Category: Interview Program

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This video highlights the details of this year’s Interview Guidance Program of Civilsdaily – Transcend 2019-20.

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Board : Smita Nagaraj

Background:  Electrical Engineering. Worked in a private firm for 2 years
Home State: Delhi

Chairman

– What did u learnt from your job? It is not same in the government sector why come here?
– Should we go for nuclear energy? Why protest in Kundankulam?
– Why low sex ratio and areas?

M1

– What did u learn from social documentaries? (DAF)
– Should India increase its navy budget to 30% on account of China’s presence in IOR?
– Should Delhi be made a state?

M2

– What do u think of IPS?
– Is police accessible only to the influential?
– Two reforms in police service? Should they be armed?

M3

– The problem in sports in India. Why only cricket and badminton are doing well? Indicated playing sports as a hobby in DAF
– The politicisation of federations is it right. BCCI issue?
– Your steps as sports secretary. Sports Policy of India?

M4

– How to increase exports to China? Problems in manufacturing sector?
– Steps on Delhi Pollution?

Chairman

– How caste affects daily interaction in people? How reservation policy and protests against it has changed it?

Board : Dr. P K Joshi

Background: B.E. Mechanical Engg, BIT Mesra Ranchi
5 years in Automobile MNCs.

Chairman

– So Omendra…you did schooling from… worked in automobile sector….(long initiation) tell me what did you do in Hyundai?
– (contd) work profile in Toyota?
– in Maruti?
– How is Maruti different from Hyundai? (work culture and all)
– What was your roles and responsibilities in these companies… (Long discussion)
– Kanpur was known as Manchester of East…what happened to it? tell me what are the industries in Kanpur and why they are facing issues..and what kind of issues?
– What can be done to help them?
– What are the differences between Ranchi and Kanpur?

M1

– (something continued from CH related to Ranchi and Kanpur…industrial and economic growth..)
– What is demonetisation and what happened? Positives and negatives of it?
– What was income disclosure scheme (somewhat on the topic)..when did it happen? what happened?
– Did demonetisation work? failures? success?….(some counter questions…)
– Defense related industries in Kanpur? in UP? in India? (some counterqns on defense industry..)
– long intro to question related to water deficiency situation in India….why so? what geographic climatic factors responsible for same? wht can be done?
– (counter qn) What is river interlinking? any project? what would be its positives and negatives?

M2 (Member who always looked dissatisfied)

– (contd discussion on Ranchi) Why is Ranchi not developed, if it is not? What can be done? (counterqns on same)
– Do you know about Shobhan Sarkar? What did he dream…( some news in 2013!) What did govt do? What happened there?
– Mejakhas (in DAF)..where is it? why did you go there for schooling? What is its topography? what industries there? any new project coming there? (bad experience on this discussion…in between his reaction was you don’t know about your surroundings)

M3

– So you play table tennis…( I told frankly I played in school, not been playing since sometime…she smiled and said its ok) So how do you keep yourself fit? what do you play now?
– Who are famous TT players in India?
– What do you think is the future of Electric vehicles in India? ( Many counter qns on problems of charging, infra, industry in detail..handled pretty well)
– Which countries currently have EV market growing? anyone in our neighbourhood?

M4

– (contd discussion in the EV market, future of the Automobile industry and India’s position and efforts?)
– What kind of batteries are used in EV? Why India doesn’t have them? What issues involved in charging infra related?
– What kind of energy requirement we will have to meet such demands in EV market? and some counter qns…
– What kind of reforms do you suggest in industrial development? (Long discussion…about labour reforms, infra… handled this part satisfactorily I guess)

Chairman

OK, your interview is over.

Board: Bassi Sir

Chairman

– Mangesh, You have done electronics engineering a having political science optional also currently working in Bank. ( And Looked at me)
– I said, “Yes Sir” ( I thought he is checking my confidence).
– Tell me about Venezuela crisis
– Tell me about the Yemen crisis
– Developments in Nepal. Why Nepal important for us?

M1

– The different frequency band in communication? Many subsequent technical questions
1G 2G 3G 4G difference.
– GSM vs CDMA? Why CDMA not popular over GSM. Anything to do with licencing?

M2

– Use of robotics in Army?
– Introduction of robotics vs job losses. Opinion
– Why Afghanistan unstable? What are sectarian divisions? Why not normalcy restored

M3

– Why demand for Marathwada statehood? Reasons.
– Difference between Marathwada movement and Vidarbha movement for statehood .
– Similarity between Marathwada and Telangana demand.
– What are disadvantages of adverse sex ratio ? To men and to women?
– Why development in Bangladesh important for India?
– Role of India diaspora.

M4

– What is exposure of SBI in recent PNB fraud?
– Tell me about PNB fraud ?
– Who should bear loss of it ?
– What was wrong on part of other banks ? Their mistakes
– Difference between LC and LoU.
– What is NPA ? Steps taken for its resolution ?
– What is insolvency and bankruptcy code ? Detailed discussion

Chairman

– Tell me about Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana? Details of it
– Talk on MSP . Talk more. Any committee on it
– Is this your photo? It’s a lovely photo Mangesh.

Thank you.

Board: Ms Smita Nagaraj

Chairman

– It’s already two years in Service don’t you think going to IAS you will have career disadvantage ?
– Where you posted currently ? Don’t you think compared to department , private people have better competence in AAR ? (job related )
– What did you do in social welfare activities ?

M1

– How many genes avg human have ?
– Which is smallest and largest gene ?
– How do genes vary ? ( he was particular about SLP ) I knew a bit , it was more technical so did not venture into it .
– Who is No 1 tennis player now ? What’s so great about federer even now ? Why is tennis not that popular in India ? What challenges it face ? Do you think politics in apex tennis association is affecting its development ?

M2

– What is AFSPA? Do you thing it’s violation of human rights? Do you think it’s needed in j&k ?
– Police reforms? Do you think police has colonial mindset ? Why no reform taken?

– police reforms ? Do you think police is more of political service than public service ?

M3

– Why is today special ? ( It was national science day )
– What is your view on Karnataka flag issue ?

M4

– What is APA ? ( job related )
– Why do we have APA n AAR is it not overlapping ?
– What is your view on women’s cricket ? Who is the women cricketer who made a difference in semifinal in women’s world cricket ?

Chairman

– In Bangalore so many issues Gauri lankesh , Tipu sultan , and so on ? Why is it ,what is your view ? Then tipu sultan ? What you view ? Do we need to have critical thinking in school two to three views ? We just follow what is taught ?
– Do you think we need critical thinking in department as well ?

You interview is over.

Board: Smita ma’am

Chairman

– What are the problems a civil servant faces while in office?
– What kinds of resource crunch? (Follow up )
– Give an example where officers have worked out these problems?
– Why do national law university students prefer working in corporate sector?
– Have national law universities failed in their mandate?
– Lawyers bill a lot so why not practice law?

M1

– Female models being used in auto expo. Views
– Should we bring in a law to ban such practices
– Define son of the soil doctrine
– Which indian state never had such a doctrine

M2

– Will the us japan help india if China attacks us today
– Should CJI accept posts after retirement
– Transparency and public office holders

M4

– Measures taken by government to curb black money in real estate
– Amendments to benami act
– Why was IT act not amended to achieve the same ends as benami act
– Is retrospective tax good
– What was the nature of the 1024 obsolete laws repealed, name any 3.

M5

– What is medical tourism
– Why is it called tourism
– What is surrogacy
– Should it be allowed
– What is the legal status of single parent family
– Legality of police encounters
– What will you do if you were sp and what will you do to reduce police encounters.

Board – Manoj Soni

Background- Punjab, civil engineering, Anthropology
Hobbies- Squash, Bhangra, Rubik’s cube

Chairman

– Are you comfortable in talking about census? What is census? Who does it? – – When started? How is the exercise done?
– Have u read the latest census?
– What are the key takeaways?
– U r missing imp point about youth.
– Demographic dividend?
– Is situation of skilling up to mark?
– Make in India, Digital India. What will they do if we don’t have skills?
– 3 things that u have learnt from 2015 to 2018 during prep time?
– Were these things not there in u before?

M1

– Women are only proxies. Ur experience of reservation in PRIs? What needs to be done?
– Drug problem in Punjab. Reasons, 2 most important steps that I’ll take after becoming DM of your dist. Since u r from Punjab. Which all regions were partitioned?
– Only Bengal and Punjab? No other region in NE?
– Was Burma partitioned from British India?

M2

– Why so many graduates unemployable?
– What needs to be done?
– D/B civil in IITD, DTU and any other state university?

M3

– why different colours on squash ball?
– Name world class squash players of subcontinent.
– Govt spending so much on IITs thinking that they need engineers. Don’t u think u’ll waste resources of govt by coming in civil services?
– How will u use ur knowledge of engg. in indian postal services?
– U have learnt only analysis in IIT?
– So u think that it is right to come to civil services from IIT?
– Radcliffe line? Macmohan line? Is macmohan line accepted? On what principle was it drawn?
– Where all face-offs bw India and China?
– Should we stop trading with China?
– Any country where people voluntarily not buying products of another country?
– Not heard of Japan and US?
– Why Japan could rebuild it’s infrastructure after WW2?
– Why India is not doing even having huge resources? Compare with Japan? Use ur analytical bent of mind.
– Why Japanese so skilled?

M4

– Are new IITs and IIMs diluting the brand name of old IITs and IIMs?
– Why so less skilled personnel in India?
– What needs to be done?
– Should we impose some restrictions on freedom of speech and expression? 1-2 follow up questions
– Should we ban social media?
– But There is so much misuse of social media. Shouldn’t we ban social media?
– What can be done to reduce the misuse of social media?

Chairman

– If you are very senior bureaucrat and govt made a policy which u think is not good. That policy is against ur convictions and u think that policy is also against public interest and national interest.
– Will u implement that policy?
-Your interview is over. Thankyou

Board : Bassi Sir

Date of interview 27th February
Background: B-Tech Production
Hobbies: reading, trekking, travelling

Chairman

– so u r a production engg. What is mechatronix?
– Applications?
– As a shopfloor manager, what are your priorities?
– Who will benefit with the increased efficiency?

M1

– He talked some 2 points about efficiency and then questions abt trekking.
– Where do you trek recently?
– Some discussion on Youth Hostel trek at Manali.
– If anything happened where you could not complete the trek? I gave example of Alang fort.

M2

– Iran president visit to India and the message India gave through this in the light of various sanctions imposed by US?
– Why farmers suicide in Maharashtra?
– Dose present budget provisions would impact positively?
– Maharashtra Karnataka boundary issue?
– What can be done?

M3

– Role of Pune in 1857 war.?
– What about other maratha sardars?
– Rani of zansi and her relation to Pune.?
– Love hate relationship of Pune with Rajneesh (Osho) in 1970s?
– China’s policy in South Asia.?
– Is china aggressive towards India?
– Why China aggressive towards India.?
– What do you think whether China become superpower?
– Plus points of China and USA to become superpower?
– US relations with South America states?
– Impact of lower sex ratio?
– After Nirbhaya case, what change do u find in Indian Society?

M4

– Indo Japan relations.? What are Japan’s interests in India?
– In the present scenario what is the probability that India will win a war against Pakistan ? (He wanted answer in a mathematical probability range from 0 to 1)
– Where is Tista river?
– What is the issue?
– What are the immediate benefits and to whom?

Thank you.

Board: Dr P.K. Joshi

Background: IIT BHU (Varanasi), Computer Science.

Chairman

– How many marks did you get in Maths Class XII?
– Which force has you been allocated?
– Why SSB?
– When we have BSF as a border guarding force, why need SSB?
– Suppose you are posted as a DM in a village school and asked to address students of Class VIII-XII, what would you speak about for promoting Maths which students don’t like?

Maths Question 1

Maths Question 2, 2(a)

M1

– Munger is famous for? (Came as a shocker for me because I am from Saharsa, Bihar)
– Do you do Yoga?
– What is the status of women in Bihar? Do you think women has been empowered in your state?
– What is accountable governance?
– How to ensure government accountability?

M2

– What was the project you worked upon in Samsung? Two follow up questions
– What is the state of R&D in India?
– What is the need of high end R&D when our basic skill needs are unmet?

M3

– Should we go for making strong laws to provide security to women?
– Are laws against Dowry enough? Why are they being misused? What are recent changes in Dowry law?
– Situational Question: Your domestic help comes to you and complains to you about her drunkard husband who comes from work and beats her under the influence of alcohol. What would be your step of action?

M4

– What was the earlier name of BHU?
– Who founded it?
– Who gave the money?
– Who founded AMU and when?
– Don’t you think that the British sowed the seeds of division by helping the setup of a Hindu University and a Muslim university?
– Why is Varanasi named so?
– Why is IIT BHU not doing too good? (Asked in Hindi)
– What is Kashi famous?
– What is 3rd Industrial Revolution, 2nd IR and 1st IR.

Board- Dr Manoj Soni

Chairman

– You are 23, so tell me about the challenges Youth face today?
– Difference between Older and Younger generation?
– Was 20th Century good, or 21st Century? – What do you do in your leisure time?
– Tell me about the historic importance of Gwalior (my hometown)?

M1

– What are foreign-funded NGOs?
– What are Anti Nuclear Energy NGOs?
– Is Nuclear Energy feasible for India’s energy security?
– What is Nuclear Waste?
– Should we go for renewable energy or Nuclear energy?

M2

– What is the civil engineer’s role in Smart city?
– What are some of the current challenges of Urban development?
– India produces so many engineering graduates, most of them are unemployed. Why?
– What should we do to employ them?
– You are a district collector if some newspaper writes a defamatory article against you? What would you do?

M3

– Should Delhi be given full statehood? Q2- What are simultaneous elections? Is it desirable?
– List some electoral reforms we can undertake?
– Is State funding of elections a desirable reform?

M4

– Why do we call Political Science as Science? What is ‘science’ in it?
– How are India Iran relations going?
– How are India Pak relations?
– Who are non-state actors in Pakistan?
– What is Track 2 diplomacy, and will it work with Pakistan?

Chairman

– If your junior doesn’t obey you, what would you do?
– Should civil servants be terminated from services, if they don’t perform well despite repeated warnings?

Board: P K Joshi

Interview Date : 27/02/2017

Chairman

– You studied in Bangalore, you are from Tumakuru. How many KMs is Tumkur from Bangalore?
– What is one nation one election? Do you support ?
– How the challenges can be addressed ?
– Why engineers are not getting jobs in India ?
– What can be done to address this ?
– What is skill India ?
– What is NAAC?

M1

– what is communication?
– Give example for communication?
– Why did you choose Sanskrit as one of the languages ?
– What is the script of Sanskrit called? (Sanskrit is one of the languages in school)
– Can you tell me the varnamalas of Sanskrit?
– What is a to aha is called?
– What is ka to la is called?

M2

– so how did you get this listening to songs as your Hobby?
– What is the league of kabaddi is called?
– Is kabaddi popular in your region?
– What are folk games played in Karnataka which is not popular in other parts of the country?

M3

– Why Hyderabad has a better entrepreneurial culture than Bangalore? ( I took an opposite stand here )
– Why Bangalore has less engineering colleges than your neighbouring states, say TN. ( Indian Express ran a series of articles on this last month)
– Why did you leave Cognizant? It’s a good company.

M4

– what is a dispute between your state and your neighbouring state Tamil Nadu?
– What is the recent verdict on the dispute?
– What are your priority areas as a DM?
– How natural resources like Land should be allocated?

Board : PK Joshi sir

Chairman

– Famous things about Jind
– Worked in DAE, why left
– National Income
– Why it is called National
– 3 states with least forest cover
– States whose forest cover has increased?
– Have you applied for IFoS also?

M1

– Hobby: Slow walking or Fast
– Benefits of walking
– Why left DAE
– What you learnt from Hospitality committee?

M2

– Should Indian Railways be privatised?
– Why do government need to run railways?
– As an administrator , what are the 3 things you want to do?
(Told working for migrant labour as one of the priorities)
– What do you want to do for them?
– Amount of migrant labour in India every year.

M3

– Difference betweem diesel and electric loco.
– How do you see evolution of India as a country from 1947 (Actually I was not able to understand the question clearly)

M4

– Haryana is a water scarce state?
– How you will conserve water in Haryana?
– Major crops in Haryana
– How much water is consumed in growing rice?
– Water table in Haryana
– Rainfall in Haryana
– Should rice be allowed in Haryana?
– Ways to ensure effective water utilisation.

Chairman

Your interview is over.

Board: PK Joshi sir

Hobbies: Voluntary work, playing and watching cricket

Chairman

– There was one famous CM named Bansilal (my father’s name)..Do you know?
– You stayed in Mumbai as well as Delhi. Tell me cultural differences? (Some follow up question)
– You are residing in ORN..so tell me distinct problems of ORN?..some light moments and
Some Supplementary…
– Relevance of annual cultural gatherings in educational institutions (daf related)?

M1

-What is voluntary work(hobby)?
– Dont you think reading book is voluntary work?
– What do you do in voluntary work?- some supplementary questions..
– What are the zones for cricket at natinal level?
– Your hobby is to play and watch cricket?
– Playing is fine..don’t you think watching the game which is already fixed is waste of time?
– Name the Players involved in fixing scandal?
– He grilled me on this but CH intervened.

M2

– Your optional is anthropology, which is your favourite part in it?
– I said socio-cultural anthropology.. So she asked..
– Explain the India from socio cultural perspective. Some supplementary questions..
Primitive tribes?

M3

– You worked in TCS,what was your role?
– What is the revenue of Tata group?
– How many employees are there in TCS?
– Why the tata is so respected group?
– I said balance between social goals and profit so he asked about Tata controversy.

M4

– Challenges of Indian agriculture?
– What is the solution for land fragmentation?
– I replied consolidation and cooperative farming..
– As a DM what can you do to consolidate fragmented land holdings?
– Is it easy?
– Have you ever seen any successful experiment of cooperative farming?
– What are the issues with it?
– Major crops of Nashik district?
– To whom we export onions?

Chairman

Thank you, Niketan

Board: Manoj Soni sir

Chairman

– What does the word Perumal refers to? Is it a place’s name or your second name?
– When did you receive the intimation about the interview?
– What are all the preparations you made for the interview after receiving the call letter?
– Tell me about the topography of Cuddalore?
– Do you know about Arab Spring? What is it all about?
– What is ISIS? What are they trying to achieve?

M1

– Do you think himalayas is affected by climate change?
– What are the effects of glacial retreat? How much glacial retreat has happened?
– Reasons for glacial melt in ladakh? What local measures would you take to reduce it if appointed as DM?
– Do you think historical fiction novels are right? Won’t it reduce the genuineness of history? ( One of my hobby is Reading Books- fiction)

M2

– Tell about your final year project?
– Is there only one Anna University or many others?
– In the construction of flyovers and bridges, is civil Engineers are only involved or mechanical engineers are also involved?
– What do mech engineers do here?
– Role of mechanical engineers in robotics.

M3

– Rohingya issue- what’s it all about? And India’s role?
– Ram Setu- what is it? Is it a real bridge? What’s the issue involving Ram Setu?
– Tamil Nadu fisherman issue- what measures could be taken?

M4

– What is the government agency involved in disaster relief operations? ( I’ve organised disaster relief operations during Cuddalore floods)
– As a DM what measures will you take to address a disaster?
– What inspired to undertake disater relief operations?
– Reasons for Chennai floods? Where the fault lies?
– What are the areas in Kerala where LWE is making inroads? Do you think they will be successful? – — Have they tried to make inroads into TN?
– Idealogies of LWE?
– What is type of mountain ranges in TN? How is it different from himalayas?
– Difference between block mountain and fold mountain?
– Where the river Brahmaputra originates?
– What’s the issue regarding Brahmaputra between india and china? Does India have any treaty withchina regarding Brahmaputra?
– What is the other nation with which India has a treaty for water sharing? Can India stop giving water to Pakistan? Is india legally bound to give water to Pakistan?

Chairman

Thank you.

Board : Bhosale Sir

Background : Graduate in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi

Chairman

– What were you thinking?(last one to be interviewed)
– Why do we select you?
– Situational question.. Should dm use his popularity to counter politicians illegitimate pressure/threat.

M1

– Why didn’t you take Mechanical as optional?
– why do you want to become IAS.?
– but then why do u went to IIT?
– Three landmark event of Rajasthan history
– Explain accountability..

M2

– You must have heard the name of Arthshashtra. But what do you know about Neetishashtra, it’s writer??
– ‎Anthodia meaning and schemes
– Brand Equity ??

M3

– Explain that history repeats itself and some counterquestions
– Problem related to urbanisation in Delhi

M4

– How often do you jog? What do you do when you are free other than study or jog?

–  (I have answered that I listen to Rajasthani songs) Ghoomar song of Padmavati, what were the objections and your view