Be yourself at the interview

It is a test of personality and mental alertness. Create an impression at the Civil Services Interview on February 17. Here are some pointers

The interviews for the All India Services will be held in New Delhi for 2,568 candidates. One-third of those candidates will be appointed to various services like IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS. There are 275 marks for the interview, and these marks carry much importance for the eventual selection or rejection of the candidate at this last stage of the long and drawn out examination process.

Selection process

The candidate would be interviewed by a board headed by a chairperson, and four members. The responsibility of the board is to assess the suitability of the candidate for the highest government services.

Candidates would be asked questions on matters of general interest and on the subject they had chosen for the main examination.

However, this test is not intended to be a test of specialised knowledge — this was already tested in the written examination. This is rather a test of personality, mental alertness, power of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, ability of social cohesion and leadership, and intellectual and moral integrity. The technique that is being followed is not strict cross-examination but direct and purposive conversation, which will reveal the mental qualities of the candidates.

A common question is why did the candidate choose IAS, for which the usual replies are: ‘I want to serve the nation’, ‘it is my childhood passion’, or worse still, ‘it is my parents’ dream’. This is too naive, and vague. Instead, the candidate may say that he/she was attracted by the challenges of government service and the unlimited opportunities for self-development.

Without adequate preparation, candidates may falter to answer a question like, ‘please introduce yourself’. They may not mention their names and the native places. The answer can be, “Sir, I am Arjun. I hail from Chennai. I have a post-graduate degree in English literature. My father is a teacher. I have a younger brother who is studying. I have a particular interest in government service.”

It is prudent for a candidate to do a little research on his background, like his native district, his educational institution, his previous employment, and his hobbies. His own name is significant.

Rajesh Khanna was asked about the movies of actor Rajesh Khanna, but he couldn’t recollect any of his films.

In 20 years of experience in personal interview training, I have noticed that difficulty of expression in the English language isn’t a serious impediment to score well in the interview, provided the candidate has persuasive body language and has his information accurate.

I would encourage the candidates to listen intently and understand the question before proceeding to answer it. If you do not know the answer, it is wiser to admit it rather than make a wild guess. It is a question of intellectual integrity. The candidate who is found to be bluffing will create a poor impression about himself/herself. Talking tangentially and changing the topic abruptly are viewed negatively.

If you do not know the answer, it is wiser to admit it rather than make a wild guess.

Being rude, rigid, offensive, argumentative, and quarrelsome are fatal mistakes in the civil services interview.

Studies reveal that the best technique in the interview is being oneself and not pretending to be someone else. Even when the candidate has not answered most of the questions he/she need not get upset and exacerbate his/her nervousness. He/she could still score decent marks if he/she can be cheerful and wind up the interview gracefully.

Anxiety is but a natural companion, and an over anxious candidate might forget to wish the board chairperson, or say ‘good evening’ in the morning session.

Keeping a check on emotions emotions will be easier for the candidates who have attended many mock interviews.

The author is Additional Director General of Police. He has writtenPrinciples of Success in Interview. www.sylendrababu.com.

Healthy Living

GINGER, you are balmy

This root has many parts. The good effects ginger can have on the system are several: it is good for improving digestion, cures cough and cold, relives nausea and pain, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and promotes clear skin and healthy hair.

But ginger is now increasingly being used for another important health benefit: to lose fat, especially stubborn belly fat.

Belly fat accumulates over time for various reasons, which include bad diet, reduction of hormones, stress and a sedentary lifestyle. Hormonal changes and stress increase levels of cortisol in blood. The spike has a negative effect on the immune system and the metabolism. Higher levels of cortisol may contribute to weight gain, especially making it hard to lose belly fat. It is believed that ginger reduces cortisol levels.

It is also believed that ginger is a “thermogenic food” that raises the temperature of the body and helps accelerate metabolism and calorie burning .

Ginger makes you feel full, so it stops urges to overeat, eat constantly, or cravings.

Consumption of ginger also raises energy levels, which helps you to exercise.

Begin your day with a ginger infusion. Boil two cups of water with a piece of ginger the size of a grape. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Drain the mix, add honey and lemon juice.   

How to lose weight with these spices

·        Cinnamon: it helps stabilize blood sugar level, keeps you full for a longer time, decreases hunger pangs and metabolises fats at a faster rate.

·        Turmeric: It helps in reducing the formation of fat tissues, thus lowering total body fat.

·        Ginger: being a good body cleanser, ginger helps to remove the food logged in the digestive system and thus prevents fat storage and weight gain.

·        Cumin: cumin improves your digestive process and production of energy. Cumin seeds also helps in boosting your immune system.

·        Black papper: filled with a compound called piperine, it helps in burning fat at a faster rate.

Changes for a fitter you

Fitness is unnecessarily made complicated and expensive. It is something that everyone should have access to, feels fitness expert Rujuta Diwekar, who has launched a one-of-a-kind, free, public fitness project where she will be giving one guideline per week for 12 weeks, ensuring you live healthy ever after. By the end of those 12 weeks/3 months, you will be doing 12 different things or 12 things differently, which will put you permanently on your way to fitness. Here are a few excerpts from the project guidelines:

1. Start your day with a banana or any fresh fruit/soaked almonds/ soaked raisins and NOT with tea or coffee.

2. Eat ghee. Without fear, without guilt, without doubt. Add 1 tsp of ghee to breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is especially useful for PCOD, diabetes and heart diseases, BP, acidity, weak joints, constipation, IBS. Have ghee and jaggery post-lunch or dinner if you suffer from PMS, fatigue or low Hb levels.

3. Rethink, reform and regulate the use of gadgets in your life. The human head is heavy and we have spent months as babies learning to stabilise it. In a neutral position, ears above the shoulders, the head weighs about 5-6 kg. But with just a 15-degree tilt downwards, it weighs more than double. What do you think this is doing to your back, shoulders and even the brain?

-      So cut down on gadgets. No gadgets while eating food. Start doing this at one meal a day and over the next 10 weeks, build it to all 3 main meals per day.

- No gadget for 30 mins before bed. Don't delay bedtime, just keep the phone away, switch off your TV and read a book (not on kindle or iPad).

- The correct way is to lift the phone at eye level and not tilt the neck down. One of the good effects of this will be limiting your phone usage to only the relevant and important issues.

Infused water recipes to keep you hydrated

Regardless of your purpose, one of the best for getting rid of harmful toxin in the body is drinking infused water. It will not only keep you hydrated but also have additional benefits, depending on the ingredients. Here are recipes of infused water and their benefits to help you decide what’s best for you.

MANGO AND GINGER WATER

Both mango and ginger are extremely good for boosting metabolism. Additionally, ginger helps boost your memory, relieving pain, and betters digestion. HOW TO MAKE IT: take a bowl of diced mango and an inch of ginger. Mix both the ingredients into a litre of water and let it stay for one-three hours.

ROSE PETALS & FENNEL SEED WATER

Rose petals helps in relieving stress and uplifting your mood, while fennel seeds improve digestion and have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. HOW TO MAKE IT: Take a handful of rose petals and two teaspoons of fennel seeds. Mixit into a litre of water and let it stay for four hours before drinking it.

CUCUMBER & GINGER WATER

Cucumber and ginger are one of the most readily available ingredients in the market. Drinking this water can not only keep you hydrated, but it also ensures weight loss better digestion, reduces dark circles, eases nausea, prevents gas and inflammation. HOW TO MAKE IT: you will need a medium sized cucumber and a piece of half-inch ginger; peel and slice it into pieces and add it to a litre of water. Let the water stay for two hours and drink it.

APPLE CINNAMON WATER

Again, apple and cinnamon boost metabolism, so combining them can give double the results. Apples are also rich in vitamins B and C, contains antioxidants, reduces the risk of hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases; while cinnamon lowers cholesterol and fights diabetes. HOW TO MAKE IT: Take 1/4^th apple(sliced) and a two-inch long cinnamon stick. Put them into one litre of water and let it rest for some time. It is advisable to soak the cinnamon in water overnight and apple only 20 minutes before drinking.

Hilly vegetables in the plains stump French farmers

Tourists get tips from delta farmer on cultivation methods, cost and returns on investment

A group of French tourists on a visit to the town was astounded by the quality of cabbage and broccoli, which are cool season crops mostly cultivated on hills, but are growing well in the plains.

The three-acre plot leased by farmer Sekar of Thiruvalanchuzhi, Thanjavur, unique in the delta region for the kind of crop it cultivates, has been appreciated on many fora, but this is the first time it got a French word of praise.

The tourists, most of them reportedly farmers, never imagined that the ‘hill’ vegetables could be raised successfully in the plains. Nor did they think that a bunch of vegetables can be raised beside each other on a three-acre plot. When they saw the field rich in vegetables, they heaped praise on Sekar for his pioneering efforts.

The group of about 20 farmers from near Paris had planned to visit the famed Sri Airavateeswarar temple at Darasuram near here. When they heard about the endeavour of Mr. Sekar in his field, a few kilometres from their place of stay, they dropped in out of curiosity.

Years of experience

The team was received with a bouquet of vegetables, many of them alien to the delta region, where paddy is raised traditionally along with a handful of other crops such as sugar cane. The tourists came to know that cabbage, broccoli, beetroot, cauliflower, carrot, green peas and radish were raised. Mr. Sekar told them that he had been doing this for seven years.

The team, led by a farmer named Terrier, quizzed Mr. Sekar on the cultivation method, the cost of cultivation, returns on investment, market opportunities and other “secrets”.

“Our guests said they were as much amazed by Mr. Sekar’s field as they had been by the sculptural beauty of the Darasuram temple,” said Lata Raman, Chairperson, Paradise Resorts, who arranged the field visit for the tourists.

Who made my goat cheese?

Goat’s milk for health was an old wives’ tale, but 20 friends gave up their jobs to make it a marketable product

Vistara Farms in Kunthur, Karnataka. The auditory accompaniment is the bleating of hundreds of goats and the hysterical barking of the Mudhol guard dog. Inside the farm, the goats, grouped according to size and sex, stand in their wooden stalls, eyeing us.

The big male goats reach almost to our shoulders. They push around in their pens, their long, silky brown ears flapping around their big, bony faces. As a welcome drink, we are offered a glass of fresh goat milk, still warm and frothy. The taste is not unlike cow milk, but with an added smokiness. Krishna Kumar A.N. and his friends show me around their farm with a sense of proud proprietorship.

With kid gloves

When Krishna starts talking about his goat farm, it’s difficult to get a word in edgeways. On the nearly 160 km drive from Bengaluru to this farm in Kunthur, Krishna has barely paused in the recital of his dream of promoting goat-milk products. His loquacity is apparently quite typical, quip his close friends, who are now his partners at Vistara Farms and are travelling with us.

“I’m just a bridge,” Krishna says, when described as the prime mover behind Vistara, but he is not just any bridge. He has been the link that has brought together 20 people from diverse experiences to turn an ordinary village remedy into a business venture.

Krishna persuaded them to put in their small savings, and he took a personal loan by mortgaging his mother’s jewellery. They bought a farm near Kunthur and began stocking up on goats. Now they have two farms and 200 goats supplying 50 litres of milk per day.

“When we were young, if someone fell ill in our village, they would say, ‘give him goat milk,’” says R. Chetan Kumar, 31, one of Krishna’s friends, who now manages Vistara’s marketing. And as the last days of school drew to an end and the discussions of what to do with their lives got more heated, they remembered the health benefits of goat milk and the fact that it wasn’t easily available. Nor had goat milk caught on in the cities. Krishna and his friends wanted to turn this to their advantage. “We decided to go into business together and start a goat-milk farm,” he says.

The village wisdom is seconded by Sagari Ramdas, veterinary scientist and member of Food Sovereignty Alliance. She says: “In rural areas, the milk of the mother goat is reserved for the goat kids and some of it is used for tea and as a medicine. Traditionally, goat milk has always been used for the sick, the elderly, children and TB patients. It is thought to be good for healing fractures.”

It’s different

The dream notwithstanding, it wasn’t until 2013 that the friends could buy four acres of land for their farm. Then it was time to buy the goats. After talking to breeders, Krishna zeroed in on the Beetal breed. They purchased the first 15 Beetals from Tavarekere in Begaluru, and the rest from markets in Pune, Punjab and Mysuru. From here on, getting goat milk to the market seemed easy enough.

But it wasn’t. In the first few months after starting the farm, they lost over 150 goats. First, the feed was wrong. Next, the pens were too cold. Next, mosquitoes attacked the goats. Neither villagers nor government officials were able to help. The fledgling farmers drew a blank. So they fell back on their own instincts to set things right. “Our goats are like us. If we are comfortable in their pen, they will be too,” says Ravi Kumar D, one of the partners.

They all had day jobs then, but started to visit the farm more frequently. The pens were covered with polynet to keep out the mosquitoes and the cold. The protein content of the feed was reduced. Finally, the results showed.

By early 2016, the crisis was over and they finally began to supply raw goat milk in 200 ml plastic packets in Bengaluru. Each of them would take turns to deliver the milk. They could make Rs. 50,000 per month just by selling in their own area.

However, the supply of raw milk always comes with the risk of spoilage, which is not only a loss but also lowers the profit level. After many rounds of discussion, the group decided to try their hand at making cheese, which has a longer shelf life and fetches a higher price. They contacted cheese-maker Aditya Raghavan, who spent days at the farm to finetune the product.

Four months into production and Vistara now has three types of soft goat cheese and five varieties of yoghurt under the brandname ‘Basta’, which means goat in Sanskrit. Their factory is a small ground floor unit in Vijaynagar.

Firm footing

We arrive there early in the morning to watch the raw milk, which has been preserved in the fridge all night, being boiled in a double boiler. In the fridge are two sets of soft cheese, made a day apart, wrapped in muslin, and a big block of feta, ready to be packed.

Krishna and company are very proud of their feta as it is 100% goat milk, unlike most of feta available in upmarket stores that is usually 90% cow milk and only 10% goat milk. Priced at Rs. 320 for a 100gm packet, customers seem to love it, and feta currently accounts for 60% of their sales.

Vistara’s other product is their fruit-flavoured goat-milk yoghurt. They have four uncommon flavours — custard apple, honey-banana, chikoo and tender coconut — and the yoghurt contains real fruit pulp. In 2016, Vistara Farms was established as a private company. The friends are so buoyed up they just bought a second farm in Malavalli, 40 km away. Other friends have opted to join the business. A few months ago, the friends finally quit their jobs and became full-time goat farmers.

Plans are on to increase the number of goats to 3,000 and start exporting the cheese to other cities. One future model they are considering is to give the goats to the villagers for upkeep and take only a steady supply of milk.