Civilsdaily

Category: Interview Program

  • Interview Program – 5 reasons to join the exclusive telegram group

    Folks,

    The Interview Program is in Full-Swing. The complete details are mentioned here.

    Last year we created a Telegram group exclusively for students appearing for the interviews and mentors. These proved to be immensely beneficial. We request all students who have cleared mains to email us on hello@civilsdaily.com for access so they could join the community efforts.

    Here are some snippets of what happened last year –

    1. Real-time experiences were shared. These gave everyone an idea of the kind of questions that were asked and what different boards were looking for. Click on attached screenshots.   

    2. Students were able to predict standard questions being asked by panelists. They then brainstormed the most appropriate answer. This made students more confident. 

     

    3. Important Study Material was shared and discussed 

     

    4. Important issues discussed. See below the discussions on AFSPA and other important topics. 

     

    5. BONUS  – V P Singh Sir asking students to pull up their sleeves.

     

    And finally, the good news followed!

     

    This year’s program takes it to a whole new level. Click here to see the details. 

    Launching Mock Interviews + Personality Development Program(PDP) for Interview Round

  • What UPSC expects from candidates in an IAS Interview – V P Singh, IRPS (Interview Topper)

    VP Singh Sir understands the insider stuff of the interview program. He discusses the gazette notification.

    Students are requested to email their DAF to hello@civilsdaily.com

    Complete details of the program are as follows – https://www.civilsdaily.com/personality-development-program/

    About VP Singh, IRPS –

    Virendra Pratap Singh did is B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur in 2003. He joined the services with immense experience in the Private Sector working across domains in high profile companies like Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, and Tata Motors. He has consistently scored very high marks in interviews. His 2009 score of 213/300 was among the toppers.

    His insights have proved to be very helpful to aspirants appearing for exams year after year

     

  • Launching Mock Interviews + Personality Development Program(PDP) for Interview Round

    Folks,

    The importance of the 3rd round of exam – The Personal Interview, cannot be underscored. If you perform exceptionally well, it will help you compensate for your any shortage in your mains score. At its worst, it will undo the hard work that you put in to get a high score in mains and push you to a lower service.

     

    People who have cleared the mains generally don’t face any difficulty in navigating through the interviews. However, we have come across many cases that have failed to perform exceptionally well. Hence, we want to work towards a robust program.

     

    The approach followed by coaching institutes to mock interview programs is very unstructured. You present before a panel and are asked questions one after the other. If you fail to answer them, you are asked to prepare those topics. In the next round, you are asked a completely different set of questions independent of your first round of performance.

    We want to follow a very different approach. It is not about merely answering ad-hoc questions but testing your capabilities across the following competencies.

    General 

    1. Economy

    2. International Relations

    3. Governance and social issues

    4. Current Affairs

     

    DAF Specific 

    1. Past background

    2. Hometown/state information

    3. Hobbies

    4. Your optional subject

     

    Here is how the program will work

    General guidelines –  

    1. Mail us your DAF with filename changed to yourname-rollnumber and subject as PDP yourname–rollnumber. 

    2. In the email, tell us what areas you feel require special attention/are most uncomfortable with.

    3. We will join you to our exclusive telegram group.

    4. You can connect with students from the same hometown/city & hobbies. This will help you collaborate and prepare these competencies better.

    5. The telegram group will be moderated by our panelists who will answer your general queries and pose relevant questions.

    6. We will try to pose stress based question regularly so you have

    7. At the same time, we will be posting videos and notes which we believe can be of help in tackling the interview program.

    Individual focus 

    1. 1-1 online/on-call interviews with our panelists.

    2.  2nd round of mocks will be held offline.

    3. DAF specific material wherever possible.

    We will sincerely try to help all our students. However, the program will require few iterations to be perfected. We hope to collect information on specific hobbies and hometown/city so they can be of help for future aspirants. We look to your cooperation in this regard.

    Our Panel 

    We have a commitment from the following academicians, seasoned bureaucrats, and subject matter experts. They believe in our cause and are willing to put in hours to train aspirants.

    Virendra Pratap Singh, IRPS

    Virendra Pratap Singh did is B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur in 2003. He joined the services with immense experience in the Private Sector working across domains in high profile companies like Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, and Tata Motors. He has consistently scored very high marks in interviews. His 2009 score of 213/300 was among the toppers.

    His insights have proved to be very helpful to aspirants appearing for exams year after year.

    Dr. Makhan Saikia 

    Dr. Saikia is an Author & Expert on International Affairs. He holds an MA & M. Phil (Pol. Sc.) from JNU and Ph.D (Globalization and Governance) from TISS, Mumbai.
    He has taught at some of the finest universities.
    Occasionally, he has written for various newspapers.
    His articles can be found here.

     

    Vipul Shrivastava, IPS

    Vipul Shrivastava did his B.Tech from IIT Powai. He was one of the highest scorers during his time. He is presently also dedicating time to help aspirants with their essay preparation.

    Dr. Vipin Garg, IAS  

    Dr. Vipin Garg is a Founding Mentor at Civilsdaily. He did his MBBS from AIIMS and then moved to the services. He was the highest scorer in CSE Interview 2016 with 209 marks. His notes and insights have been of immense help to the students.

    Rohit Pande, Consultant  Social Enterprises

    Rohit Pande is a Founding Mentor at Civilsdaily. He did his B.Tech from IIT Guwahati. After a stint in various consulting roles across top firms, he is exploring problems in the social sector and has immense ground level knowledge about issues in waste management, education, health, and financial services. His insights can be extremely useful as discussion points in the interview.

    Our faculty members who are well aware of recent trends and have immense experience with the interview rounds will also be working with you.

    Here are the links to Mock Interviews –

    Interview Enrichment Program – Mock interviews

     

  • [Interview Transcripts 2018] Dinakar PK

    Smitha Nagaraj Board

    Session: Forenoon session

    Optional: Sociology

    Hometown: Bangalore

    1st preference IPS!

    Interview Transcript

    Chairman: so you’re from Bangalore?
    C: see Rajnikanth is entering politics. Some people claim he belongs to Karnataka, TN, and Maharashtra how do you see this ?!
    C: people associating him with Tamil pride. How do you see this?
    C: can a Bihari become chief minister of Karnataka?
    C : Asked about Jallikattu!
    C: So violent protests happen. You’re aspiring to be an officer how do you see the ingredients of the movements? (I told )
    Madam pointed about funds! I said yes and agreed.
    C : can you analyse any movement in the last two decades ?( I used pen and paper )
    Lady Member 1: what’s the term associated with Rajnikanth?
    M1: he doesn’t hold authority? Is ethnicity not the term ?!
    M1: difference between family and household?
    M1: Belgium issue
    M1: so what’s the step by Karnataka govt ?!
    M1: just by creating 2nd assembly problem is solved ?!
    Member 2: recollect any two terrorist attacks in India ?!
    M2: who are behind these terrorist attacks !?
    M2: name those terrorist organization ?!
    M2: do you know their leaders(their leadership keeps changing so I haven’t followed it sir )
    M2: steps taken after 26/11 ?!
    M2: other steps ?!
    M2: source of terror funding?
    M2: how to prevent terror funding?
    M2: how far demonetization successful in culling terror funding?
    M2: have you heard of Right to private defence ? ( I explained it completely )
    M2: so if an innocent is killed isn’t it wrong ?! (Told about test of mens Rea)
    Member 3: newspaper of today you read ?!
    M3: university rankings of today. On what parameters ( I used paper again )
    M3: Maldives issue. Suddenly he went back to Cuban missile crisis .( I explained )
    M3: what was done in Cuban missile crisis can it be replicated here ?!
    Member 4: fake news ?! Why it spreads ?! ( arey take a guess dear )
    M4: way forward ?!
    M4 : why should we give so much of freedom to media ?!
    M4: spying how are they dealt with ?!
    M4: what are the legal provisions wrt old age people ?!
    M4: Earlier were there any provisions existing ?!
    Back to chairman
    C : you seem to be aware of IPC AND other provisions how come ?!
    C: why IPS as the first choice ?!
    C: what you dreamt as an IPS officer ?!
    C: today the complexity of policing has increased apart from normal functions what are the other functions  Associated with ?!
    Thank you!

  • [Interview Transcripts 2018] Shashank Goyal

    Ms. Smita Nagaraj Board

    Date: 21 March 2018

    Chairperson

    1. NIT-IIM and now civil services. Is it now the new career norm?
    2. There is extensive marketing being adopted in govt schemes. Is it necessary?
    3. Do we focus more on objectives or outcomes while designing marketing strategies?
    4. Questions on positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.

    Member 1

    1. 2 questions on Delhi pollution-causes, steps taken by the govt, causes of stubble burning
    2. How would you environmental awareness in society?
    3. How do we counter China?
    4. Why aren’t we raising CPEC on international forums?
    5. What are wearables?

    Member 2

    1. On hobbies:
    1. Which recent books have you read?
    2. On Anne Frank- what inspires you?
    3. Does glass ceiling exist? Does in exist more in India or in the West?
    4. Your motivating personality (whom we are aware of)…name two more?
    5. NAM has been integral to our FP. We are digressing from it? What are your views on this?

    Member 3

    1. The purpose of Government is not to do business. What do you think?
    2. What is ‘fire in the belly’?
    3. Which is your favorite business case study of MBA curriculum? Followup qn- what motivates
    such people?
    4. Solar projects need too much land? Is it a hindrance? Followup- what are your views on rooftop
    solar projects?
    5. Situational: You are a DC in a district with a very reputed govt engg college. Students are
    demanding for postponement of exams. Having postponed once, they are demanding
    postponement again. What will be your role?

    Member 4

    1. Job profile: What kind of sales you are in? Why change in job?
    2. What is social marketing?

    3. Need for regulations in marketing? Followup- is there any regulatory framework for marketing
    in govt schemes and programmes?
    4. A very important personality was born in your birthplace (Mhow)? Who was he?
    5. There are so many schemes in his name. How do we improve implementation? Followup- How
    do we improve scheme monitoring ?
    6. Situational: You are an IFS officer. You are asked to organize celebration of Nelson Mandela’s
    100th birth anniversary. How will you go about it?

    Chairperson

    1. Government is increasing the number of IIT/NIT/IIMs. Don’t you think it dilutes the brand?
    (involved a discussion of 2 3 questions about the evolution of college that I graduated from and
    need and role of such institutions of eminence)

    Member 3 requested the Chairperson for one more question

    1. Are you a PGDM or an MBA?
    2. What is Alzheimer’s disease?

    End of the personality test

  • [Interview Transcripts 2018] Kunal Aggarwal

    Sh. Arvind Saxena Board 
    Date: 19th March 2018
    Session: Afternoon Session
    Optional: Political science and International Relations
    Work experience: 3 years as Software Developer
    Interview Transcript
    Chairman
    1. What have you been doing?
    2. So, what were you doing at the *company where I worked*?
    3. What is Kizuna bond project? (from DAF)
    4. So how are India-Nepal relations now?
    5. What is the involvement of China in Nepal? Have you heard of cheque book diplomacy? Can India compete with China on this? How can India gain it’s space in Nepal then?
    6. What do you think of Aadhar card? Aren’t there security issues?
    7. Should we have aadhar? US and UK are rolling back their social security systems. Shouldn’t we learn from them?
    8. Views on AI – two opposite views from Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. What do you think about AI?
    Member 1
    1. Why do you want to join civil services?
    2. So, you belong to Sonipat or you are currently staying there?
    3. What progress do you see in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Sonipat?
    Member 2
    1. How are Panchayats doing in India?
    2. Do they have real powers? What are their issues?
    3. What is your opinion on Khap Panchayats?
    4. What kind of TV Shows do you watch? (Hobby)
    5. Do you watch reality tv shows?
    6. How do they impact children? Is it bad or good?
    7. How is technology impacting the people? Does it always help? *Discussion on that*
    Member 3
    1. Why did you leave your job and want to join civil services?
    2. What was your experience at *previous job*?
    3. Can you expect them in civil services?
    Member 4
    1. Bank frauds questions
    2. Privatisation or not?
    3. Air India privatization? Will it help or not?
    Chairman: *Continuing from M2*
    1. So you said watching news helps. Do you think it is always good?
    2. Discussion on Fb misuse of data?
    3. Have you heard of fake news?
    4. How do you as a civil services aspirant ensure you do not consume fake news?
    5. How do you discuss news with people?

  • [Interview Transcripts 2018] Basist Nandan

    Sujatha Mehta Board

    Date: 13.03.2018

    Session: Afternoon

    Interview Transcript

    Chairman
    1. Tell me where you did ur graduation. What you do now.
    2. You are in pipelines of IOCL. How do you secure pipelines?
    3 What is your role in securing pipelines?
    4. Which pipelines in eastern coast you are in.
    5. You seem to be interested in sports. Do u think a large event like Olympics be held where there is no income just expenditure?
    6. Will it be good for India to host Olympics?
    7. India didn’t win any gold in Olympics and also we had a bad experience of holding commonwealth games. So why should India host such events when there is poverty and all.

    Member 1
    1. You are in iocl. Why should one invest in a refinery when we are moving towards the renewable source and electric vehicle?
    2. You are a mechanical engineer. Tell me which law of physics applies when a thermal energy is converted to mechanical energy.
    3. What is critical supercritical in a power plant?

    Member 2
    1. Tell me has 73rd and 74th amendment been good.
    2. What are problems?
    3. Women representation is just for name sake in PRI. What do you say?
    4. There is a program called employment guarantee program. Should fund from that be used in empowering grass root.
    5. Other discussions mainly on PRI.

    Member 3
    1. You are from Bhagalpur. Tell about the violence of the 1980s.
    2. What is the regulatory mechanism of oil and gas sector?
    3. In spite of so many regulations, why do fires and other hazards occur?
    4. How would you inculcate safety culture?
    5. What is energy audit? How it is done ( I said something and he said it’s not correct)

    Member 4
    1. Tell me something about the green revolution.
    2. How to have a balance between population rise and food crisis.
    3. Can GM crop be helpful in solving the food crisis?
    4. What are problems of GM Crops and solutions?

    Again Chairman
    Do you want us to ask something?
    I took a pause and said, mam, if you would like to ask something from hobby.
    She said what’s your hobby.
    Then she asked about it.
    How much time you spend on the internet.
    Your view on social media. Is it helpful?

    Ok. Thank you.

  • [Interview Transcripts 2018] Ashis Sahu

    Arvind Saxena Board

    Date: 06/03/2018
    Session: Afternoon session

    2nd last to go

    Education: B.Tech (Mech) + 4 Years work experience
    Hobbies: Jogging, Meditation, and Teaching
    State: Odisha

    Interview Transcript

    Chairman:
    1. Justin Trudeau episode.PM of a state. ..With wife and kids. … was it correct on Indian part for the kind of treatment?

    2. ‎Section of Indian diaspora called ‘Republican Hindu coalition’ in the USA supported Trump during the election. Do you think it was right on their part to use the word Hindu there?… (direct hit from the boundary)

    3. How is the diaspora community helping India?
    ‎

    Member 1 (Lady)
    1. Olive Ridley turtles. ….mass nesting timing around the year? Why are numbers decreasing? What steps has the government taken?
    2. ‎you have been in so many places around the country, what difference have you found among the people and their culture?
    3. ‎Do you think regionalism is good?
    4. ‎what should be done to promote unity in diversity?

    Member 2
    1. What is stealth aircraft? (Physics+ Aero modeling club during college)
    2. ‎Govt banned the 500 and 1000 Do he high denomination note o
    3. ‎which other countries had tried demonetization and what were the effects?
    4. ‎Any other instance when the circulation of money decreases in the market?

    Member 3
    1. You were part of BAJA SAE (college activity). What did you learn?
    2. ‎Such competitions must be encouraging entrepreneurship, Should the government be promoting it?
    3. ‎what do you like about jogging?…..have you run any marathon…..what speed do you jog?

    Member 4
    1. Changing the name of places. Is it right? Why is it done? Do you support it?
    2. ‎How to develop Odisha?

    This is all I can recall.

    The board was very cordial and allowed me to present my views. Saxena sir was as poker face as it could be. Couldn’t make anything from his face. Only time will tell…

    Wishing all of you the best of luck

  • [Interview Transcripts 2018] Madhur Binda

    Air Marshal A.S Bhonsle Sir board

    Candidate name: Madhur Binda

    Profile: MBBS graduate, sociology optional

    Belongs to: Rajasthan

    Date of interview: 19/02/18, afternoon session

    Interview started at 3:10 PM.

    Most likely ended around 3:45

    Interview Transcript

    I was the first candidate to attend the interview.

    I wished the board and they asked me to sit. They told me to be comfortable. There were few pages lying in front of me he asked me to use them before giving answers ie to think for few seconds n then answer.
    Also, he did ask in which language Hindi/English or mixed I be comfortable wrt to interview language

    Chairman

    He saw that I have graduated in 2013
    Q1. Which year have you finished your MBBS? And what you were doing after that till now?
    Q2 What do you feel about having a rural background and working in the village?
    Q3. Is government policy with respect to the rural area is good? Is any lacuna in government policies? If yes, where the gap pertains to?
    After that, he asked few questions about MBBS and about my hobby

    Member 1
    Q1 You were working in the village but most doctors don’t want to work in rural areas. Why? How can we change that attitude?
    Q2 What are the provisions of NMC? Is less representation of doctors an issue?
    Q3 What is your opinion about compulsory internship after MBBS?
    Q4 Ayush Dr being allowed to practice allopathic. Is it Good or bad?
    Q5

    Member 2
    Q1 There are so many places named as Sagar in Rajasthan Why? (I’m from Rajasthan that’s why they asked this)
    Q2 What is inter-generational equity?
    Q3. How’s equity makes sense in medical profession/health?
    Q4. Asked about some old ancient river of Rajasthan
    Q5. What is the himalayan blunder? (I was not able to answer.Actually, it was a book about Sino-Indian War of 1962)

    Member 3 (Lady member)

    Q1.She said she is biased to ask questions on the health sector. Why did you choose IAS after MBBS?
    Q2 Also how can you being ias will help say ur village. What u bring as Dr to administration.

    Q3 we here so many new products of Ayurvedic coming these days… Whats ur opinion on that also between Ayurveda n allopathic form of medicine which one do you support.

    Q4 What are the issues pertaining to Women and Child in Rajasthan? Specifically, women in general child also do Suggest some remedies.

    Member 4

    Q1 questions on name… Any famous personalities with same name.. Why they were in controversy recently.

    Q2 earlier there was no neet what was the exam that u cleared to get admission into mbbs

    Q3.Asked some questions about city of school (Ajmer). Who is the famous king of Ajmer? Why he was famous?How he died? Any role of sanyogata on his defeat?

    Q4
    Padmavat situation is example of Anomie? Is it so?
    What do you mean by anomie? Which social thinker gave the concept?

    Q5 ASER report…what is it.. Who releases it etc

    Chairman again

    Q1 You have graduated from. Govt MBBS college. Wasn’t your education subsidized? It’s Wastage of resources right? etc

    Q2 What are the advantages of being a Doctor?
    One of quality I said is being emphatic

    Q3 So can’t a person other than doctor have empathy?

    Q4 (I was dog lover) So questions about the breed…which dog do you have; Why different breed behave differently?

    Q5 Tell a joke about the dog…

    As I couldn’t he told me the joke.. That is how you know who loves you more gf or dog by locking them in box for 30 min and then observing their reaction.

    He asked my opinion on the joke.

    End of interview..

    Missed few questions if I am able to recall will post…

    Overall the board was very cordial and had better experience than mock interviews.