on his right side and two guys (both resembled Kiran Karnik)  on his left. I had a pleasant chat with the peon while I was waiting outside the room. As  far as my mental state is concerned – I wasn’t nervous.

The door bell rang, the peon looked at me and said – “Jaiye bhaijaan, achcha kariyega”, he opened the door for me and I went in with a smile.

I stood near the chair and wished them all with a big enough smile. To my amazement, all the members replied back with warm smiles.

Chairman(CM): “Aao Rajat, Morning, Baitho”

Rajat (RB): “thank you sir”

(I sat down, I must admit that the sense of emotional warmth in the room made me considerably nervous for the first time, I felt like all my strategies are getting dissolved and I am not in control any more .... despite the internal turmoil I believe I did manage to keep a genuine smile on my face)

CM (he was scrutinising my profile till now, and looked up for the first time) – “Why Civil Service?”

(this question was a bombshell for me. While for most people this is the easiest question in the interview, for me this has been the bone of contention right from the first day. I had prepared a tactful answer but somehow in that instance I chose truth over tact.... I knew it was a stupid choice – but I think the warmth that I felt in that room filled with smiling, benevolent elderly people, this was the only course I had). 

RB: “Sir, there are several factors behind my choice; I had always been interested in community service ventures but the decision to look for a professional avenue to channelize that aptitude came after my experience in France. I spent 6 months of my last year in college in France and while I was there, there was a point of time when I realised that my identity is inevitably linked to my nationality. Having realised that, I somehow felt that my true calling is to go back to my country and do something about this overwhelming desire to be meaningful in its development”

(Now, while I am writing this – it seems like a textbook answer to me, but in actuality, I had never expressed this feeling to anyone before this. It was completely extempore and while I was saying this – i was overwhelmed with a sense of passion – I was making eye contact with everyone in the board and I could sense the redness of my cheeks..... By the time I ended this answer I realised what I had done – I had exposed my true thought process – this is something that many people advised me not to.... From this point on – I was trying to relax myself and be more tactful)

CM: “But civil services is not the only way to participate in your nation’s development directly and to do social service”

RB: “Yes sir, there are numerous ways to go about doing social service, but civil services is a very good alternative”

(he gave me a modest nod – almost subconsciously which told me that my childish blabbering  was actually convincing and the fear that most aspirants have that this reason is usually met with cynicism was unfounded)  

CM: “OK, tell me – while you were there, did you feel proud to be an Indian or did you feel embarrassment about the enormous problems that persist in India – the poverty, the corruption, communal ....etc?”

RB: “Sir I felt a sense of responsibility, as if I owe something”

CM: “I have asked you a straight question, please give me a straight answer – did you feel proud or embarrassed?”

(he said it  very sternly – by now my heartbeat was normal and I knew that no matter how tough he sounds, I have to maintain a balance between fear and respect – so I chose to avoid the clichéd “I’m Sorry sir” and went ahead)

RB:” Sir I felt proud, but that was also the time when the 26/11 incident took place, so there were a few moments of embarrassment”

CM: “OK. Now since you have talked about 26/11, do you think India has learnt any lessons from it?”

RB:”Sir, 26/11 did expose a number of loopholes in India’s terrorism-tackling and intelligence gathering capabilities. I think there have been a few lessons learnt – eg. Formation of  highly trained specialised task forces for such attacks, better intelligence sharing facilities, etc.”

(By this time I was running out of points so I started the second aspect of the argument)

“But sir, so far India hasn’t been able to put adequate pressure on Pakistan and our diplomatic success has been limited”

< A few more small questions about 26/11 and India- pak front>

CM: “OK, what do you know about NIA?”

RB:”National Investigation Agency ... I went on to describe its purpose ....”

CM: “When NIA was created some state chief ministers opposed. Do you know about this? Why?”

RB:” Yes sir, there was opposition from certain state CMs because it was seen as a threat to the delicate federal distribution of powers”

CM: “Can you be more specific?”

RB:”Sir, As far as I know, NIA has the powers to take over any terrorism related case from a state police dept. And the NIA teams can supersede the powers of any police station in India without the need for the latter’s concern”

CM:”But what is the basic reason threatening the federal polity?”

RB:”(paused) Sir, I don’t know the specifics”

CM:”OK, how do you think CBI takes up a case? Tum toh UP se ho – let’s say there was the Arushi murder case, so could the CBI take the case on its own?”

RB:”Sir I don’t think so. As far as I know, the police dept explicitly calls for such assistance from the CBI”

CM: “It’s the state govt. That asks the CBI to take up a certain case on a request basis” (He was telling me)

RB:”Ok Sir. Thank you.”

CM:”Now that I have given you this hint, now tell me how the NIA threatens the federal polity?”

RB:”Sir, the NIA doesn’t need authorisation from the state govt. And therefore can often subvert the policial authority exercised by the state govts.”

CM passed the baton on to the lady member ..

Lady Member(LM):”Since we  were talking about 26/11, do you think a common person in Mumbai today has a security when he goes out of his/her house and catches the trains etc.?”

RB:”Ma’am I don’t think there is a sense of absolute security in the people of Mumbai. But this is just my personal perception”

LM: “So is there a feeling that nothing has been done in this regard?”

RB:”Ma’am there is a perception that the govt. Takes the 26/11 seriously and our decisions to cut-off diplomatic links with pak to pressure it reflect that to certain extent. A lot of work has been done in this regard, but there is a lot more to be done”

LM: “hmm... a lot more needs to be done.... (smiling) I asked you because you were actually quite close to Mumbai”

RB: (smiling) “Yes ma’am, I have been working in Pune since the the last 20 months “

LM: “Rajat, I see that you have a technical background. Can you tell me something about the wireless technology and its potential?”

RB:” Yes Ma’m, wireless technologies are fast gaining wider acceptance and efficiency....”

LM:”Yes, I know it is gaining acceptance, but can you explain me why?

I realised she needed a tech. answer  and somehow from her expression and her choice of words I realised that she isn’t a techie herself – so I constructed an ad-hoc answer using terms like bandwidth, latency, service multiplicity, accessibility, cost efficiency etc. She seemed suitably satisfied.

LM:”You have written social service ventures as your extra-curriculars, can you tell me something you did?”

I described a computer literacy programme that I was involved in for a few years and clubbed it with an initiative for a solar-powered computer lab that we helped establish in a village school near Pilani.

LM:”Do you think the big companies of India who say that they are taking up social service – do it in good faith?”

RB: (smiling)” Ma’am there is a concern that the CSR activities taken up by MNCs lack any motivation apart from making their annual reports look better, but if see companies like Infosys, Where I have personally been associated with such activities, A lot of useful work actually gets done”

LM:”Yes, Infosys is an exception – but do you think other companies do it seriously too ?”

RB: (Smiling) “Ma’am that depends on the particular company in question”

LM:”How do computers help visually challenged?”

Now this was a pleasant surprise, because she asked it thinking that it was a googly – but luckily for me I had actually worked on such a project for 2-3 years during BITS – so I went on to give a technical explanation of my project ... which frankly – she didn’t seem to understand fully – but the old person sitting besides her seemed to be getting it.

LM:”Ok. What else?”

RB:”Ma’am the field of computer prosthetics, object identification(I went on to describe an object recognition device), ...”

LM:”How about using telephones and laptops?”

RB:”Ma’am a number of specialised platforms have been developed to enable the use of computers by visually challenged”

LM:”How about telephones? Can they use phones?”

At this point I could take a shot at explaining certain telephone interfaces, but I felt she is looking for a particular thing that she has in mind and the chances of me reaching there is rare

RB:”Ma’am I not aware of any specific research on that front”

LM: “OK, this will be my last question ..... (I can’t recall what she asked)”

<>

KiranKarnik 1 (KK1) – “Rajat, you know there are so many people who are as well qualified as you, who take up good corporate jobs, live lives of affluence – buy cars etc. .. can you think of any health problem with such a way of life?”

I didn’t quite understood his question well, so I gave him that confused look .. but anyways began to answer .. KK1 stopped me after 2-3 words and started saying something

CM (to KK1):”Let him speak” (to me: )”Did you understand his question ... what are the effects of such a lifestyle on a person’s health?”

RB:”Yes sir, such lifestyle of urbanism and conspicuous consumption leads to diseases like heart conditions, diabetes, hypertension, etc. Sir there is a particular term for such diseases but I cant recall it just now”

CM:”Lifestyle diseases”

RB:”Yes sir, they are called lifestyle diseases, and India’s health problems are paradoxical because we have both lifestyle diseases and disease like malaria, dengue etc. That effect the economically weaker section more, prevalent in our country”

KK1:”Ok, since you are interested in yoga and meditation, do you think this can help? And how?”

RB: I gave him some gyan about immunity build up and stress relief through yoga etc.  + I pointed 

out the associativity factor that people who generally  do yoga etc. Tend to make better lifestyle choices... he seemed satisfied, and the CM – who was also intently listening – was also satisfied.

KK1:”Do you know anything about diabetes? ” .. he went on to talk about some funny diabetes matrimonial.com – to which everyone laughed ... and then asked me “Can diabetes be cured?”

RB:”Sir diabetes is a lifestyle disease that can be prevented through wise lifestyle choices” (I didn’t know much about it but he kept on looking so I added)”With proper medication, its intensity can be decreased and its effects can be mitigated” (I said the last part slowly so that he knows I am not comfortable and doesn’t press for more )

KK1:”How does language play a role in the way people interact?”

RB: “Sir, language is a primary determinant of the effectiveness of any interaction. Moreover sir, language helps in understanding of other cultures better (At this juncture, the CM nodded his head furiously, so I happily continued and elaborated). And it also helps in better understanding of each other by decreasing the scope of stereotype creation.... I elaborated it with a personal example...

(let me point out – tht this question was nowhere related to my profile or my subjects ...it was thrown in just to check quick-thinking and also understanding of the non-technical aspects... as I knew that the CM had a background of culture – I purposefully brought in culture while answering .,.. as far as I could judge – this worked well )

KK2:”Rajat, I see that you have studied in some of the most elite English-medium schools that the country has to offer... do you think that in our English schools we shouldn’t allow our children to speak in regional languages?”

RB: “Sir, this is indeed true tht English schools tend to discourage use of regional languages ... as far as my experience in lamartiniere and DPS RK Puram goes, I didn’t experience such discouragement but such a problem does exist in most public schools in urban areas.... Sir I think (I became purposefully passionate here – as I knew tht the CM was a world famous author of Hindi literature) that by discouraging regional lingos we are subconsciously inducing a feeling of inferiority complex in the child about his mother tongue ....I understand that India needs to encourage English speaking if it were to become a knowledge powerhouse, but doing it by purposefully subverting Hindi or other mother tongues is not healthy sir”

KK2:”Rajat, I will give you two sentences of Hindi – Ladka jaata hai, ladki jaati hai... I am sure you can translate them into English”

RB:”Sir, The boy goes, the girl goes ...”

KK2:”OK. Did you see a difference in the verbs?”

RB:”Yes sir, when we are changing the ling of the noun, the change is reflected in the verb in case of Hindi but not in the case of English”

(2 things – both KKs were smiling and I was smiling mildly during the entire conversation with them ... also in the last sentence I purposely used the hindi term “ling” as I coulnt recall “gender” then – and when I used ling, the CM looked up at me for a few moments ... but I didn’t look in his direction)

KK2- (satisfied)”OK, so when you were taught in your classes, did they ever use a comparative methodology like this”

(this question was very ambiguously framed, and this is what I understood – but I wasn’t sure what he meant ... anyways I chose not to give him the confused look)

RB: “Sir as far as my curricular experience goes, I was never taught in this manner ... but when I tried learning French – I did it in such a comparative manner “

Oldman (OM: )”Rajat, you said you were in France, where exactly were you?”

RB: ...told him.

OM:”where did you stay” – he actually went on to ask whether I lived a desi-centric life in France (which most Indians do – as they find the company of their desi friends more comforting than the trouble of reaching out to foreigners) ..

RB: - I detailed the kind of interaction I had with French, etc...

OM:”What is your impression of the French people”

(The first word tht came to my mind was “proud” :P ... but I knew it was pejorative and shouldn’t be used, so I waited)

OM:”Earlier they were reluctant to speak English, but they have climbed down now”

(CM and others started to laugh out loud on the “climbed down” remark) .. I smiled..

RB:”Yes sir, when EU was formed, the French were resisting the use of English, but there has been .... I explained the recent trend and my experience  at INSEAD ... and then I said “I can relate this to what I was discussing with sir before (mildly pointing to KK1) about language playing a role in interaction ... becoz in France a non-french speaking person like me could only be personal to a  French person to a certain constraining level.  “ ..etc

OM:”Rajat you mentioned that you want to go for civil services for social service ... do you see it as a profession or just a social service?

(I felt that he is trivialising the argument that I gave but pointing that out could have been counter-productive so I just ignored it and went ahead)

RB:”Sir, it was my aptitude for social service that made me think about civil services, however the choice of going for civil services was a major professional decision for me that had implications on my entire career. So I take it as both sir”

OM: - asked a question about generalisation-specialisation debate in IAS ... I quoted the relevant ARC-2 reco and convinced him ... by this time the CM also seemed impressed.

CM: thank you Rajat ... all other members were saying thank you individually and smiling

I thought i was being short-changed, I seriously thought that the interview only for 10 minutes so I was not ready to get up ... but after a perceivable delay of 4-5 seconds, I did get up – stayed for a while longer than normal –to smile at each one of them and then grabbed the doorknob with a vigour.