Here’s what second UPSC topper Anu Kumari was asked in interview

From pink pyjamas flying over the Red Fort to business lessons from Baba Ramdev, to metro travel to bahus in joint families, Anu Kumari, second UPSC topper, was asked more than twenty questions by the Smita Nagaraj Board

Indian Civil Services is the most competitive exam and the interview session is considered its most difficult part where the range of amusing questions test the candidate's intelligence and wits. Anu Kumari stayed calm and smiled throughout the interview, which went on for more than 30 minutes, as around 22 questions were popped at her. 

“I treated the interview round as if I was talking to the elders in my family. I could not answer three of the total questions but I calmly managed, smilingly said sorry and admitted of not knowing it,” says the 31-year-old, who quit a decade-long career in a corporate to pursue her UPSC dream.

A mother of a four-year-old son, Anu has been named the brand ambassador for the ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ programme in her home district Sonipat by the Haryana government.

She attempted several mock interviews at various institutes to prepare for the exam. Anu adds that to study ethics, she collected quotes by Swami Vivekanand, Gandhi, Einstein and other such scholars and saved them as laptop and phone wallpapers. 

Pink pyjamas, a phrase to depict women empowerment, was the tricky question that Anu decided to pass. However, answering the marketing lessons to be learned from Baba Ramdev she said, “Invoking a feeling of nationalism to boost sales and capitalising on people’s preference for chemical free and herbal products, is a good strategy.” On the question of bahus preferring to go for nuclear families, Anu honestly answered, “To an extent yes, with the rise of individualism in society, egoism is rising. Another factor is the burden of excessive expectations from the bahu, who is expected to do double shifts.”

Her analytical and decision-making skills were also put to test through questions on various policies and social issues. 

Full list of questions Anu was asked:

Why did you decide to go for UPSC 12 years after graduation?

You worked for eight years in financial services sector, what was your motivation behind it?

There are a lot of unethical practices in the insurance sector, what they are and why they exist? Is the regulator sleeping? 

The recent NHPS health insurance scheme is going to help private sector more than the citizens what should we do to stop such malpractices?

There will be a change in orientation as you move from private sector to the public sector. How will you manage?

How technology has impacted the service sector?

39 Indians got killed in Iraq. Do you think the government handled the situation well? 

In view of the Facebook data leak issue, do you think these social media firms are taking users for a ride?

Social media was created to unite (socialise) but it is dividing the society. What is your take on this?          

What are the marketing lessons to be learnt from yoga guru turned entrepreneur Baba Ramdev?

You are from the Hindu college. Which minister from Hindu college is there in the ministry today?

Pink pyjamas are flying over Red Fort today, what do you understand by this?

The country is facing a serious problem of drug addiction, how will you handle them in a district? What are the drugs consumed by the people? 

Children are committing suicides. Why? What should be done to combat this?

Today’s girls (bahus) don’t want to live in a joint family. Do you agree?

Are joint families good for women empowerment? 

You are a sportswoman, what do you think are the corruption related problems in sports bodies in India?

What are the ground level differences that you have experienced travelling in metro in Gurgaon and in Delhi?

What are the problems of PPP (public private partnerships)? 

I have lost money in mutual funds. Convince me that I should still invest in them?

What is colonial hangover? Is it good or bad? Give examples.  

You had said that the government should have been more humane in handling killing of Indians in Mosul issue, but then also appreciated it for its extra effort to trace the Indians and bring them back. Is this your approach to all the things- saying this is correct but this is also correct? Will you be able to take decisions? What is going to be your approach as an administrator? 

IAS Interview-II Defending Your Biodata: The Right Approach

There are many aspects to be covered while facing the IAS interview board. Apart from brushing up on significant issues on governance, economic, environmental, national, international affairs, preparing for questions and remarks raised by the board on your bio data related information, known as ‘ Detailed Application Form’ (DAF), is an essential part of  the interview process . The DAF is  taken as a kind of horoscope by the board to predict what kind of personality you possess. Since a number of information has been asked in the columns of the DAF,  it offers the board members a vast opportunity to interact with you on the information you have furnished therein. There is a real possibility that your entire interview session , or most part of it , which usually lasts for 30 minutes, is based on your DAF discussion. In fact , there can be 3- 4 different formats  in which your interview can be conducted. One, it may be dominated by questions on information given by you in your DAF, two, it may just be on some current relevant issues of general interest, three, it may be based on your home state and four, it may be dominated by your subject of specialization in college or the optional paper you have chosen for the exam. No format is exclusive in nature. Other questions are also bound to be asked in each of these formats. One thing is, however, certain during the interview, i.e., DAF based questions irrespective of the main format. Thus, taking the DAF preparation seriously and in the right earnest is what needs to be done by the candidates.

DAF and the Interview board: A candidate submits a detailed DAF to UPSC before writing the main examination. The DAF contains even personal information regarding her/his caste, religion . However, all the board members are not given this detailed DAF. Except for the chairman of the interview board, no one will ever know about your caste or religion through DAF. This is done to avoid any bias in the minds of the board due to factors of caste, religion etc. In other words, only the chairman knows about your caste etc and not the other members. Thus, no discrimination is possible against you or prejudices shown in your favour based on your social, religious background. But, of course, your religion will be evident from your names, surnames and one can not do anything about it.

You and your DAF: All the information provided in the DAF has been furnished by you. This makes you fully accountable and answerable to those informations. The board will assume that you have made a conscious choice while revealing your details in the DAF and , therefore, expect you to defend, analyse and elaborate on every bit of information furnished by you. So, while the board may take it kindly if you do not answer other questions convincingly, but if you are not found convincing on DAF related questions, the board will take it seriously. The board is quite justified in expecting convincing answers on your DAF because you yourself have chosen to furnish those information and you  should not look flustered about them.

Categorisation of DAF details: Put together, there are 28 columns in the DAF to be filled out by the candidate. They can be put under the following categories.

(1).Personal details like name, age and native place, parents’ name, profession and income, , choice of centre for main examination, optional subject offered. (column1 to 15)(2).Educational qualifications (column16)(3).Employment details (column 17)(4).Details of extra curricular activities, distinctions, hobbies (column 18)(5).Preference for IAS/IPS in state cadres (column 20)(6).Order of preference for different services like IAS, IPS, IFS and allied services(column 21)(7).Previous details of appearing in UPSC exam. and their results (column 22, 23, 24, 25and 26)(8).Fee payment details( column 27 and 28)

Analysis of vital details asked and given in DAF: Except for the last category relating to fee details, all others are question/remark provoking columns . Let us take them up one by one.

Personal details related column: Starting with your name and its meaning, your date of birth and its historical importance or any other person born on that day, this column can raise a number of questions. The place you were born in, the areas around it, and the state to which you belong  will be closely read by the board and questions will be raised on them. A few questions on your parental profession, your experiences from their jobs can also be asked. If you have chosen a centre of exam. which is unusual, you may have to justify it. Suppose, you have shown in your DAF that you belong to Delhi, studied in Delhi, did job in Delhi, but you have chosen Jammu as a centre, they will get curious about your choice and ask you for a convincing explanation. Finally, your optional subject may come under close scrutiny. The importance of this subject for civil services,( e.g. how Botany can be relevant for civil services), latest information about the subject, etc, can be asked.

Educational qualifications related column: This is a delicate column and the board is keenly interested in knowing about your educational achievements. They will watch for the educational institutions you have attended, and check your awareness level about these institutions. Secondly, they will see if you have any discontinuity in your educational career or any bad academic performances, and if yes, then they will look for reasons for the same. At the same time, if you have been a great achiever in academics, they will question you as to why you want to join civil services despite such a brilliant academic record. Also, if you are a professional, say , a doctor or engineer or lawyer, they will ask you why you want a change in career away from your core domain. You should always answer such questions with a fair degree of honesty. If you fabricate your answer, you are bound to be plunged into a helpless situation before the board.

Employment related columns: If you have been employed earlier , or, you continue to be employed at the time of the interview, there is no way you can escape being asked a lot on your job profile, your responsibilities, about your company, or the govt. department you are working with. The difficult part of the question on this area is going to be why you seek a job change in favour of civil services . Most of the candidates provide the same answer to this. Let us frame a question and see the standard answer offered by many.

Question: You are already employed in a higher post with good prospects. Why then you want to join civil services?

Answer: Yes sir, I do agree that I am already placed in a comfortable job. But the status, prestige, diversity and challenges offered by civil services attracts me.  Or

Yes sir. True. But I want to serve the country and the society which has given me so much.

This question is a routine question at every board and these two answers, are also routine. The board gets fed up hearing the same logic from every candidate and wants to hear something different. By themselves, both these answers are good, but you should rephrase them to sound different from the crowd. I would suggest, you relate your answer to your inspiration derived from parents or, a role model in civil services or by account given by a dynamic, honest civil servant about the challenges and opportunities in the civil services. This will make for an interesting answer.

Hobby related columns: This column is the most sensitive zone of you bio data . You need to defend your hobbies and extra curricular activities in a such a manner that you can convince the board that you have a genuine interest in the hobbies mentioned by you and you are cultivating them well. Owing to inexperience about the interview, many candidates take this column rather easily and casually. They fill up this column with hobbies they have hardly pursued seriously and extracurricular activities they have ignored largely in real life. If you try to fake a hobby without genuine interest in it, your bluff will be called easily and you may get punished for it. For example, in a real IAS interview, a candidate had given as his hobby to teach villagers in a village in Haryana. The chairman of the board first declared it as a wonderful hobby and then started shooting questions. When asked about the time during which he would go and teach the villagers, he answered that he goes in the morning. Then the chairman countered him by telling him that how can he meet farmers in the morning time when most of them will be away in the fields or rearing their cattle or doing other farming activities. Then he tried to make another bluff and he got into a real awkward situation. He was given exceptionally low marks. So, whatever your hobby may be, you need to make a mark on the board by defending it in a most genuine way. Concocted answers about your hobbies must be avoided at all costs.

IAS/IPS preference related column: In this column, you are given a chance to state your preferences for the two prestigious jobs i.e. IAS and IPS in various states. For example, in Bihar, what will be your preference for IAS/IPS. Normally, a candidate, and quite rightly so, will give preference 1/1 for IAS/IPS for Bihar cadre if he belongs to Bihar. Then he may choose UP where IAS may be his 2nd preference but IPS his 3rd preference. Such variation in preference will invite probing questions. Generally , candidates have a subjective perception about the IAS/ IPS jobs. For example, in states affected by naxalism, IAS is given a higher choice and IPS is lowered down by the candidate. This will raise doubts about your willingness to take up challenges in trouble prone states. It is always better to offer the same choices for both the services i.e. IAS/IPS for every state. For example, if you have preference 11 for IAS in Nagaland, your preference for IPS in Nagaland must also be 11 and not 17 or 18. This will save you from explaining why you are choosing differently between the two services in the same state.

Column dealing with order of preferences for various jobs: The most standard practice to fill this column is to give 1st, 2nd. and 3rd. preferences to IAS, IPS and IFS respectively. Thereafter, IRS , Customs, Audit and Accounts and so on. The board is widely aware about the popularity level of the services and therefore, in a usual choice, they would not raise questions. But if you make some unusual preference, say, IPS over IAS or, IRS over IPS, then they will ask for a suitable reason. You must offer an explanation that the members can buy.

Details of previous attempts at UPSC exams: This is a cool column and you can very well defend it so long as you have given the real information without hiding anything. However, if you have been selected by UPSC for some job and you left it, or delayed joining its training program, then questions will arise asking you for justifications of your decision.

Some guidelines for defending your DAF:

i. Start preparing early: Don’t wait for the result. Concentrate on your DAF preparation quite early. It will require quite a lot of time to collect information about so many columns you have filled in there.

II.Prepare under expert guidance: Self preparation for interview whether on DAF or otherwise, amounts to just gathering facts and information. Unless you are interacting with knowledgeable people during your interview preparation, you are really not preparing well. So try and choose a real good mentor whose advice you can trust and follow him on day to day basis.

III. Always defend yourself with honesty: Honesty is the best policy at the interview. Be honest about what you have to say about your DAF. Only this can make your interview safe and scoring.

(S B Singh is a noted academician and IAS interview expert. He can be reached at his email: sb_singh2003@yahoo.com) View expressed are personal.

IAS INTERVIEW

Let Your Personality Shine with Natural-Self

The Concept and purpose of IAS interview is to determine your suitability for the job you are aspiring for.  Thus, there are  differently designed interview sessions depending on  which  post you are being recruited for and what are its prime requirements. A panel of experts during a short session of half an hour or so,  will interact with you with this objective: how suitable a candidate you are  for the job you have applied for. The concept of IAS interview is to place you physically before a panel of experts and its purpose is to assess your true , authentic self. The focus of this article is to familiarize you with how the IAS interview session is conducted, what the interviewers expect from you, how they make an assessment of your personality and based on this assessment , how they allot marks for your performance.

Significance of IAS interview: To begin with, let us be clear that IAS interview constitutes only a minor part of the whole  selection process in relation to marks allocation. It accounts for only 275 marks as compared to the main examination which accounts for the bulk of marks , i.e.  a total of 1750 marks, which is a sum total of  GS, Optional and the Essay papers.  However, interview  does play a crucial role in determining your final rank in the merit list. In interview, you get an opportunity to  obtain exceptionally high marks which is rarely possible in the mains written papers. Conversely, if your interview performance turns out to be poor, you will either go lower down in the merit list or maybe, eliminated from the list altogether. In this sense, the interview marks, though  accounting for a small percentage of the total marks,  have a great bearing on the rank, job, and cadre you are going to get.   

Qualities to be assessed during the interview: UPSC, everytime in its notification,   outlines  the broad qualities that will be assessed during the interview session. These are as follows. 

*Mental alertness: It implies mental readiness to receive and respond to a given issue or situation. It also entails a curious, inquisitive mind.

*Critical powers of assimilation: It implies the quality of   putting together facts not the way they come to you but after examining them  critically.

*Clear and logical exposition:  It is your ability to describe something with clarity and logic.

*Balance of judgment:  It is about judging issues by balancing   its various facets  and avoiding being radical and intemperate or being biased.

*Variety and depth of interest: As an IAS aspirant,  you should reflect your genuine interest in a variety of issues which have a bearing on public life.

*Ability for social cohesion and leadership: It is a prime quality for delivering results in public services. It implies a  capacity to lead human resources and factor in  societal expectations in decision making.

*Intellectual and moral integrity: It implies consistent and public adherence to a moral code by displaying integrity of character in all circumstances.

The above qualities may  appear to be distinct from each other which  indeed they are, but the UPSC interview board will not judge them one by one, so to say.    IAS interview is conducted in such a manner that all these qualities  are monitored through an interlocking chain of conversation in a question-answer format.

 Many interview sessions follow a well structured pattern , but IAS interview is an exception to this. Far from being conducted under a structured format, it is an exercise in which an engaging conversation takes place between the board and the candidate. Thus, contrary to the popular perception of interview being a question answer session, it is much more than that. In a setting which is formal but undirected one ( undirected means a natural course is followed at the interview rather than a  pre-determined session) , the interview session seeks to evaluate a candidate on the above given qualities. A proper understanding of what he is going to be tested for will make a candidate’s preparation close to its needs.

 IAS interview is NOT about:*A mere question answer session*A test of knowledge or  plethora of information*A deliberate attempt to pin you down by difficult questions*Having extraordinary expectations from youIAS interview is about:*Judging your authentic self*An interactive, friendly session*Extracting your opinion and stand on vital issues*Exploring the quality of honesty, integrity, commitment, leadership etc.*Testing you  more on where you know rather than where you do not know

It  should be fairly clear  from the above that the character of the interview is an engaging conversation with the board on a host of issues   in  a positive setting where you are  encouraged to express yourself naturally without fear or pressure. This description of the attitude of  board should dispel your fears about facing the board.  For most of the candidates , it is a frightening scenario to face the board and an unknown fear descends on them just before entering the venue of the interview . The reality is quite to the contrary. The board is usually very friendly and encouraging. If they find that you are not able to answer questions from one area, they will ask you different questions from those areas where you are supposed to be strong. In other words, they will provide you  full opportunity to bring the best in you during the session.

Composition of the Board

There are 8-9 separate UPSC  interview boards. Each board consists of a chairman and four members. The chairman of each board is a UPSC member. The other four members are external members invited by UPSC. They  are bureaucrats, academicians, scientists, armed forces officers etc. They are known as domain experts. They all are very experienced, seasoned persons with wide exposure in public life. This gives them the ability to frame very diverse questions and evaluate your responses accurately. It should be noted that there is no professional psychologist sitting among the members.

The beginning of the interview

As you enter the board and occupy your place after greeting the board members, the chairman will initiate your interview by asking a few questions. Usually he begins with reading your bio data and asking questions relating to information provided by you in your bio data. The initial few minutes of the interview is an attempt to make you feel at ease with the board and settle down by asking simple questions The chairman may ask  few more  questions or   signal  other members to ask questions. This is how the  interview gets to a start  and in the next 30 minutes, you will be engaged in a conversation during which questions, counter questions, opinions, counter opinions are exchanged between you and the board. You may also experience some lighter moments during the session to keep you at ease. While you are answering the question of a particular member, others will not usually interrupt, though sometimes, they may chip in to add something to what you are saying.

Method of allocating marks

The chairman is the key person to allocate marks on the basis of your performance. He will propose a certain percentage of marks to be given to you to  other members. If a member or more members advise the chairman that  you deserve less or more marks, he may consider the advice and propose new marks. Sometimes, the board marks you in comparison to what marks  other candidates before you got based on a certain performance. But it is generally the chairman who has a final say in marking you. But he also goes by consensus.

Preparing for the interview

Though in a strict sense, no specific preparation for the interview is required because it is a personality test and what you have accumulated and assimilated through your learnings  experiences, exposures so far  in life will be judged during the interview. Yet, some amount of grooming for the interview is definitely required.  The ingredients of interview preparation are:

1. Learning manners and etiquettes of interview:*Be polite and respectful*Greet the members with warmth*Wear a decent, sober dress which is formal and suits the weather*No fanciful accessories on your body*Do not interrupt a member while he/ she is asking a question or explaining a point*An agreeable voice with the right pitch*No frequent hand movement or neck movement while you are responding*A body language which transmits self-confidence, resolve, determination under the frame of humility

2. Covering up your bio data i.e. DAF ( Detailed Application Form)

You have provided a wide range of information in your DAF which is before each member of the board. This  contains information furnished by you relating to your educational, family, professional background, your state, your hobbies, your achievements, your present occupations, your choice of service, cadre preference etc. A thorough preparation is required on each aspect of the information you have provided in DAF. For example, they may ask you to justify your preference of jobs.  Or say, about the choices of states as your cadre. You must have a convincing answer about all these. You will have to defend all that you have mentioned in your DAF  because you can not retract on  facts supplied by yourself. So I recommend  a serious thought on all aspects of DAF before entering the board.

3. Covering expected current issues : There is no way to anticipate what among the current topics they will be framing questions on, however, it is wise to cover recent current affairs and form your considered opinion on it. These type of recent topics must be thoroughly covered. Apart from knowing about these topics, you need to take a stand or form a firm opinion on these issues.

4. Covering your own state: The state to which you belong may be a likely area of discussion   during the interview. You should be fairly aware about the history, culture, society, economy, industries of the state. Also, you should have a critical knowledge of recent developments going on in your state e.g. some policies like reservation, attracting investments, transforming agriculture etc.  India Year Book covers briefly about every state. You may refer to it for some basic knowledge. Then, you should visit the state website for gathering current information on your state. 

5.Defending your hobbies: Almost every candidate  mentions one or more hobbies in the DAF. It needs to be defended and justified by showing adequate knowledge about it to the board. They will watch you for your earnestness with which you have nurtured your mentioned hobby. However, there is no need to become an academic master of your hobbies. You should just be able to prove that your hobbies are genuine and you have tried to pursue them in your real life as much as  possible.

6.Governance issues : Since you are being tested for a job in civil services, some questions on  emerging issues of governance are quite natural to be asked. This will include questions on present governance patterns as well as situational questions like: if  you are the District Magistrate or Superinten-dent of Police or something then what will you do in a particular situation. So practice on some situational questions and articulate your stand on them.

Some important tips

*Start interview preparation in advance: Unsure about the outcome of the mains exam. majority of candidates start preparing for the interview only after the publications of results. This leaves them with little time to go through a vast pool of information  required to handle the diverse questions raised during the interview. If you are optimistic about getting a call, you should not wait for results and start early on.

*Be your ‘ natural- self’ before the board:  You are supposed to carry your true self before the board. No need to wear a mask in order to appear what you are not. They are not expecting you to be an  extraordinary person with extraordinary capabilities. All the board is looking for is your commitment to certain values, certain personality traits and how suitable you will be for a job offered to you in the civil services. You should therefore never project what you really are not .There should be no gap between your ‘appearance’ and ‘reality’.

*Never bluff. Be honest before the board: The board is looking for these two prime qualities in you . Therefore, you must depict a sense of realism so that you are assessed by the board as a performer and not just a dreamer. Honesty is the best policy before the board. If you try to bluff, they are bound to catch it and punish you heavily for bluffing. It is very common that when a candidate is asked why he wants to join civil services , he replies in terms of being patriotic and doing great things for the  society and nation. Such superlatives should be avoided. It is better to accept the fact that the job security, status, prestige attracts you to the civil services. You  can however add further that civil services offer challenges and a dynamic career and you like  diverse job challenges which makes civil services your choice.

*Do not blindly follow tips and advice of shady mock boards:  I would like to caution the interview aspirants to guard themselves against many myths surrounding the interview manufactured  by  ill informed mentors who have no clue  about the actual process of  the interview. A large number of self- appointed experts are in the market to distort your vision and confuse your mind about the interview. The actual interview is very different from what the inexperienced mock interview experts will have you believe! Take only reliable, expert advice from people of high standing.

*Practice before mirror:  For few days before the interview, stand up  before a mirror in your room for 10-20 minutes and read from a newspaper. This will help you have a better command over your voice modulation. You may record your own conversation for self analysis.

(The author is  a noted academician and  IAS interview expert. He can be reached at his email: sb_singh2003@yahoo.com Views expressed are personal.)

Reverse strategy to crack the mains

Following this effective revision plan can help you secure a good score.

You are left with only five days for your UPSC mains exam, and the syllabus is vast. Anxiety strikes students at this stage and panicking begins. However, you can score well if you revise everything properly. The last stage of exam preparation plays a decisive role in scoring well. Following the right strategy can help aspirants quickly cover all the topics with confidence. More than being prepared for the exam, students should be mentally ready.

Reverse strategy, where one starts by preparing for the paper which falls last, can be effective. First, you have to calculate your study hours as you have nine papers in total, supposing that you have only half a day for each paper. The revision days should also include an hour of answer-writing daily. Here is a day-wise preparation plan.

Nov. 28: This year, as the last paper is Optional Subject Paper-II, on the basis of reverse strategy, revise this paper in the first half of your day. In the second half, study Optional Subject Paper-I and cover all the topics.

Nov. 29: Dedicate this day to the revision of the remaining part of the optional papers, language papers and GS Paper-IV, which includes ethics, integrity, and aptitude.

Nov. 30: Go through GS Paper-III which includes subjects such as science and technology, economic development, environment ecology and biodiversity, internal security and disaster management in the first half of the day. This paper also needs daily updates; so go though the latest news and spend at least two hours. In the afternoon, start revising GS Paper-II that has governance, constitution, polity, social justice and international relations as the main topics. Go through all your notes of newspapers and any examples you must have accumulated during your preparation. This will help you in your essay paper as well. Also, international relations is dynamic in nature, so go through newspaper articles and debates on Lok Sabha TV and All India Radio.

Dec. 1: Dedicate half of the day to GS Paper-I to finish revising Indian heritage and culture, history and geography of the world and society. In the other half of the day, revise the essay paper, which has a share of almost 15 per cent of total marks. Go through all magazines, notes and examples collected from your study material, newspapers, and so on. You can use quotes to give a good start to your essay. Go through the topics you think you don’t know too well and have difficulty in remembering. Cover topics that you couldn’t finish because of time constraints and dedicate this day to revising current affairs and writing sample essays.

Dec. 2: You must revise GS Paper II and GS Paper III in the morning. Revise from the short notes and examples you must have collected while studying. After lunch, start revising GS Paper-I and keep your focus on social issues.

Dec. 3: Stay confident and calm. You are all set for the exam. Don’t be anxious.

Taking care of your diet is important as well. Eat fresh and light food as it will help you remain active.

The writer is CEO and co-founder, SuperProfs.