Jatin Verma’s

Interview Handbook
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

SN. CHAPTERS PAGE No.

1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………1
2. UPSC BOARDS MEMBER’S PROFILE…………………………………………2
3. JV’s IAS INTERVIEW PANEL ………………………………………………….7
4. THE CHALLENGE THAT IS CSE ………………………………………………9
5. HOW TO PREPARE?……………………………………………........................11
6. HOW TO ANSWER?……………………………………………………............ 21
7. PERSONAL PROFILE ………………………………………………………….26
8. EDUCATION ……………………………………………………………………30
9. OPTIONAL ………………………………………………………………….......32
10, HOBBY ………………………………………………………………………….40
11. TOPPERS INTERVIEW ……………………………………….……..…….......53
12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ………………………………………...63
 CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION

Interview, also known as Personality Test in UPSC parlance, is the final stage of the Civil Service Examination.
It is held after results for Main examination are declared.
The interview carries 275 marks and the entire process of the Interview (Personality Test) plays a crucial role
in deciding the rank of the aspirant.
The Civil Services interview aims at unraveling and understanding the thoughts of a candidate as a means to
assess his personality.
The views and opinions of the aspirants, his interests and abilities, his body language and communication traits,
all reflect his thinking, his state of mind and personality.
Following are the details of personality test as given by UPSC in its Notification:
• The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of the candidate’s
career. The candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the
Interview/Personality Test is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public
service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.
• The Interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate. In broad terms this
is really an assessment of not only intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current
affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear
and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion
and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.
• The technique of the Interview/Personality Test is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a natural,
though directed and purposive conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the
candidate.
The Interview/Personality Test is not intended to be a test either of the specialized or general knowledge of the
candidates which has been already tested through their written papers.
“Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic
study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and outside their own State or
Country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity
of well-educated youth.”

1
 CHAPTER-2 UPSC BOARDS MEMBER’S PROFILE

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Kumar Joshi

(Dr.) Pradeep Kumar Joshi, who joined as a Member of Union
Public Service Commission on 12.5.2015 has assumed the charge
of Chairman, UPSC on 7.8.2020. Prior to this, he served as
Chairman, Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission and also
Chairman, Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission. He
also served as Director, National Institute of Educational Planning
& Administration (NIEPA), [Ministry of HRD, Government of
India]. Prof. Joshi did his Post Graduate Degree in Commerce in
1977 and Ph.D. Degree in Commerce in 1981 from Kanpur
University, Kanpur.
• Professor Joshi has been in the field of education for more than 28 years.
• He served as the Professor, Head & Dean, Faculty of Management Studies, Rani Durgavati University,
Jabalpur (MP) since May 2000 to 12th June 2006.
• He also served as the Chairman, Board of Studies and Chairman, R.D.C. in Business Administration, Rani
Durgavati University, Jabalpur (MP) during that period (till June 2006).
• Prior to that, he served Department of Business Administration, Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (UP) and
Bareilly College, Bareilly (UP) as Reader.
• Professor Joshi has held several administrative positions during his tenure as an Educator.
• He has been the Member of various National and State Level Committees under the Government of India.
• He was the Member at State Level Committee for the Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of Indian
Republic in Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Former Member, Steering Committee Commission
for Reform in Education under the Ministry of HRD, Government of India; Former Member Steering
Committee-cum-clearing House for Distance Education under the Ministry of HRD, Government of India;
Former Member, National Resource Group for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan [SSA], Ministry of HRD,
Government of India; Former Member, Teacher Education Approval Board, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of
India; Former Member, Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) – this is the highest advisory body
to advise the Central and State Governments in the field of education.
• Professor Joshi has been an eminent researcher and educationist having more than 28 years of teaching
experience.
• He specialized in the field of Financial Management, Financial Control, Management Accounting,
Taxation, Rural Development Management, and Management in Panchayati Raj Institution & Khadi
Gramodyog etc.

2
Smt. Smita Nagaraj
Smt. Smita Nagaraj joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
in 1984. She has over 33 years’ experience of public service in
various positions in the Central Government as well as in the
Government of Tamil Nadu. She started her career in the
Government of Tamil Nadu, where she held positions in various
departments, including in the Energy, Finance, Health, Municipal
Administration and Water Supply and Small Industries
Departments. In Government of India, she has served in the
Ministry of Defence, NSCS and in the Department of Personnel
& Training.
• She has also been Executive Director of the Central Social Welfare Board.
• Smt. Nagaraj completed her Masters in Political Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1979 and a
post graduate Diploma in Mass Communication from IIMC, Delhi.
• She joined as Member in Union Public Service Commission on 01.12.2017.
Shri Bharat Bhushan Vyas
Shri Bharat Bhushan Vyas has a cumulative experience of over
thirty-eight years – six in the banking sector and thirty-two in the
Government (joined Indian Administrative Service in 1986) - in
various functional domains: governance, public policy, State
finances, regulatory and developmental administration. Allotted to
the Jammu & Kashmir Cadre, Shri Vyas served as District
Magistrate of three districts and Divisional Commissioner of the
Kashmir Valley in extremely critical and challenging
circumstances.
• Apart from handling security matters, he also worked as
Finance Secretary in the State for around nine years and headed
the Planning and Development Department for more than five years to contribute to the development effort
in the State.
• He played an important role in the roll out of employment schemes in his capacity as Member Secretary of
the ‘Prime Minister’s Special Task Force’ to formulate “Jobs Plan” for the youth of J&K.
• Shri Vyas served in the Union Ministry of Finance for around four years.
• He was also a part of the delegation of Finance Ministers of State Governments to Brazil & UK to study
tax reforms.
• Shri Vyas has served as the Board of Directors of UCO Bank, State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, Agriculture
Reforms Corporation and DICGC during the period 1997-98.
• He subsequently worked as Director on the Board of J&K Bank for over five years.
• Shri Vyas also served as Assistant Resident Representative in the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) - India for a period of two and a half years in the area of “Sustainable livelihoods”. Shri Vyas was
given awards for conduct of elections in J&K in very challenging circumstances in 1996/1997.
• He has been the recipient of the Chief Minister’s Gold Medal for honesty, integrity and meritorious service
in J&K in the year 2011.
• He received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Civil Service (team effort) on two occasions for
management of post-earthquake rehabilitation work in Kashmir and for successful conduct of elections to
Panchayats in J&K.

3
• Shri Bharat Bhushan Vyas joined as Member, Union Public Service Commission on Dec. 13, 2018.
Shri Manoj Soni
Dr. Manoj Soni is currently a Member of the Union Public Service
Commission. Prior to this assignment, Dr. Soni has served three terms as
Vice-Chancellor. These include two consecutive terms as Vice-Chancellor
of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) from 01 August
2009 through 31 July 2015, and one term as Vice-Chancellor of The
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (The MSU of Baroda) from April
2005 to April 2008.
• At the time of his joining the MSU of Baroda, Dr. Soni was the youngest ever Vice-Chancellor in India and
the MSU.
• A scholar of Political Science with specialization in International Relations Studies, Dr. Soni has taught
International Relations at Sardar Patel University (SPU), Vallabh Vidyanagar between 1991 and 2016,
except for the period when he served as Vice-Chancellor of the two universities.
• Dr. Soni’s doctoral research is on the “Post-Cold War International Systemic Transition and Indo-U.S.
Relations”. This is one of the earliest and one-of-its-kind studies during 1992 and 1995.
• It attempted to explain the post-Cold War systemic transition through a conceptual framework that has
potent predictive capabilities. This work was later published as a book entitled as “Understanding the Global
Political Earthquake” by the Ashgate Publishing Limited, New Hampshire, an internationally acclaimed
publishing giant based in the United Kingdom in 1998.
• Dr. Soni has earned several awards and recognitions. More significantly in 2013, Dr. Soni was conferred
with the rare honor of “Honorary Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge” by the Mayor-President of
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.A., for his exemplary leadership in empowering disadvantaged section of
society with IT literacy.
• In 2015, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, London, U.K., honoured Dr. Soni with the
World Education Congress Global Award for Distance Learning Leadership.
• Dr. Soni has in the past served on the Boards of Governors of several institutions of higher education and
public administration. He was also a member of a quasi-judicial body constituted by an Act of the Gujarat
Legislature, which regulates the fee structure of the un-aided professional intuitions in Gujarat.
Smt. M. Sathiyavathy
Smt. M. Sathiyavathy who hails from Chennai, Tamil Nadu was born on 13th
May, 1958. She is a Post Graduate & gold medalist in Mathematics from Indian
Institute of Technology, Madras. She then joined the Indian Revenue Service
in 1981 and thereafter the Indian Administrative Service in 1982. Belonging
to the Indian Administrative Service of 1982 batch of AGMUT cadre, she
worked with UT Administration of Puducherry, State Governments of
Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, besides deputations at the Centre in the
Ministries of Commerce, Textiles, Civil Aviation and Department of Space.
Some of the important positions she held before becoming Secretary, Ministry
of Labour & Employment are Additional Secretary & Financial Adviser,
Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, Chief Secretary Puducherry,
• She was also Controller of Administration-ISRO Satellite Centre and Joint Director General of Foreign
Trade.
• Smt. M. Sathiyavathy has attended several Management Courses like Negotiations for Public Leaders,
Ethics in Public Governance, Rural Planning and Technology, International Trade, E-Governance, etc.
4
• Smt. M. Sathiyavathy joined as Member, Union Public Service Commission on 09.04.2018.
Ms. Sujata Mehta
Ms. Sujata Mehta joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1980 after
earning a Master of Philosophy degree in Political Science. At different
points in time she served as Under Secretary, and as Joint Secretary in
the Ministry of External Affairs, and as Deputy Secretary/Director, and
later as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. She has also
served in Indian Missions in Moscow, Dhaka and at UN in New York.
• She served on deputation to the UN in Gaza and in New York.
• She has been India’s Ambassador to Spain and Ambassador and
Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in
Geneva before returning to the Ministry of External Affairs in July
2013 as Additional Secretary and later Special Secretary.
• She was appointed Secretary (ER) in February 2014 and as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External
Affairs on January 11, 2016.
• She joined as Member in the UPSC on 21.02.2017.
Air Marshal Ajit Shankarrao Bhonsle
Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsle was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 08th June 1978 and after 39 years of
distinguished service he has joined as Member, UPSC on 21st
February 2017. He is an alumnus of Bhonsala Military School,
National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, College
of Defence Management and National Institute of Defence Studies,
Japan. He holds the degrees of M.Sc. Defence Studies from
University of Madras, Masters in Business Management from
IGNOU and Osmania University and M.Phil from Tokyo.
• Prior to joining UPSC, he held the Office of Chief of HQ,
Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and also as Deputy Chief of Joint
Operations, Doctrines, Organization & Training.
• During this period Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsle oversaw capacity building of Armed Forces through
formulation of Defence Procurement Procedures to encourage ‘Make in India’ in Defence Sector, expansion
of training capacities and infrastructure at National Defence Academy, College of Defence Management &
Defence Services Staff College, and commencement of B.Tech. curricula at National Defence Academy,
Curricula revision of Military Institute of Technology, initiation of Cyber, Space Agencies and Special
Forces Division, formulation of Joint Doctrine of Armed Forces and conduct of exercises in Disaster Relief
across India in coordination with state governments of Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Gujrat.
• He has spearheaded the project for establishment of Indian National Defence University and selection of
site and design for National War Memorial & National War Museum through a global design competition.
• Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsle has served as a member of several apex committees such as Defence Acquisition
Council, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Joint Training Committee, Vice Chiefs Committee and Principal
Personnel Officers Committee.
• He was also the President of leading think tanks, the United Services Institute, Centre for Joint-Warfare
Studies and member of Executive Council of Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (Deemed
University) and Academic Council (NDA) of Jawaharlal Nehru University.
• Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsle has participated in the Sri Lanka Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations, Siachin
operations and Kargil operations and has 5200 hours of flying experience.
5
• In recognition of his distinguished service of exceptional order the Honourable President of India has
awarded him with Vishishta Seva Medal in 2005 and Ati Vishishta Seva Medal in 2010.
• Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsle is an avid traveller and takes keen interest in performing arts, culture and culinary.
An animal lover, he is fond of golf, swimming and equestrian sports.
Shri Rajiv Nayan Chaubey
Mr. Rajiv Nayan Chaubey was born on 28th January, 1959 in Patna, India. He
is a post graduate in physics from the prestigious St. Stephens College, New
Delhi. He also holds a master degree in social policy and planning from the
London School of Economics, United Kingdom. He started his professional
career by joining the Indian Administrative service in 1981 and was allotted
Tamil Nadu cadre. He served in Tamil Nadu from 1981 to 1998 in various
capacities, prominent among them being Collector of Kanyakumari and
Madurai, Executive Director of Industrial Development Corporation of Tamil
Nadu and as Secretary, Finance Department.
• He joined Government of India in 1998 as Director and was later promoted as Joint Secretary in the Mi
nistry of Finance where he worked for seven years.
• He also served as the Principal Advisor in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, as Development C
ommissioner (Handlooms) and as Director General of Hydrocarbons under the Ministry of Petroleum.
• He was appointed as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power and was later promoted as Special
Secretary, Power. Mr. Choubey was appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation on 5th June, 201
5 and steered the Ministry till his retirement on 31.01.2019.
• During his tenure in the Ministry of Civil Aviation he was instrumental in drafting the New Civil Avia
tion Policy and also brought in reforms in the aviation sector which led to enormous growth of the s
ector.
• Immediately after his superannuation, he was appointed as full-time Member of the Union Public
Service Commission, India with effect from 1st February, 2019.

6
 CHAPTER-3 JV’s IAS INTERVIEW PANEL
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Shri Dipak Vohra
Ambassador Dipak Vohra
graduated from St Stephen's
College Delhi and St.
Columba's School.
He has also been educated
at National Defence College
(India) and University of Paris.
Prior to joining the IFS, he was
an officer on special duty to the
Technology Advisor to the
Prime Minister. Mr. Vohra has
also previously worked with
Sulabh International and has
been a part of United Nations
assignments in Africa. Mr.
Vohra has served in France,
Tunisia, United States, Chad,
Cameroon, Papua New Guinea,
Spain, Armenia, Sudan and
Poland.
In 1995 he was deputy high
commissioner in Kuala
Lumpur. He was Ambassador
of India to Poland. In 2012 he
was Advisor to the Government
of South Sudan. He was the
news reader at Doordarshan in
start of his career as a TV news
presenter. He inaugurated the
Apati War Memorial at Kargil.
Shri P.K. Lahiri
Sri. Prateep K. Lahiri has had a
distinguished career in the civil
service as an IAS officer
spanning thirty-six years and
has held the positions of
secretary in the Government of
India successively in two
ministries: The Ministry of
Mines and the Ministry of
Finance. Early in his career, as
district magistrate in several
districts, he had first-hand
experience in dealing with
communal conflicts and riots.
For about four years, he was
India’s executive director on
the Resident Board of Directors
of the ADB, Manila, with the
personal rank of Ambassador.
After retiring from the civil
service, Lahiri was also
associated with the media in the
capacity of secretary general of
the Indian Newspaper Society
(INS). Mr. Lahiri is also one
of the directors of SPIPA.
• He was also the chairman
of the General Council and
Executive Board of the
ISM University, Dhanbad,
a leading institute for
technical education in the
country.
Shri Mohan Kanda
Mr. Mohan Kanda (born 4
September 1945) is an Indian
civil servant.
He is an Indian Administrative
Service officer of the 1968
batch. He retired as Chief
Secretary of Andhra Pradesh in
2005. He is working as a
member of National Disaster
Management Authority. Mohan
Kanda started his career with
SBI as an Officer. After
becoming an IAS officer, he
began working with
the Government of Andhra
Pradesh. He was also Secretary,
Ministry of Agriculture, and
Government of India and
served as Vice Chairman,
National Disaster Management
Agency (NDMA).
• He worked as a Secretary in
the Union Ministry of
Agriculture before working
as Chief Secretary in
Chandrababu Naidu's
government and later
with Y.S.Rajasekhara
Reddy government.
• He was a member of the
steering committee on
Agriculture and Allied
7
• Sectors for the formulation
of the 12th Five Year Plan
(2012–17) for Planning
commission.
• He was made head of a
committee that would look
into the problems faced by
the Coastal Andhra riots in
declaring a crop holiday.
Shri Mukul Jain
Mukul Jain, an officer of the
1989 batch of the Indian
Railway Traffic Service.
He has worked on Western
Railway, West Central
Railway, South Eastern
Railway including Chief
Passenger Transportation
Manager, Chief Commercial
Manager (Freight Marketing
Manager, (Western Region) of
CONCOR.
In his distinguished career he
has also worked as Divisional
Railway manager of Mumbai
Division of Western Railway.
Mukul Jain has travelled widely
abroad and has attended various
seminars and training
engagement Programme at
INSEAD Singapore.
Prior to taking over as Principal
Chief Operations Manager in
central railway he was Chief
Operations Manager in West
Central Railway. connecting Manipur to Na
galand and Assam.
• In August 2012, he raised
Rs. 40 lakhs for this
purpose through Facebook
page. For his efforts in
building road with donation
and volunteers he was
invited
to Facebook headquarters
in California.
Shri Armstrong Pame
• In 2012, he was nominated
Armstrong Pame is an officer for CNN-IBN Indian of the
in the Indian Administrative Year in Public Service
Service (IAS) commonly category. Armstrong Pame
known as Miracle man. He is also the founding curator
belongs to Zeme speaking of the Global shapers
group of Zeliangrong Community, Imphal hub
community from Manipur. under the world economic
Pame who hail forum. He is now declared
from Tamenglong as young Global Leader of
district of Manipur is India's the class of 2018 as
Most Eminent IAS Officer declared by the World
Award ’2015 awardee. After Economic Forum.
completing his bachelor's
degree from St. Stephen's
College, Delhi in 2005 he
appeared for the Civil Services
Examination (CSE) in 2007
and got Indian Revenue
Service (IRS) in Custom and
Central
Excise department. After
clearing the UPSC exam in
2008, he was selected
for Indian Administrative
Service (IAS).
• He is not only acclaimed
but has earned the
sobriquet ‘Miracle Man’
for building a 100 km road
famously known as the
"Peoples' Road"
8
 CHAPTER-4 THE CHALLENGE THAT IS CSE

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." - Margaret Mead
The Civil Services Examination is one of the most arduous and keen competitions in India. The process of
selection, comprising three tests each of varied nature, stretches to almost a year. Nearly 4.5 to 5 lakh aspirants
vie for a meagre 800–1000 seats (a ratio of 450–550 applicants for every job). Thus, to emerge successful and
secure a good rank in this stiff competition would perhaps require the agility and energy of a sprinter, and also
the stamina and resilience of a marathon runner. What beckons and motivates the thousands who toil hard, is
the desire to join the Indian Civil Services. An opportunity to work for a billion plus people; to contribute in
good measure to the progress of our nation; to be a part of an elite work force having bright prospects, numerous
challenges and wide diversities in career.
The Selection Mystery
The selection process begins with the Preliminary examination held in May– June, where the bulk of applicants
are screened through an objective test comprising a General Studies and an aptitude test paper. Those who clear
this first hurdle get to appear for the Main examination held in October– November. Here, nine subjective
papers including four General Studies, two papers of an optional subject, an essay and two qualifying language
papers test the mettle of the candidate. Out of the 1750 marks for which candidates appear, those who secure
40 percent or more (700 marks) usually get a call for the personality test (also referred as the interview). But
even securing a 40 percent mark may not be a guarantee to qualify for the personality test. Generally, the ratio
of aspirants getting an interview call, to the jobs offered, is 2:1 only. This implies that out of 10000–12000
candidates who appeared for the Main examination, only 1800–2000 will be able to sail through to the next
level, as around 800–1000 vacancies are announced in the various services.
Significance of Interview
The Personality test is akin to the final frontier to be conquered. It is the grand finale of the prolonged and
onerous selection process. Here the candidates are evaluated for 275 marks. Compared to the 1750 marks of the
Main examination, the weightage of the interview may appear to be insignificant. But this is far from so. All
candidates who are appearing for the personality test are very well within the striking distance (of at least being
selected, if not securing a top rank). As such the marks awarded by the Board can be crucial, rather than a
deciding factor in determining the final outcome. While some may be awarded an 80 per cent or more, some
may even land a paltry 30 per cent. Thus, a good show in the interview can push your ranking to a higher level.
This can very well be the difference in qualifying/not qualifying or getting a service of your choice. Here it is
pertinent to remember that variation in the final marks (out of the total of 2025) of all candidates who appeared
for the personality test is usually not more than 200–250 marks. This implies that for every mark lost, there may
be a drop in the final ranking by six to eight positions. While the difference in the marks of the top-ranking
candidates (top–100) may be wider, the distribution of candidates per marks is much more crowded for middle
and lower rankings. Thus, it is all the more important to give in your very best in the personality test. Every
additional mark secured here pushes your position by a few good notches in the final ranking. The personality
test, thus, does offer an opportunity to grab those additional marks in a good measure. But many candidates fail
to fully comprehend the significance of the personality test and appreciate the golden opportunity these marks
represent, which may either make or mar the arduous efforts put up till now.
The Process of the Personality Test
The Personality test usually takes place in the months of March and April and carries 275 marks. The evaluation
of the personality is done through an interview process, by a Board usually comprising five members, who are
persons of eminence and experience from various walks of life. One of the members (generally a member of
9
the U.P.S.C.) is designated the Chairman of the Board. The Chairman regulates the conduct of the interview
and also awards marks to the candidate, which is usually by consensus. The U.P.S.C. organizes six to seven
such Boards and interview is conducted in the forenoon as well as the afternoon. Usually half an hour is slotted
for each candidate and up to six candidates are taken in a Board in one half. The particular Board which is to
interview the candidate is disclosed only on the day of the interview. Some candidates often have apprehensions,
about certain Boards being strict in awarding marks and some being liberal. However, such apprehensions and
prejudices are not only pointless, but at times detrimental also. The Boards conduct the interview by posing
questions, seeking views asking for objective appreciation and analyses of matters relating to the personal
profile of candidates as disclosed in Mains examination form issues pertinent to the society, state and country
and about current affairs of national and international significance. Thus, the range of questions can be pretty
wide. The tenor of the interview is that of a purposeful conversation. The objective is the assessment of the
overall personality of the candidate and not merely bookish knowledge or theoretical concepts, which in any
case have already been evaluated in the Preliminary and the Main examination.
Attributes Desirable in Aspirants
The attributes desirable in the aspirants are essentially those which are expected of a civil servant. These include
honesty, integrity, sincerity of purpose, clarity of thought and expression, ability to take decisions, balance of
judgement, self-belief and confidence, ability to reason, to think critically and analytically, awareness and
concern for socio-economic issues and problems, mental alacrity, positive approach, politeness and leadership
qualities. The list of desirable traits in aspirants may well be extended further. But the seemingly long list should
not be a cause for trepidation or undue concern. Many of the specified skills and attributes are already a part of
one’s personality, though in varying degree. What requires to be done is to identify these abilities in one’s own
self, suitably enhance and modify it (wherever needed to do so) and express it. But amongst the various
attributes, what is of utmost importance is the ability to think, coupled with an honest approach, sincerity of
purpose and willingness to toil hard. The interview is not only an occasion for expression of one’s personality
but also an opportunity to modify and develop it, to raise the bar to such exalted levels which are desirable and
expected of a civil servant. But how to go about it? Well the path of personality development is often a solitary
travel, but it is sincerely hoped that the ensuing chapters will be of guidance and assistance in your endeavor.

10
 CHAPTER-5 HOW TO PREPARE?

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson
The personality of an individual is a reflection of his various traits. These include his approach and attitude in
life, his aptitude and his abilities, his skills and also his knowledge quotient. These traits evolve over a period
of many years. Thus, development of an individual’s personality is an ongoing process. In real sense the
preparation for interview has already begun when you are preparing for the Main, for the Preliminary
examination and even before. However, concerted effort should be initiated just after the main examination,
preferably after taking a break of 10–14 days after the last paper.
The Need to begin early
“Early bird catches the worm,” goes the saying. But understandably the early bird in the present scenario may
be an utterly exhausted one! The Preliminary examination followed by the arduous main examination takes a
heavy toll on a candidate. Is it then not fine to just wait for the result of the main examination to be declared
before embarking upon the preparation for the personality test? After all, less than 20 per cent of the candidates
who appeared for the Main examination will get an interview call. So why waste time now? Despite the
arguments mentioned above (which are usually echoed by many candidates) it is prudent to start the preparation
early. The personality test is like the last lap of this marathon. Besides it carries substantial marks. A difference
of 5 percent to 8 percent (15–20 marks) in the interview can very well mean a substantial rise or fall in the final
ranking. Early and good preparation for the interview can fetch in the marks and catapult the candidate’s
position higher. Even if one does not get an interview call, the effort put in will nevertheless be beneficial, if
the candidate plans to take a further attempt. In any case, one has to start working in anticipation of getting the
interview call. After all, the effort put in so far, is aimed at securing a final selection and a good ranking. Nobody
aims for merely qualifying for the main examination. So do not bother about the possibility of your effort getting
wasted (which will not be wasted in any case). Get in the groove for preparation, so as to overcome the last
hurdle.
Filling up the Detailed Application Form (DAF) of the Main Examination
After you have cleared the Preliminary examination you are required to fill up and submit the Detailed
Application Form (DAF) of the Main examination. In this form, the U.P.S.C seeks information about your
educational and social background, home state, choice of subjects, medium of examination and interview,
preference of services, details of prizes, scholarship, previous employment, etc. Needless to say, this
information furnished by you, forms the nucleus around which the questions in the interview revolve.
Understandably, this form should be filled very carefully, specially the particulars of extra-curricular activities
and interest (hobbies), prizes and scholarship won, the order of preference of various services etc. It is advisable
that a hard copy of the DAF should be filled first. Once you are sure that you do not wish to make any changes
in the information submitted, you may fill the DAF and submit it to UPSC. However, a copy of this filled up
form should be retained and kept readily available, as it enables you to recollect later, the information furnished
by you and how and what to prepare for the interview.
Getting in the Groove
The Preliminary Phase
As mentioned in previous paragraphs, it is advisable to start early, ideally 10– 14 days after the last Main
examination. However, the sabbatical from your books should not stretch beyond a month. Unlike the Main
examination, which calls for intensive preparation with single-minded dedication, preparation for interview can
begin with by devoting only a couple of hours daily. This can well be done side-by-side, while you are pursuing
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your academics, your career, or your other personal and professional commitments, which might have got
neglected while you were preparing for the mains it is also pertinent to carefully go through the application
form for the mains and identify areas which will require intensive preparation or further inputs. Your job
profile, academic background, hobbies and interest, home state, city and state of current domicile, are
other areas from your personal profile, which require a good hard look at this stage.
Besides, read good books which could be those relating to your personal profile or which simply interest you.
Reading good books hones your understanding and expression. This is also a good time to meet people, who
can offer guidance regarding the personality test or who can give useful inputs about the topics/areas mentioned
in your personal profile. This is the first phase of preparation for the personality test. Here the objective should
be, to gradually wean yourself from the break you had taken, and also to get into the groove for more
intensive preparation. It is also important to fully enjoy this initial break and the subsequent warming up
period. For, in this phase of preparation you have sufficient time to read good books, pursue your interests and
hobbies, read newspapers and magazines and talk to people, without any sense of guilt of not fruitfully utilizing
your time. Enjoying is important to refresh you and give you the energy to embark upon the final burst of
preparation for the personality test. Enjoying this phase is also essential; as this is the only time you have some
leisurely moments in life before you latch on again to the cycle of the interview, the Preliminary and the Main
examinations.
Preparation at Full Throttle
The Next Phase After 6–8 weeks of the last Main examination, it is time to raise your interview preparation to
a higher notch. The pertinent areas of preparation and some useful techniques are being discussed below.
• Reading Newspapers and Magazines.
• Preparing Diary/Note Books.
• Watching TV and surfing Internet.
• Books to read.
• Meeting People.
• Preparing for personal profile.
Reading Newspapers
Reading newspapers is important to get daily inputs about issues of national, international and regional
significance. This is one medium which provides you a wide range of information and analysis of issues, which
are current and relevant. It is easily affordable and expendable. It is accessible everywhere, right from a railway
station to a tea shop, from big metros to nondescript villages. Besides, it is portable and enables you to gainfully
utilize even small fragments of your available time say, while you are waiting for a bus, commuting in a train
or otherwise having just a few idle moments. Reading quality newspapers should become like a daily religious
chore. Some significant points about reading newspapers are being mentioned below.
Reading National Dailies
Read at Least Two Newspapers Every Day Preferably two national newspapers like The Indian Express, The
Hindustan Times, The Hindu, etc. (for U.P.S.C’s Civil Services personality test) should be read every day.
Perusing articles go through the newspapers once. Identify the news items, articles or editorial comments which
are significant from the perspective of the interview. Read these articles/news items very carefully.
Summarizing and Noting Important Issues
After going through the news items, make a mental note of what the news item has to say and what you have
understood. If the issue is important, then briefly jot down the summary of the issue in your diary or note book
or in a file/memo of your smart phone (mobile). Some candidates prefer to cut out relevant articles and collect

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them in a scrap book. Such collection can be helpful to revise important issues at a later stage. Mark
out/highlight the important portions of the articles or better still note on the side margins of the article, the
summary of the issues. If cutting and collecting articles is too much of a bother, then simply summarize the
essence of the article in your diary or note book. Such compilation can also be made in a computer device in a
soft form.
Reading Financial and Economic Segments
Most national dailies have separate sections to cover economic and financial news. Read this section very
carefully. The upheavals in world market, the burgeoning burden of oil prices, soaring inflation, industrial slow
down, increasing fiscal deficit, all these have considerable impact on the economic growth of a nation and even
on the life of the common man. No wonder this is one area from which questions often crop up in the interview.
It is also noteworthy that annual budget and the Finance Bill is now laid in the Parliament on the first of
February. Discussion on the budget in the Parliament, before it is put to vote usually takes place in the months
of February and March.
Understandably, when the interviews begin in the month of March or early April, the budgetary and economic
news still continue to grab the headlines and therefore they are likely to capture the attention of the interviewer.
As such, candidates should also learn/brush up their knowledge about the budgetary process including the
various kinds of deficits etc. (fiscal deficit, budgetary deficit, revenue deficit and primary deficit) and other
budgetary and economic terminologies. However, students from non-economics background at times encounter
difficulties in comprehending the technical jargon and budgetary terminologies that financial/economic news
items invariably use. A valuable aid to such candidates would be an economics primer/ dictionary or an
elementary level economics course book (like NCERT publications), that would elucidate these concepts in
simple terms. For those who are from economics, commerce or business studies background, it will be prudent
if one regularly reads an economics or business daily, The Economic Times, The Financial Express, The
Business Standard, etc. Reading publications like The Economic Survey, will also be quite helpful.
Magazines
How and What to Read?
It is Essential to Read Regularly at Least One Good Magazine While choosing the magazine, the following
parameters should be considered:
a) Coverage of important national and international issues.
b) Information content and quality of articles.
c) Analysis and viewpoints.
d) The number of articles in each issue which are relevant from the personality tests perspective.
Making the correct choice of magazine is important so as to optimize time and effort. Given the constraint of
time it is essential that you utilize it fruitfully in reading articles of relevance and substance. One of the
magazines which is popular amongst Civil services aspirants, is The Frontline. The magazine offers
wholesome coverage of issues, with good analysis and cogent viewpoints. Other good magazines are The
Outlook, India Today, The Week, etc. But it is advisable to go through at least a couple of magazines,
especially in the last few months of interview preparation, so that a whole range of current issues are covered.
Identifying Good and Relevant Articles before Identifying Relevant Articles to Read
It is important to preserve the old issues of magazines for future reference. Issues starting from October–
November (of the year when you appeared for the Main examination) should be carefully preserved. In case
you have lost these issues, then they can be purchased from shops selling old books and magazines. If the
magazine has an internet edition then you can peruse old issues from the archive section of the magazine’s

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website. Reading articles on those issues which have been featured in old editions also, helps in grasping a fuller
perspective of the issue, i.e. its past history and current development. Such issues are likely to feature in the
interview also. While perusing magazines and newspapers, always keep an eye for those articles, which feature
information about areas of your personal profile. These may be articles about the economic development in
your state (certain issues of India Today carry information about states in the ‘Impact’ feature section), problems
of drought or flood in your home district, any poignant news item about your city, India’s resounding success
or abject failure in a sport or a game in which you have claimed proficiency, issues related to your current or
past job, or any significant development in the recent past in your optional subjects and discipline of graduation.
Personal profile forms a crucial area of preparation for the interview. Keeping yourself abreast with news items
akin to those mentioned above is of utmost importance.
Right Way of Reading Articles
Once you have identified what to read, the next obvious step is to go on and read it. Generally, people read
articles in newspaper and magazines, rather cursorily, more for the entertainment and awareness value. There
is little or no effort made to reflect on what the article has to say or to recapitulate its sum and substance at a
later stage. A large part of whatever was read vaporizes within a few weeks or a months’ time, leaving behind
only a faint impression.
Techniques
Adopting the following techniques may enable you to understand the crux of issues better and to retain them
longer.
• After identifying the important articles to be read, go through them slowly and carefully.
• Identify the most important portions of the articles. These may be salient facts and figures, analyses and
viewpoints, etc.
• Highlight, underline or mark out these relevant portions. Highlighting enables you to focus on the
significant portions of the article. Besides, if you intend to revise the issue at a later stage; highlighted text
enables you to quickly identify these important portions without having to wade through the whole article
again.
• Reflect on the article. Make a mental note of points to remember. This enables you to consign the essence
of what you have read to the active portion of your memory (rather than relegating it to mental background).
• If the article is very relevant and has enduring value, then it is advisable to summarize it and jot it down in
your diary or note book. The summary should not be of more than a few lines or five to six points at the
most.
• Flip through your diary/note book whenever possible. Even cursorily going through what you have noted,
enables you to revise and recollect the essence of what you have read.
Television as an Aid for Preparation
Television is a potent and a versatile aid for interview preparation. It offers a wide coverage of a variety of
issues, in form of news, analyses, viewpoints etc. The telecasts bring to the viewers events ranging from those
which are happening right now, to those which have been consigned to the pages of history. It beams to us a
number of events of national and international importance, be it a U.N. convention, coverage of Olympics, a
disaster like Tsunami or the news of elections in a state. Besides it is a visual electronic media, which leaves a
more lasting impression on the minds of the viewers. However, it is very important to be selective about what
to watch.
What exactly to Watch on TV?
On Today there are a plethora of channels, each specializing in different fields, whether it is news, movies,
home entertainment, sports, music, environmental and scientific programmes, travel and leisure, history, etc.

14
Even in news channels category, there are those covering international, national, local, regional news, and some
specializing in sensational news. While some channels offer holistic coverage of significant news items, others
telecast only headlines or small capsules of events and news. Understandably, selection of the appropriate
channel and programmes is essential to economize on your time and maximize the input. As such, watching the
following category of channels/programmes is advisable:
• Watch prime time news on national channels like Doordarshan, Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV), Lok Sabha TV
(LSTV), NDTV, Times Now, CNN IBN, etc. (it is likely that the interviewers may also be watching these
channels).
• Look out for those programmes which carry views/opinions of eminent people participating in panel
discussions, debates, etc.
• Quality news channels which give news summary, news in brief, are good value for time.
• If your personal profile (including hobbies) includes issues like environment, music, sports, travel, history
etc. then it may be a good idea to select a programme or two on a channel which specialises on these (like
Discovery, National Geographic etc).
• Channels and programmes dealing with sensational news, gossips, and interviews with Page 3 personalities,
etc. add little value to the time spent and may be avoided.
• Be cautious of spending too much time before television. There is always the chance that while surfing
channels, you hit upon an engrossing movie, a thrilling cricket match or a tempting soap opera, which
consumes much more time than what you had budgeted for.
• Listening to All India Radio (FM Gold) and programs like ‘News at Nine’ ‘Market Mantra’ (economics
news programme), ‘Spot Light (news analyses programme) etc.
Internet as a Resource Pool
If you have easy and economical access to internet, and you are adept in net surfing, then internet can serve as
an important resource pool, in the following ways:
• You may access the website of newspapers and magazines and read e-version of articles and news.
• Relevant articles can be downloaded, or relevant portions can be copied and saved.
• You can maintain a file or folder of articles or information which you have downloaded. These may be akin
to your scrapbook or reference diary.
• You can access the website of news channels and go through important news items. Some news channels
offer streaming video facility on the net enabling you to view television news live.
• Internet also enables you to search for write ups on any area of your interest. You may key in the topic (on
which you intend to hunt for resource material) on a good search engine (google, yahoo search, bing, etc.)
and in no time your computer screen displays the links to relevant websites. This is especially helpful if you
are looking for information about your hobbies, area of interest, state, latest development in any discipline,
etc.
However be cautious about the time you spend on the web. It is an unending world out there and net-surfing
can be addictive.
Reading Good Books
Reading good books should be an integral part of your interview curriculum. Books widen our horizons of
thought and perspective. They sharpen our expression and skills of communication. They afford us an
opportunity to reflect on the views of the writer, to ponder on an issue on which we may not have had any
occasion to think, to unlock our thought processes, to articulate our opinion and to hone our grasp of narrative
and argument. All these traits come in good stead during interviews. Unfortunately, the grueling schedule of
the Preliminary and the Main examination leaves little time for the candidates to devote to reading outside their

15
curriculum. Preparing for the interview provides this good opportunity. But what kind of books should be read?
Books take time and effort to read. Therefore, the underlying principle for selection of appropriate books should
be, “the books which offer value for time”. Some categories of suggested reading is listed below:
• Books related to your hobbies, areas of achievements (as mentioned in your Mains form (DAF))
• Books which delve on concurrent issues of relevance, national importance, or topics of enduring
significance like democracy, economic development, energy security, global warming, environment,
poverty alleviation, progress in info-tech, literacy combating terrorism, corruption, good governance etc.
The list can be long and unending.
• Books or publications which provide information about the home state, state of present domicile, the
cities/regions in which you have worked or lived, its geography, polity, cultural diversity, economic,
industrial progress, strengths and weakness or any other U.S.P. In this regard the “State/District Gazetteers”
is a good source of useful local information. These are usually available in local public libraries/state
government training institutions/academy. Some states have also made this available on the website.
Besides “State Development Reports” by Planning Commission are also quite informative.
• Books or publications providing information about the organization or the service for which you have
worked or are presently working.
• Biographies and autobiographies of eminent personalities who have had a profound influence in national
or international arenas.
Preparing Notes
Preparing notes for the personality test is quite unlike any written examination, but perhaps equally important.
The emphasis here is to grasp the essence of any subject and accordingly the notes should be to the point,
concise and crisp. Once you have gone through an article, watched a Programme, or heard a speaker, first you
should endeavor to recollect what has been read or said. Then reflect on the issue entailed therein. Ask yourself,
have you comprehended the essence of what is being said? Are you in agreement with it? Everything you have
read or heard may not be the Gospel truth; so check it on the touch-stone of your understanding, logic and
reasoning. Think. Do not hesitate to think. Give shape to your own views. Once you are satisfied with your
comprehension of the subject, it is time to take notes before what you have learnt becomes hazy.
• Notes should essentially be a summary of what you have read or understood.
• Endeavour should be to capture the crux of the whole issue, leaving out frivolous details. This is especially
important considering the huge volume of reading that might be required to be done (about, state city, job,
hobby, current affairs, subject, etc.), it may not be possible to remember or recollect the details of everything
read. Useless details cause needless confusion and are best avoided.
• Notes should preferably be in form of points (5 to 6 at the most). This makes revision and recollection at a
later date much easier.
• It is advisable to note relevant facts and figures. Highlighting them makes them stand out, making revision
easier.
• Maintain an interview diary/notebook and small spiral pads/pocket diaries. Spiral pads/pocket diaries are
quite handy and should be kept readily available with you always. Small pads compel you to make brief
notes. Besides they encourage you to make note of things then and there only. This is a healthy habit, as
many times we forget what we always intended to note at a later time. You can also compile your notes in
files/memo of your smart phone (mobile phone).
Meeting People
Guidance from others is always helpful, provided you have access to the right person and you have sufficient
time. But what are the categories of people who can offer you useful advice and in what ways you can gain
from their knowledge and experience? Some of these issues are discussed below:
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Successful Candidates
Meeting successful candidates of the recent years can be quite motivating and fruitful. Their experience of the
interview is fresh and recent. They can quickly recollect and recount their own interviews. This offers an insight
into the interview process. Besides, one also gains from the difficulties and pitfalls experienced by others. Many
candidates often have doubts and at times even apprehensions, especially about areas related to their personal
profile. This can be about possible questions which can be asked about home state, preference of services,
certain nagging doubt about hobbies, job experiences, etc. Seeking clarification about these, besides learning
from their personal experience can be invaluable.
Experts/People Proficient in Select Fields
It is always a good idea to meet experts or those having proficiency in fields which are related to your personal
profile. An eminent musician, a sportsman, an author, a scientist, a social activist, etc.; or other such persons
whose field of expertise is related to the areas mentioned in your personal profile. Meeting them may offer you
a better insight into the trait. You gain from their experience and core competency; besides it adds to your own
confidence. The only constraint is being lucky enough to be acquainted or having access to such a person. If
you have that good luck, then do not miss the opportunity.
Seasoned Bureaucrats
Access to bureaucrats may not be all that difficult. Although they may not vividly recall their own experience
of interview, their guidance can be immensely helpful. Their experience lends them greater understandings of
what are the traits expected of a civil-servant and, therefore, that from an aspirant. Discussing with them about
your background, home state, state/city of domicile, your current/past job, or about preference of services can
be very helpful.
Academics/Lecturers/Teachers of Chosen Discipline
These are people who have sound knowledge about your optional in the Main exam or about your disciplines
in graduation. They can help you to identify salient areas of the subject, in which recent developments have
taken place or the fundamental topics which may be revised from the perspective of interview.

Friends, Colleagues and Parents Help:

friends, colleagues and parents can be very helpful in identifying your own weaknesses, flaws in your
communication skills or body language, angularities in your temperament, etc., as these are the people who
have closely observed you and are easily accessible to you. You can also discuss with them issues related to
your state, city, etc. (especially with your parents), regional and societal issue or other areas of your personal
profile. Besides, talking to them is immensely helpful in lending you moral support and confidence.
Effective Time Management
Time is the only resource which cannot be augmented or expanded. Invariably every other candidate feels that
his performance in the interview could have been better but for the constraint of time. Take it as a given thing,
that you will not have a totally unfettered block of time to prepare for the interview (as you might have had for
the Main examination). Either you are already in a job where you have exhausted your leave, or you are in a
post-graduation course where you have a lot of catching up to do in your academics. Some have to shoulder
personal and family responsibilities which might have got neglected up till now, while some are constantly on
the move in a probationary training or on job training. The bottom line is that the constraint of time is bound to
exist and the only remedy is to manage it effectively.
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF TIME MANAGEMENT

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Utilizing Small Chunks of Time
If you are of the type who is constantly on move in probationary training or has to shuttle every day between
job/college and residence, who does not have dedicated preparation hours, then here is what you can do. Carry
a small bag, in which you may keep, a newspaper/a magazine/a book (which you want to read) and a small note
book/spiral pad. Whenever you have even 5 to 10 minutes or more of spare time, say, between classes, during
tea break, waiting for a bus, travelling in a train etc., use that time effectively in reading the above. Carry a
pencil and a pen also, so that you can mark out relevant portions in the magazines/books and jot down small
notes/summaries in pocket notebooks. Placing book marks or post-it notes can help you save a few seconds
every now and then. Summaries of news items, articles or bullet points of important concurrent issues can also
be jotted in your smart phone (mobile phone). Perusing your notes can also help you recollect and revise what
you have read. Besides, always highlight/mark out the most significant points in your pads/notebooks also. This
makes revision much easier and leaves a lasting impression on your mind. But most importantly, it saves
valuable time as you do not have to wade through the less significant portions.
Maintaining Good Concentration
Of course, this is easier said than done; nevertheless, the significance of maintaining a decent level of
concentration can hardly be over-emphasized. Preparation for the personality test entails reading about a
plethora of issues, thinking and reflecting on them. This often provides the opportunity or rather tempts our
mind to digress. Many times, we are totally unaware of our wavered concentration and end up losing up valuable
time before our mind wanders back on track. Eliminating these lapses of concentration may not be easy, as at
times it becomes our second nature. But be conscious of the fact that your thoughts have moved off track. This
will at least help you in returning back on course early and saving on time, which otherwise could have been
lost.
Pranayam/Meditation
Calming Your Mind Many times our thoughts tend to be choppy and disturbed. This hampers our concentration.
This is more likely to happen during the interview preparations, as we are not that deeply entrenched in a
regimented routine of studies (like during the preparation for the Main examination). Further, the multifarious
activities that we now need to perform, tend to weigh on our mind. As such it is essential to rein in one’s
thoughts. Pranayam and other forms of meditation help in improving our mental discipline. Besides it enables
us to become aware of the periodic concentration lapses. It is also of immense help in reducing our mental
anxiety and tension. Learning Pranayam, or some form of meditation and practicing it regularly will be quite
fruitful. For those who are absolutely uninitiated and do not have access to a teacher or literature to learn; a few
simple tips are given below:
• Sit in a relaxed posture.
• Be conscious of any tension in any body part and relax it.
• Breathe gradually and deeply, i.e. inhale gradually and exhale gradually.
• Focus your mind on your breath, or on any image or sound which you revere.
• Repeat the aforesaid process for a few minutes or till you experience some calmness.
• Please remember that the aforesaid technique is no substitute for learning the right way of meditation or
Pranayam.
Charting the Course Ahead
The personality test does not entail a cut-out syllabus. It is the candidate who has to decide, ‘what’ and ‘how
much’, of the interview preparation. As such it is prudent to chart out the course ahead at the very outset. Identify
the key areas of preparation. These may be your personal profile, current affairs, working on basic skills
(verbal/non-verbal communication, analytical skills, etc.) and others. Break each category into further subtopics

18
(e.g. personal profile to comprise: education, job, state, hobby, etc.). Set out time frames for preparation of
topics and subtopics in terms of weeks and days. Leave the last week before the interview solely for revision of
what you have learnt. Review periodically your preparation progress, whether you are proceeding as per your
schedule or whether you are lagging. Such an approach maintains a relentless pressure on you, preventing you
from frittering away available time, especially in the initial phase of preparation. It goads you to use your time
effectively and efficiently. It also protects you from landing in a perplexing situation, where just a few days
before the interview, you realize that a number of important areas of personal profile/current affairs are still
unprepared. In short, day-to-day scheduling of the topics keeps your preparation schedule and time management
on a tight leash.
Taking Mock Interviews
Taking mock interviews can be quite fruitful, especially for those candidates who have not appeared earlier in
a civil services interview or any other interview conducted by U.P.S.C. Mock interviews aim at simulating the
personality test environment, where a candidate is interviewed by a panel of four to five experts. It helps in
giving a ‘near interview’ experience, in gauging the depth of one’s preparation and in identifying one’s
shortcomings. It is also helpful in imparting confidence and self-belief. Form a group of four to five persons
who are appearing for the interview. Take turns to be the interviewed candidate, while remaining persons can
act as interviewers. Ask questions on personal profile of each other, current affairs, issues of national
importance, etc. At the end of the mock interviews, you can discuss the important issues that have emerged and
jot down/make mental note of them. Besides helping in assessing oneself, mock interviews offer us an
opportunity to observe and learn from the strengths and weakness of others. This is especially true when we are
on the other side of the table and are putting forth questions like an interviewer. Here we get an opportunity to
see things from the perspective of the interviewer and to assess what are the desirable traits of a candidate and
what should be his approach, his body language, reasoning skills etc. Further, we also know where he stands
vis-à-vis the fundamental skills like reasoning ability, communication skills, etc. and the areas he needs to
improve. Mock interviews are also conducted by professional coaching institutes, and non-governmental
organizations. Some of them can provide you good inputs. As many such institutes charge a hefty fee for this,
it is always advisable to ascertain their credentials first and join them on prior recommendation.
Joining Interview Guidance Programmes
Many professional coaching institutes, N.G.Os., student self-help group’s etc. conduct interview guidance, short
duration courses and programmes. These are usually organized in the months of February to April (prior to
beginning of Personality test at U.P.S.C. and during the period the interviews are conducted). Many candidates
face the dilemma whether to join these courses or not and if yes then which one to join. While weighing your
options the following points are worth considering.
• Most of the reputed coaching institutes are located in Delhi or other state capitals.
• Some of them provide good inputs about dynamics of personality test, the fundamental traits essential to
come out with flying colour and a decent coverage of current affairs.
• Attending a good module does add substance to your preparation besides instilling confidence.
• The course fee charged at such institutes is often pretty high. However, there are also some NGOs which
work on non-commercial basis.
• For attending modules lasting a week or two, one has to work out suitable logistics of stay and transportation
in these cities (if you are not based there).
• For many, taking out time of a week or two from their schedule may be a constraint.
There can be no golden rule which could guide your decision of joining or not joining these courses, nor there
can be a plain ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for an answer. You have to weigh the factors mentioned above and ascertain where
the balance of advantage lies. However, if you have had absolutely no prior exposure to interviews or you
19
consider personality test to be your weak link, then do go for availing professional coaching. But please
ascertain beforehand the reputation of the course/coaching Centre you intend to join, specifically by speaking
to other candidates who might have attended it earlier. In short, joining professional coaching is not an absolute
must but attending a good course can be helpful in brushing up your own preparation and knowing where you
stand.

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 CHAPTER-6 HOW TO ANSWER?

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo
Emerson
The first step towards framing an answer to the question posed is to concentrate on what is being said and to
comprehend fully, the import of the question. In case you have not been able to understand the question fully,
say, you have lost concentration midway and you have failed to register a part or whole of what the interviewer
has said, then do not hesitate to say “Pardon me Sir”, or “I could not understand the question fully,” etc. It is
always better to politely request the interviewer to repeat the question, than to venture out to given an irrelevant,
or off the mark reply.
Pause before Answering
It is important to let the speaker finish his question first and not to interject him in between. It is also important
not to immediately start answering, or rambling the reply, even if you are fully conversant with the issue and
have prepared well to answer it. Wait for a second before you start replying. The moment of silence is extremely
important, as it enables you to compose your thoughts. In this short span of time you comprehend the question,
recollect facts, figures, views etc. and articulate your own answer. Silence often prompts the speaker to continue
speaking. The moment of silence you observe after the interviewer has put forth his question, may at times
prompt the interviewer to elaborate or further simplify the question.
So let there be a pause before you begin to answer. If you have already completed your answer and the Board
members are silent, then do not get tempted to speak further. The silence of the members may not necessarily
mean that they are expecting some more clarifications or further reply from you. On the contrary, they may
merely be pondering over your reply or may simply be phrasing their next question. Please remember that
silence is enticing and use it deftly to your own advantage.
Reply Calmly
It is important to maintain a calm expression and to control your nerves despite the excitement and at times the
nervousness that might be gripping you. In case you have been posed a question which you are unable to
understand or do not know the answer, do not get flustered or panic. Maintain your calm, you may request the
Member to further elaborate. However, if you do not know the answer at all, then it is better to say politely, “I
do not know.” In no situation must you panic or lose your composure. Conversely, in a case where the
interviewer has asked a question for which you have prepared extremely well, even then you must avoid getting
excited or hurrying up with your reply. It makes good sense to convey the impression that the question was
understood and the answer paraphrased then and there only. The reply should appear to be spontaneous and not
a prepared answer to an anticipated question.
Answer appropriately
The tendency to answer what we know rather than what has been asked has to be eschewed. The answer has to
be to the point and as per the question asked. The information available with us has to be suitably modified, so
as to make it appropriate to the question. Trying to juxtapose or squeeze facts and figures which may be remotely
or loosely connected to the question, in an attempt to impress the Board, is most likely to backfire. It conveys
the impression to the ‘Members’ that the candidate has inappropriate comprehension ability and a tendency to
be out of focus. Such an approach should surely be avoided. This is doubly harmful, as irrelevant information
in the answer often prompts the interviewer to interject and to cross question on such facts, figures, views etc.
This is likely to lead the interview astray and opportunity to put forth the relevant points is lost. Remember very
often the question which the interviewer asks, emanates from your own answers.

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• Most Important Points First: the interview is quite unlike the written examinations, where the candidate
has time and occasion to develop his answers and often leaves the most important points for the conclusion,
so as to create a final impact. However, the answers in an interview must necessarily begin with the most
important points first, with other relevant points following it. As mentioned earlier also, it is pertinent to
remember that the interviewer may interject in between or pose another question. Thus, the opportunity to
communicate the most important point may be lost. Remember there can be no beating about the bush and
you must come to the point straight.
• Answer should be to the point, crisp and concise: There is no space or scope for verbosity, partly relevant
or irrelevant facts and off the mark replies. Just like the physique of a martial art practitioner which is
predominantly muscles and bones and has no fat, the reply too should have only matter pertinent to the
question and little flab.
• Views and Opinion: The Board often poses questions which seek the views or the opinion of the candidate
on an issue. A ‘view’ and an ‘opinion’ are not one and the same thing. There is a subtle yet salient difference
between the two. Any societal issue may be viewed from different perspectives. It may be the perspective
of a common man, an administrator, a technical expert, an economist, a political leader and so on. It is
important to understand and appreciate the divergent views. For instance, on the issue of Indo-US Nuclear
Deal the perspective of a common man may largely be to view the energy needs of the country vis-a-vis the
national security concerns. The technical aspects of the nuclear co-operation vis-a-vis the nuclear
Programme of India will be the core competence of the scientists. For the economists, the future energy
security, its impact on the economy, the cost of energy production, will be the areas mandating attention.
For the political leadership, the international, political and electoral fall out of the deal would be the
additional concerns and areas of consideration.
• The specialists mentioned above may have their own individual perspectives but they see the issues from
the perspective of others and also in totality. Therefore, the opinion or the final stand one has to take will
be based on the entire gamut of issues, after duly taking into consideration the view point and perspective
of others also. As an administrator and more specifically as an interviewee, you must have that ability to
see things from the perspective of others as well as in entirety, minutely as well as wholly. Thus, while
expressing one’s views, various facets of the issue, and the pros and cons must also be specified. An opinion
on the other hand should bring out the stand of the interviewee. This stand must be arrived at after due
consideration of the negative as well as positive aspects and in case of issues having multiple facets, the
complete perspective. Of course, the opinion should be based on cogent reasoning, and due analysis of the
issues, correct and appropriate facts.
Where to Express Views and Where to have an Opinion?
The framing of the reply has to be in accordance with the question posed. As such it is very important to listen
carefully as to what the interviewer has asked, whether he is seeking view, or whether your opinion has been
asked for. In case of the former, briefly highlight the relevant points, the pros and cons and the various facets
of the issue. But it is worthwhile to conclude after specifying your own stand. Also, do clarify the reasons for
taking that stand. For instance, if your views have been asked for on the issue of Indo-US Nuclear Deal, then
the different perspectives of the deal and its fall out should be discussed. The reply may be concluded indicating
whether you support the deal or not and the reasons for it. In case your opinion has been sought, then it is
pertinent to specify your stand at the very outset and then the reasons for it. If time permits you may also
highlight other aspects of the issue which you may not be agreeing with.
However, due emphasis must be laid on the reasons why the specific stand was taken. Often candidates highlight
only a singular aspect of the issue which prompts the interviewer to question him vis-a-vis the other aspects. To
elucidate, if the candidate expresses his support for the nuclear deal, without analysing the security concerns,
impact on India’s own nuclear programme and the political fall out, then the interviewer may be prompted to

22
interject or to counter question on these issues. As such, it is advisable to deal with the other aspects briefly,
provided time permits. However, if this could not be done earlier and the questions on these issues have been
posed, then the candidate should adopt the following approach. He should appreciate the point of view of the
interviewer, but he should also highlight the reasons for taking the specific stand. He may accept that indeed
there are security concerns and possible political fallout, but emphasize on how they can be taken care of. He
should also emphasize on the need for meeting India’s energy needs in a manner which does not contribute to
global warming. Please remember that at no stage you should be critical of the point of view of the interviewer
or be argumentative while expressing your own opinion. Even if you are not in agreement with the Member’s
view point, respect it and express your own dissenting opinion humbly.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Candidates often face the predicament, whether to pass a question when they do not know the answer or are
unsure about it, or to attempt a reply which might be incorrect. Also whether to put forth facts and figures which
they are guessing and are not confident about or to let their ignorance about the issue get exposed. This dilemma
arises in the following three situations:
a) When the interviewee has not properly heard or understood the question.
b) When he/she has understood the question but is unsure/not fully confident about the answer.
c) When he/she is sure that he does not know the answer
In all of these situations, an honest and sincere approach is the best course to follow. In the first situation it is
advisable to politely request the Member, to repeat or to further elaborate the question. Some possible responses
could be: “Pardon me Sir, could you please repeat the question” or “Sir, I could not understand the question
fully, would you be kind enough to elaborate.” In case you are not sure about the answer (situation at (b)) then
do say so, “Sir I am not very sure about the issue.” Nevertheless, if the Board still asks you to continue with
your reply, then you may proceed to do so as per your knowledge. However, if you are aware that you do not
know the answer, especially of a factual or a knowledge- oriented question (situation (c)), then politely say so.
But there is no need to feel guilty or nervous. However, there can be questions which are basic to your core
competence (such as those related to your job/profession, optional, hobbies, home state, city, etc.), which you
ought to know, or questions requiring analytical applications or appreciation of the issue.
These questions carry substantial weightage in the interview and the Board expects a positive reply and
application of mind from the candidate. Passing over such questions affects the assessment of the candidate and
best efforts should be made to anticipate such issues and prepare well for them. Still, if for some reason you are
unable to answer such a question, then the best recourse is to express your lack of knowledge about it. Please
do not try to bluff the Board under any circumstance by quoting incorrect facts or by lying. The Board members
are a set of very experienced people who are experts in their own right and can easily see through you. If you
think you can bluff them, then you are only bluffing yourself.
Moderate and Balanced Views
Views and opinion, besides being to the point, based on appropriate facts and cogent reasoning, should also be
moderate and balanced. Taking extreme or rigid stand on an issue, being too critical of governmental policies
or exhibiting a narrow, parochial outlook is detrimental. The Board has to pick up candidates for a variety of
services who can be posted in any part of the country. Therefore, aspirants whose views border on the extreme
and who do not have a flexible attitude, may be perceived as misfits in the Government. Further, members are
likely to form a poor opinion if the candidate exhibits such hardened approach which lacks sensitivity or which
favours narrow regionalistic sentiments over national interest. Balanced view implies that the various
perspectives of the issue, the pros and cons should be duly considered and the outlook of the candidate be
assimilative and encompassing of the numerous facets of the issue.

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Ideological Outlook
The views of a candidate should not be bereft of ideology and hope. This essentially means that one’s views
must reflect their due understanding, as well as have healthy respect for socially desirable ideologies and sincere
belief in them. These can be principles of democracy, human rights, rule of law, non-violence, honesty, etc. To
illustrate further, if a candidate is questioned about the relevance of Gandhi and non-violence in the modern
era, then besides expecting him to understand the issues entailed therein, the Board would also expect him to
appreciate and respect the relevance of Gandhi in the present strife torn world. An ideology may have its own
limitation but it should not be discarded in the garb of it being impractical. Such an approach of the candidate
might be viewed as cynical and negative. Often candidates are questioned about hypothetical situations. For
instance, if as a District Collector or as senior official, one is asked by one’s superiors, to pass certain orders or
conduct oneself in a manner which may not be strictly as per the prescribed procedure or rule, what then would
be the candidate’s approach? Conciliation with the superiors or following the rules, in letter and spirit? What
would be correct, to uphold the ideology of rule of law or to accept that influence and corruption have become
inseparable part of governance and succumb to the pressure? The situation in real life may be more complicated
and may not be as black or as white as described here.
However, by the hypothetical example, what the interviewer wants to understand is the fundamental approach
of the candidate. Does he believe in the rule of law? Does he understand the numerous hurdles which he might
face in implementing it? Does he have the spirit to uphold the principles of righteousness, or has he become too
fatalistic, too defeatist and hopeless even before he has embarked upon his career as a civil servant? If so, then
why shouldn’t a person having self-belief and hope be preferred over him? Ideologies often aim at attaining a
desirable societal state and healthy human behavior. But the process of attaining it would encompass
overcoming the numerous hurdles. The negative outlook would be to reject ideologies as impracticable, on
account of the path leading to them being riddled with difficulties. However, the correct approach should be, to
be positive, to have a pragmatic understanding of the road ahead and also to be hopeful of the desirability and
appropriateness of the end state. Do remember that any government would prefer an ideological, hopeful and
enthusiastic officer rather than a dejected cynic.
Truthfulness, Frankness, and Smartness
The interview board comprises a set of very experienced and competent people, who carefully observe the
behavior, expression and over all body language of the candidates, apart from the content of their replies. As
such it will be foolish to be dishonest. Understandably, being truthful should be the only option. However, many
times the views of the candidate have several facets, which are neither absolutely white nor black, but are often
in the shades of grey. What should be the approach of the candidate in such a situation? Should he/she be
truthful and allow his/her negative self to be expressed before the Board, or should he/she try to hide it? This is
a common dilemma experienced by the candidates. The answer lies in dissociating this grey into its components
black and white and identifying and expressing only what is positive.
For instance, many candidates want to join the Civil Services for the immense opportunities and the bright
career it has to offer, besides the respect it commands in the society. But, for some, the lust of power may be a
profound reason for opting for it. The desire of power has shades of negative and it will be imprudent to express
such a reason for joining the Civil Services. Although accepting this to be one of the reasons may be taken as
an expression of frankness, however in totality, such a reply is likely to be counterproductive. In similar
situations, the smart approach will be, to cite only positive reasons for wanting to join the Civil Services. Though
masking of negativity is a smart and easy approach, but in my opinion, not the very best approach. The purpose
of Civil Services examination and the interview, is not only to test but also to some extent, to goad the candidate
to mold and modify his personality. The best approach is to identify one’s own negative shades and to purge
them. Though it is easier said than done, nevertheless, honesty and truthfulness remain the best approach and
smartness only the second best.
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Self-Deprecating Replies
Needless criticism of one’s own self or of one’s behavior is something which is most avoidable. As an officer
one is expected to be positive and to have confidence in one’s own abilities. A diffident person who undermines
his own potential can hardly qualify for leadership positions. As such, uncalled for expression of one’s
shortcomings or giving self-deprecating replies is a habit which must be eschewed. For instance, if you are
appearing for the interview after several years of having completed your graduation and the main reason for it
was your failure in the previous attempts, then you need not feel distraught or guilty about it. If the Board asks
you to explain the long gap then you simply have to state the truth that you were appearing for the Civil Services
examination. But if you were to add, without being asked, that you could neither qualify for higher studies nor
secure a job and appearing for the Civil Services examination was your only option, then it will be an uncalled-
for self-deprecating statement. Besides, if you have reached the interview stage despite previous failures then
it truly reflects your ability to overcome hardships and your commitment to a cause. Shortcomings and failures
are a part of almost every body’s life. As such there is no reason to be remorseful about them or to deprecate
oneself. What is relevant is your own perception about them, whether you consider them as stepping stones to
success or stumbling obstacles of life.

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 CHAPTER-7 PERSONAL PROFILE

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." - Henry David Thoreau
The personal profile forms one of the most important areas of the Civil Services interview preparation. It
comprises the entire information about you, which has been sought by the U.P.S.C., through the Detailed
Application Form (DAF), filled in prior to the Main Examination. This may range from, your state of domicile
to your current job, your educational profile to your hobbies and interest, your family background to your
optional/subjects of graduation. Personal profile is akin to your home turf, an area with which you are justifiably
expected to be substantially acquainted.
The Board may begin with seemingly innocuous questions pertaining to your educational qualification or even
your name, (perhaps just to put you at ease). Later on, questions to gauge your critical or analytical thinking
skills may be put forth, such as questions relating to challenges before the state of your domicile or issues
relating to your current job.
Significance of Personal Profile
Each Member of the Board is provided with a copy of the DAF which has been submitted by the candidate. Just
before the candidate is to appear before the Board and also during the interview, the Members peruse it. The
personality test is never, a set of predetermined questions. Rather the questions and the course of the interview,
is often spontaneous. The personal profile, as reflected in the mains form, which is right before the eyes of the
Members, forms an important ingredient of this spontaneous element. This is so, as the poignant aspects of the
profile capture the attention of the Members and prompt them to question about these.
Unlike other aspects of the personality test, where the ‘questioning horizon’ is extremely wide and the questions
difficult to anticipate, personal profile entails a reasonable but a limited set of issues. With meticulous planning
and effort, it may not be difficult to anticipate these issues and prepare well in advance. Thus ‘personal profile’
as a part and parcel of personality test, merits due attention and a good degree of preparation. The aspects which
require to be focused upon are discussed below.
Your Name Matters
It is often said that, “what’s in a name?” Practically, not much. But from the perspective of the personality test,
it might entail a question or two. Especially if your name or title is rather uncommon, or is same or similar to a
public figure, historical personality or has a unique meaning. K.J. Alphons (a 1979 batch Kerala Cadre ex-IAS
officer) recounts in his autobiography, making a Difference, that in his personality test, one of the members had
remarked jokingly, that his name was very similar to a variety of mango. Mr. Alphons was quick to respond
that indeed it was so, but it was the very best variety of mango. The quick repartee must have impressed the
Board about his presence of mind and sense of humour. Questioning about the name may just be a means by
the interviewer to let the ball rolling, or to lead the interviewee into a comfort zone. Nevertheless, it is better to
be prepared about the meaning of one’s name, title, the ‘root’ word from which it is derived (especially if it is
unique) etc., or association with famous personalities, lest one is caught unawares.
Your State
Information about the States is an essential constituent of the ‘personal profile.’ The ambit of preparation should
include: (a) State as well as district, city/town of domicile. (b) State, city, town of current/past association where
you have spent reasonable time and are expected to have a fair degree of acquaintance. For example, place
where you might have done graduation/post-graduation or worked in the recent past. (The state, district, city of
domicile, amongst the above forms the area requiring maximum emphasis) The extent of study would include
brief idea about the state, city, viz. (a) History (b) Geography, (c) social and cultural profile, (d) developmental
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index, (e) strength and weakness, (f) U.S.P., challenges, problems solutions, etc. In this regard, publications of
National Book Trust (www.nbtindia.org.in) on states and State Gazetteers, which contain a wealth of
information, come pretty handy. Besides, official websites of the states/other websites can also be very useful
in gathering information.
Further, always look out for articles in magazines and newspapers or programmes/news capsules on television,
which deal with issues pertaining to the states. The nature of questions will largely be to test your observation,
understanding and analyses of the issues which are emanating from the state/city. But it is pertinent to remember
that the super-structure, of analyses and critical evaluation, is to be built upon the bedrock of knowledge and
information.
Some typical questions which are indicative of what to expect can be:
• Challenges before metropolitan cities specially Mumbai, Delhi, viz. city infrastructure, transportation, town
planning, water management, power supply, public health, housing, urban poverty, etc. (for candidates
residing in metros).
• Developmental challenges before Eastern states (viz. Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh),
problems of flood and drought, paradox of rich mineral wealth yet non-commensurate, development,
problem of Naxalism, etc.
• Measures to be taken for infrastructural and economic development of North Eastern States, and better
utilization of natural and human resource potential. Measures for greater social, cultural integration with
rest of the country. What is the USP of North Eastern states? Areas of concern and development, problems
regarding separatists, Naxalism, border disputes, law and order and approach for addressing them.
Previous Job Experience
Many candidates who are appearing for the civil-services exam already have had a previous job experience. At
times, some are shortlisted for a job and are yet to join it or are already undergoing probation/training.
Sometimes this facet of the personal profile poses a somewhat vexing situation before the candidates, and
anxieties like those mentioned below are experienced. Queries about the current or a past job, are a challenge
as well as an opportunity. If your previous work experience has been indicated in your personal profile, then
there is a reasonably high probability of questions emanating from it.
Gathering information about your job, your organization and above all developing a critical and analytical
understanding of the aforesaid, is a challenge. Nevertheless, it is not an insurmountable one. And if you are
prepared mentally, to take on the queries of the Board without any sense of fear, then half the battle has been
won. Queries about job, have the potential of engaging the interview-panel in a discussion for a reasonable part
of the interview. As such it is an opportunity not to be squandered.
• Duration in the Job: If you have been in the present employment for more than a year, then you are
expected to have a fair degree of knowledge about the organization and your work. Of course, more the
association the greater will be the expectation from you. If you have been in the job for a lesser period, then
the extent of knowing required will obviously be less. But a brief idea will still be essential, so that you do
not to draw an absolute blank on being questioned.
• Manner of Association: More than the duration, it’s the manner in which you are associated, which
matters; whether as a trainee or as an employee on the job. The nature of questions and the understanding
expected of you will also depend on it.
Why Am I Appearing Again?
If you have been offered a service on the basis of your previous attempt (and you have joined it/taken extension
and you are again appearing,) then such queries can possibly arise. The obvious reason is that you are not
satisfied with the service/rank which you have secured and want to improve upon it. Here it is useful to

27
remember, that your response should not be over critical of your present offer, or project your present job in a
negative perspective. Negativity has to be eschewed. The proper response will be desire for self-improvement
and joining those service/services which you had aspired for.
Switch Over from a High Salary Job
What should be your take if you are in a high salary paying job, say, in a P.S.U. or a M.N.C.? Is it lust for power
or is it the desire to serve the people which have driven you so far? Or is it something else? Always Think. Ask
yourself what has motivated you to take this grueling examination despite your cushy job. Be truthful to your
own self. The real reason may be a combination of several factors. These may not necessarily be either
ideologically exalted or decried ones. Many a time, it’s the challenge of succeeding in one of the toughest
examinations which propels you. It may also be the advice or desire of your parents, suggestions of your friend
or peer influence. For some, public personalities like Kiran Bedi have been an inspiration, while for others, it
may be the glamour or awe which is associated with the District Administration or Police Service, which is the
driving force. Whatever it may be, do not hide it from yourself. Introspect, identify and jot it down. The next
step is to judge the propriety of the reasons you have given yourself. As an interviewer would you prefer a
candidate whose motivations are only the glitz and glamour associated with the Civil-Services and who is
bashful and blatant about it? Would you believe a person who vainly talks about lofty selfless ideals without an
iota of a conviction in what he says?
Traces of Negativity
If you do identify traces of negativity, in your own self, then purge it out of your system. Please remember, that
interview preparation is not merely a test of your personality, but also an opportunity to mold it. If you sincerely
believe, that it is ideological motivation which is the reason for your reaching so far, then go ahead and proclaim
it. Your sincerity and self-belief will be your testimony. But if the show of idealism is only a façade, then be
sure that the Board is competent enough to see through it. Other Reasons besides, do not feel hesitant to specify,
if other simplistic reasons have driven you so far. It is also pertinent to remember, that the Civil Services as a
career, offers, bright prospects, variety in work, opportunity to take salient decisions and work directly and in
close co-ordination, with and for the masses. These in itself are sufficient justifications for young and bright
students to tread this path, even though they may be having a secure and a well-paying job.
Knowing about the Organization
This is an area which requires effort and no short cuts can be prescribed for it. Whether big (like Indian Railways
or other PSUs) or relatively small, knowing about the organization in which you are working is essential.
Important Areas
If you are hard pressed for time, then identify at least 5 to 7 areas, which you think are important and poignant
and likely to draw the attention of the interviewers. Restrict your preparation to these. Discussing issues with
colleagues and seniors can be pretty helpful and offers new perspectives. This often saves time in hunting and
then wading through a large volume of information. However, giving this area a total miss is ill advised. The
Board justifiably expects you to have some understanding of your job with which you have been associated
unless your association is limited only to paper acceptance of the job offer.
The Preference of Services
The services which are offered through the Civil Services examination are: Usually candidates prefer I.A.S.,
I.F.S., I.P.S., I.R.S. (Income-tax), I.R.S. (Customs and Central Excise), I.A.A.S, I.R.T.S., I.R.A.S., I.R.P.S and
other Group ‘A’ services as amongst their top choices. There is no hard and fast rule for preferring/not preferring
a particular service. The preference is often based on one’s aptitude and abilities, perception about the service,
career prospects, work diversity and advice rendered by others. However, one should be mentally prepared to

28
answer a query, if it arises, pertaining to the choice of service or order of preference. For instance, if somebody
has opted for Indian Police Service (IPS) as the first choice or not opted for Indian Foreign Service (IFS) at all
then at times he is besieged with the nagging thought, that how should he explain his preference to the interview
board. The way to handle this perplexity, is to question oneself frankly, the reason for the specific choice and
come out with an honest reply. For many the desire to be in a uniformed service and to fight criminals may be
a motivation. Role models like Kiran Bedi or some other IPS officers may also be an inspiration to opt for the
Police Service. For some, it is the lure of raw power which might be one of the reasons.
As mentioned earlier, identify both the positive and negative shades. Emphasize and articulate the positive ones
and purge out the negative reasons. Similarly, family compulsions or other personal factors may be the reason
for a candidate not opting for the I.F.S. or for giving it a lower preference. There is no need to carry the burden
of guilt that your choice/order of preference is anomalous. Explain those personal factors (viz. supporting old
parents, family commitments, etc.). You can also add that you want to serve your nation and society from within
the country, although you hold the Indian Foreign Service in high esteem. Please do not state that you do not
consider yourself fit to be in a diplomatic service or have anxiety or fear of not being able to cope up with the
foreign environment. Citing negative reasons to explain the choice/order of preference of services is likely to
be detrimental. Similarly, if you are already in a good job then you might not wish to opt for all, or majority of
the offered services. Understandably, you might have opted for just a few of them. There is nothing wrong in
such a choice. You may say that in terms of job prospects, work content, variety, promotional avenues, etc.,
you consider only the opted services to be substantially/reasonably better than your present job and worth a
change.

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 CHAPTER-8 EDUCATION

"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life -- think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain,
muscles, nerves, and every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is
the way to success." - Swami Vivekananda
The ambit of ‘education’ will comprise the school, college, university professional institutes and courses
attended or undergoing, which have been specified in the form submitted to the UPSC/State P.S.C. As such it
is pertinent to go through the form, to identify the poignant areas which are likely to draw the attention of the
reader.
Some Important Aspects
Know in Brief about Your School/College/University
This is important specially if it is a well-known one, or has been in the news for some reason. This includes
information about the institution’s mission, founder, history (in case of old institutions), eminent personalities
associated with it, or any significant achievement or it’s ‘USP.’ These will also include:
• Institutions of pre-eminence like IITs, AIIMS, IIMs and others which have a distinct brand value.
• Prominent chains of schools, colleges, institutions, whose students have earned laurels at national or
international level, competitions etc., or other institutions such as Kendriya Vidyalayas or Sainik Schools,
or mission-based institutions (like Ramakrishna Mission, etc.) Information
Though candidates usually have some knowledge about their institution, it is important to brush up their
knowledge and organize the information, in a systematic manner. For instance, a candidate associated with
‘Rama Krishna Mission’ may be queried about the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda or some well-known
aspect of his teaching. The interview may not restrict to the domain of ‘direct association’ with the institution
(or with the institution itself), but may take off or divert in those realms which are essentially, offshoots of the
realm of ‘direct association.’ Further, it will also be too simplistic to expect merely and purely, information-
oriented queries. Rather, critical assimilation and analytical approach, is what the Board is expecting from the
candidate. Thus, it should not be surprising (in the above example), if a Member questions or seeks view, about
the concept of ‘universal brotherhood’ as expounded by Sri Rama Krishna and its acceptance by modern
religious philosophies.
Specialist versus Generalist
Many times, candidates who have specialization in a particular stream, like medicine, management or
engineering, etc. (especially those who have graduated/post graduated from eminent institutions) are queried
about the reasons for opting for the Civil Services. At times they are also faced with some of the following
kinds of probing remarks. At times such queries are a candidate’s nightmare. He is invariably haunted by the
prospect of a Member throwing such a question with an expression of a smile and a smirk. And yet there can
be no fixed set of replies to these ticklish queries, nor will the answers be a simplistic, ‘yes or no.’ whether a
specialist should adopt the path of a generalist? Is it professionally correct to abandon the technical stream, in
which many years of labour have been invested? Or, what is your calling in life; as a doctor in a village or as a
bureaucrat in the so-called corridors of power? These are issues over which you have to mull over. But do
remember, that decisions either way, may not entail a perfect right or wrong. Yet you are expected to come up
with convincing and logical replies, which are quintessentially yours. However, the following points may help
you in shaping your views and replies.

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Any answer you come up with, first, you, and yourself must be convinced about its rightness.
• The U.P.S.C. as well as the State P.S.C.s permit the generalists as well as the specialists, the professionals
as well as those who have already qualified for a job through their previous attempt, to take the Civil
Services examination. So, from the perspective of the rules and regulation there is no bar for such
candidates. Rather, as a professional, you are as much on the right side of law as the others are.
• Purge out any sense of guilt or the thought, that you are doing anything legally or ethically wrong. The
Government wouldn’t have permitted you to appear for the exam, if something was legally wrong. Further,
Civil Services, as a collective body, is to work in extremely diverse social environment. As such, diversity
of educational background and professional experience, is not only enriching and permissible, but rather
desirable. Therefore, do not allow any moral or ethical dilemma to haunt you even for a moment, on this
count.
• In case you have graduated from a Government funded or aided institution like IITs, AIIMs, etc., then is
the Government’s money being wasted on you (on joining the Civil-Services)? As a civil-servant you
continue to work for the Government and society. Only your role and nature of contribution changes. Even
the technocrat in the Government aided/funded institutions, is not prohibited, in changing the professional
stream, taking up a management course or even on working in an MNC outside the country, etc. although
these may be termed by some as brain drain, or be perceived as a social loss. Rather, the Civil-Services
retain, synthesize and assimilate the diverse national talent in a productive pool, which is to contribute
directly and significantly to the nation’s progress.
• Wasting of a professional seat is perhaps a cliched logic. The burgeoning work force of India demands
lakhs and lakhs of professionals every year; while those few hundreds, who qualify for Civil services are
akin to a tiny bubble in a big cauldron. How much potential loss can they mean to the huge professional
pool?
• Of course, civil services may not be able to afford, an opportunity for direct and substantial application of
the professional skills which have been acquired. But every stream of study imparts, certain basic traits
(such as managerial ability, commercial acumen, analysis and objectivity of the science, and wholistic
approach of the arts stream), which become an innate part of the student and find ready and recurrent
application even in the work profile of the civil-servant. Besides, knowledge is never lost, and each civil-
servant brings his own core competency in the system, thus enriching the process of governance.

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 CHAPTER-9 OPTIONAL

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise" - Oscar Wilde
The ambit of preparation for subjects includes not only the Optional of the Main examination, but also the
subjects of Graduation. Where the candidate has opted for subjects, which are different from the graduation
disciplines, obviously, there the realm of revision becomes much wider. Further, if he has also done post-
graduation, doctorate, research or specialization in any discipline, which has been indicated in the mains form,
then this area too, needs to be revisited. Though the ‘subject coverage’ to be done, may seemingly be enormous,
one need not be distraught or hopeless about it. The salient points to remember about how and what to revise
are:
• You have already been tested on the optional and personality test is not aimed at re-examining the bookish
knowledge.
• You need not be bogged down by the nitty grities of your subjects but concentrate on the fundamental
aspects of the disciplines. For e.g. fundamental laws, theories etc.
• Identify the areas of latest development, especially those which have been in news for some reason. For
example, areas of research, Nobel prize, recent discoveries, international agreements, national and
international events, etc. which are related to your profile/subjects.
Previous years Questions on Some Optional Subjects:
Anthropology
1. How bio-weapons are preserved?
2. Embryo transfer technology and its significance in endangered species and humans.
3. Concept of tweens? How they are formed?
4. How many genes average human have?
5. Which is the smallest and largest gene?
6. How do genes vary?
7. How will you use your knowledge of anthropology in administration? 8. Why Anthropology optional?
8. Is Anthropology a scoring subject?
9. What are the famous Anthropological sites in India that are recognized by UNESCO?
10. What is social anthropology in anthropology? Name any famous social anthropologist?
11. Since you are a student of Anthropology, tell me what do you know about race theory?
12. Of late, scientists have been demolishing the race theory. It is being proven that there are no major
differences between races, and there’s just one human race. What’s your take?
13. What did you study under Anthropology?
14. Why you chose anthropology as optional?
15. Have you heard of Verrier Elwin? What was his theory of tribal development? 17. Tribals are saying that
we have treated them as a showpiece, kept them secluded are they justified?
16. What is the sex ratio among tribals? Why is it high?
17. Do you think having caste system have impacted the way we see tribals?
Chemistry
1. Questions on chemistry very basic- what is CO2 CO3 and CO, why CO is Harmful- explained it, the
supplementary question on hemoglobin, where it is found?
2. What is the oxidation state of Chromium in Potassium Dichromate?
3. What are the main group elements?

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4. What are the transition elements?
5. Name all 3D block elements?
6. Why the transition elements are colored in nature?
7. What is the crystal field theory?
8. What is the Arrhenius theory in the context of reaction rates? Explain it on paper.
9. Draw Cyclopentadienyl anion and Cyclopentadienyl cation?
10. Which one is aromatic in nature? Why?
11. What is the Huckel Rule of Aromaticity?
12. Are you aware of the Mendeleev periodic table?
13. What is the alloy used in soldering?
14. Suppose you have to join two gold plates. Herein we also use an alloy of gold and another element. Whether
the melting point of the element used along with gold in the alloy should have its melting point greater or
lower than gold. Take your time and then answer.
15. Why the melting point of the element being added should be lower?
16. What is the certification used for gold jewelry?
17. Shows me the Kinley bottle on the table and asks Who gives the ISI certification?
18. What is a catalyst?
19. Does it always increase the rate?
20. What is catalytic poison?
21. What are the different types of catalysts?
22. Give examples of each of these catalysts
23. What is the catalytic converter?
24. How does one distill products from crude oil?
25. Differentiate chemistry and applied chemistry? Role of chemistry in forest produce management?
Civil Engineering
1. What is the difference between the runway and taxiway? Tell it from a civil engineering point of view
2. What is the difference between expressway and highway from a civil engineering point of view?
3. What is the taxiway?
4. Difference between Modern Structures and old structures?
5. Difference between the runway and normal road?
6. What is Portland cement? Why it is called Portland cement?
7. Old structures used to be of various shapes and sizes. These days why only simple and one type of buildings
do we see?
8. What can be done for efficient lighting and air conditioning, say in Mumbai.
9. What to do if you want those old structures type aesthetics and shapes in today’s Buildings?
10. Is India’s realty sector down?
11. What all are the reasons?
12. What will be its impact on smart cities?
13. What all are the provisions of the RERA bill?
14. Have you studied about traditional architecture in India?
15. Why we need it?
16. Do you think concrete buildings are not suitable for India?
17. What are some of the current challenges of urban development?
18. What role civil engineering play in infrastructure projects?
19. You admit they play imp role. Then why do you want to come in administration?
20. Policies in civil aviation? - UDAN - what being done- how much fare Member
21. What is a smart city? Govt scheme regarding it.

33
22. NHAI- when formed, aim, how successful in meeting its role.
23. What do you know about Adam’s bridge? Does it really exist?
Economics
1. NPA issue- Your suggestions for NPA prevention.
2. Re-capitalization of banks - impact on banks, on the economy and need.
3. Should public money be used for re-capitalization?
4. Rural banking in India.
5. Should banks be part of the secondary equity market in India?
6. Most pressing problems in the banking sector at present.
7. Banks that don’t lend? Any example
8. Creative accounting. What is it? Done in banks?
9. Role of RBI in monetarily policy? How things are done? What are the tools? How all this affect the growth
of the country?
10. Role of RBI in the banking sector?
11. What is the eligibility for a company to be given a banking license?
12. Difference between microfinance bank and the scheduled commercial bank?
13. Difference between investment banks and commercial banks?
14. What is happening to the disinvestment of Air India? Why it is not yet completed? What action govt has
taken to facilitate this?
15. What is the role of RBI? Why it couldn’t stop the PNB debacle?
16. Under BR Act, RBI has many powers, why didn’t it use them?
17. Tell about trade balance. India china trade. Balance issue.
18. Is china pursuing any other measures to further its trade besides what is recorded?
19. The planning commission is not there now. Niti Aayog is not that good. What do you think of this new
institution?
20. Do you believe that poverty is at the core of all the problems?
21. What steps were taken to reduce poverty?
22. What is game theory?
23. What is a Nash equilibrium?
Electrical Engineering
1. Please have a seat. Now stand up and take a good look at the room and move around. Take your time and
take a good look. I want to rewire the entire room. How much wire do you need?
2. How will you do it? But the entire wiring is internal and nothing is visible outside.
3. How will you replace the older wire and insert a new one?
4. What is the role of Electrical Engineering in Administration?
Geography
1. The first oil well was drilled at which location? When?
2. Cities near to Digboi, District of Arunachal near to Digboi? Tell me about the Brahmaputra. Rivers
originating from Lake Mansarovar, Lohit, Dihang, Dibang merge at Arunachal or Assam?
3. You are born in Mizoram. Heard about Kolasib? (District) tell me something about that district.
Geographical features of the place. Name the Autonomous District Council of Mizoram. What is the
Autonomous District Council? Recent Chakma-Mizo ethical conflict? Reason. Any such conflict with other
tribes? Gateway to Mizoram.
4. Tell me about the Himalayas. Tell me about its advantage only.
5. Where is the black soil region? Which states come under Deccan? Does soil tell us about rock beneath?

34
6. In which state does the Nilgiri biosphere reserve lie? What unique wildlife do we find there? Does Nilgai
come under a cow? What is the issue of their regulation?
7. Different types of Forest and region. Tarai region? Which type of Forest there?
8. Why good Agriculture in northern India but not in the South?
9. What is Alluvial Soil? How it’s formed?
10. Do you think the Himalayas are affected by climate change?
11. What are the effects of glacial retreat? How much glacial retreat has happened?
12. Reasons for glacial melt in Ladakh? What local measures would you take to reduce it if appointed as DM?
13. How’s the climate in Tamil Nadu?
14. When Tamil Nadu will get rainfall?
15. What factors are important for monsoon?
16. Monsoon in India
17. El Nino. What was that? Effects
18. Developments in Monsoon prediction.
19. What are equatorial rain forests? What is special about the Amazon rainforest? In India where they are
found?
20. What does geography teach
21. Is climate change really happening?
22. What measures does India take to overcome climate change? Can green energy be a practical solution to
overcome pollution?
23. Why geography?
24. India - Pakistan shares how many rivers? Why are they important?
25. NE states names. The strategic significance of the NE. Follow-up question - Dokhlam, Brahmaputra,
Siliguri corridor. Biodiversity of NE. Biodiversity Park related to NE or Himalaya. Any threat to the
biodiversity of NE? What is conservation?
26. What do you understand by GREEN BUILDING?
27. Tell us more about these GRIHA RATINGS.
History
1. Should history be reviewed and rewritten periodically!!
2. Nehru was the Architect of modern India? Was his economic policy a failure. Hindu rate of growth.
3. What have you learned from history
4. What things wouldn’t be there if there was no history
5. Do you know about the Arthasastra book?
6. What does Arth mean in Arthasastra?
7. What were the other names of Chanakya?
8. Three events between “1755-65” that impacted history.
9. Why did Ahmad Shah Abdali win?
10. Counter- How were Maratha supplies were cut off?
11. Was Battle of Plassey even a battle?
12. Who was the British Commander in the Battle of Plassey? Where was he called from?
13. Should Indus valley civilization be called IVC or something else? A site in India is of the scale of Harappa
and Mohenjo-Daro. What is that site? Which part do you consider as the golden era of India?
14. Why those regions which were under Mauryans and Gupta are backward now??
15. Relationship of Maharashtra with Panipat battle?
16. Why Marathas defeated?
17. Why so many battles fought in Panipat?
18. Distance between Khyber Pass & Panipat?

35
19. Any other major Battle fought in the region between Khyber Pass & Panipat till the 18th century?
20. Do you have an interest in reading military history? Tell me the solution to the Kashmir problem then.
21. Should we adopt a soft stance or hard stance towards the Kashmir problem?
22. What is your favorite character from history? Why so?
23. Your optional is history. So tell me the major battles in the history of Marathas.
24. What about Guerilla warfare?
25. Which is an area famous for such warfare?
26. Did Gandhi make a mistake by supporting the Khilafat movement
27. Didn’t it lead to Muslim sentiments like strengthening of Muslim league
28. Did INC make a mistake by accepting the Lucknow pact?
29. Why Gandhi didn’t do any satyagrahas for Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru?
30. Who is your favorite character in history?
31. Why Asoka was called great?
Mathematics
1. Tell me the difference between real number natural number and an imaginary number.
2. National mathematics day why and when celebrated.
3. Important works of Ramanujan.
4. Which prime minister declared this day?
5. Difference between probability and possibility.
6. Tell me some famous Indian Mathematicians?
7. What is the contribution of Bhaskacharya?
8. What is the contribution of Aryabhatta?
9. What is the importance of Trigonometry?
10. Have u heard of Fermat’s last theorem?
11. Who is your favorite non-Indian mathematician?
12. Why children find difficult to study mathematics?
13. How should Maths be taught? How do u propose to infuse new methods?
Mechanical Engineering
1. What is the IC engine?
2. Do you think this age is an obituary to IC Engine?
3. Use of mechanical in IAS
4. Can you see some aspects of mechanical engineering in this room?
5. What is HVAC?
6. How many types of the engine do you know?
7. In the construction of flyovers and bridges, are civil Engineers only involved or mechanical engineers are
also involved?
8. What do mechanical engineers do here?
9. Role of mechanical engineers in robotics.
Medical Science
1. What is a Tympanic reflex??
2. Suicidal and homicidal hanging- the difference
3. Zika, Chicken Guinea, Dengue. Question on Superbugs.
4. Alprazolam poisoning
5. Treatment of hepatitis in pregnant women?
6. Treatment of Anemia and hypertension in pregnant women?

36
7. What will you advise if she can’t afford treatment?
8. National health policy 2017?
9. Budget expenditure target for health?
10. Full form of AYUSH?
11. Difference between various medicinal systems?
12. Regulation of stent prices right or wrong?
13. What to do when the hospital refused to hand over dead bodies to relatives on nonpayment of bills? Are big
hospitals cheating common people? Role of govt in such cases? Do we need health ombudsman?
14. Have we achieved malaria eradication? Why not? Why Sri Lanka and Bangladesh achieve their health
targets faster than India?
15. Tympanic reflex?
16. Medical jurisprudence involving case with domestic violence and resultant 7-week miscarriage?
17. Unethical corporate practice?
18. How to create awareness about generic medicines?
19. Bariatric surgery, its origin and related details.
20. How to reduce obesity without surgery.
Philosophy
1. Do u think an engineer be allowed to take optional like philosophy?
2. What will be the difference between you and a Ph.D. in philosophy for civil service?
3. Which is the best part of philosophy for your in both East and west
4. Can you tell a few Indian Philosophers?
5. What is Charvaka Philosophy? Any country which follows Charvaka currently?
6. Why you choose philosophy as a subject?
7. Who is Immanuel Kant? And for what he is famous for?
8. What is empiricism?
9. Difference between Indian and Western philosophy, Gandhi and Ambedkar. Did Buddha believe in God?
10. So you have taken philosophy as your subject? What do you think is the best thing about philosophy?
11. Have you read about Vedanta philosophy?
12. Who is the propounded of Vedanta?
13. There is a debate between Vedanta and Buddhism? Can you elaborate? But Shunyata also has the same
aspect?
14. Where do you think this line of man-machine boundary is going?
15. Have you read about Existentialism? How do you think existentialism would benefit in Civil services?
16. Difference between morals and ethics?
17. Different between political morality and personal morality.
Physics
1. Tell me some practical applications of the General theory of relativity.
2. What are gravitational waves?
3. What is dark matter?
4. What do you mean by ‘God particle’?
5. Why is the study of neutrino important?
6. In physics, what is this laminar flow?
PSIR
1. What is sir creeks issue and counter questions?
2. What else can BSF do etc.?

37
3. What is the Siachen issue and related questions? Size of Siachen glacier?
4. Malacca strait? China’s importance for it? What percentage of Chinese goods passes through it?
5. Tell me about the Venezuela crisis.
6. Tell me about Yemen crisis.
7. Developments in Nepal. Why Nepal important for us?
8. Why Afghanistan unstable? What are the sectarian divisions? Why not normalcy restored
9. Why development in Bangladesh important for India?
10. Role of the Indian diaspora. India-Canada relations. India-Japan relations. India- Bangladesh relations.
11. Tell me some flashpoints that war could happen in the world?
12. About quad group in Indian and Pacific Ocean, to ensure maritime security?
13. Explain Italian election
14. Turkey sent forces in Syria. Why? Violated sovereignty?
15. Surgical strikes. Did India violate Pakistan’s sovereignty?
16. What do you understand by hot pursuit?
17. Catalonia referendum, was it legal? Should the international community recognize such new countries?
18. Bangladesh migrants, how to deal with it, steps taken?
19. Who wrote the preamble to our constitution?
20. What essential things does the preamble tell us?
21. Tell me about the basic structure? What are the components of the basic structure?
22. Which amendment introduced Fundamental duties to our constitution?
23. Give a speech on “In international relations, there are no enemies and no friends.”
24. What is the role of Indian politics in media? Should we regulate the media? Why not?
25. Comment on changing world politics
26. How should we see China? Earlier USA supported China but now China is challenging the USA. So should
we follow the USA strategy of countering Russia as they were successful in it? 45. Should we join OBOR?
Why not? So, don’t you think we are missing an opportunity? What should we do to counter this?
27. Was Political Science helpful in broadening your perspective about the things around?
28. Explain political mobilization in the context of Maharashtra or India.
29. Who was the leader of India’s first (farmers) Rasta Roko that you mentioned?
30. What impact mobilization had on Indian politics?
31. Why India have politics based on identities?
32. Is identity politics good or bad for the democracy of India?
33. Difference between the diversity of India and diversity of the USA
34. Sense of nationalism vs different identities?
35. Have you heard about Rosseau? Tell me his maxim? What does it mean?
Public Administration
1. Do you think you would be a good administrator? What qualities of a good administrator do you possess?
Are leaders born or made? Is Mahatma Gandhi a born leader or made one. According to DNA memory
theory, leaders are born not made. What’s your opinion on it?
2. What is the public perception of civil servants?
3. What is the ABC method?
4. Maslow hierarchy of needs
5. What is CPM? PERT?
6. What is ABC Analysis?
7. Can you use it in administration? How?
8. What are the qualities of a leader?
9. How will you motivate employees when they have different needs?

38
10. Suppose you have to deal with a union leader who is raising some demands. How will you handle him?
11. How would you rate your boss in leadership qualities?
12. What is the difference between a manager and a leader?
13. Administration vs management
14. Public vs private administration
15. You have opted for public administration? Why?
16. What did you study in public administration?
17. Have you heard of the spoils system? Do you support it?
18. What kind of bureaucracy do you want? Is bureaucracy relevant in India? Why people don’t like
bureaucracy? What should be done for people to like bureaucracy?
19. So, your optional is public administration. Tell me what is “Minimum governance maximum governance”?
20. When the Govt machinery is downsized, won’t it cause unemployment?
21. How can we leverage technology to give maximum governance?
Sociology
1. What is Sanskritization? Tell me the names of a caste who had gone for Sanskritization. Do you know
Dhangar caste in Maharashtra?
2. What steps did Maharashtra govt take for Nomadic Tribes?
3. Impact of lower sex ratio?
4. After Nirbhaya case, what change do u find in Indian Society?
5. You said e-governance is good. But literacy in India is very poor...people at lower levels do not understand
what is e-governance. How should we go about it?
6. You might have seen “Blow Horn” written behind the trucks. But then we talk about noise pollution. Is it a
cultural problem? If you get a chance what will you change this to?
7. Difference between site and perception?
8. Human beings have a power to make choice. You can either give this interview or go out of this room. But
social media has bounded our choices. What do you think?
9. How caste affects daily interaction in people? How reservation policy and protests against it has changed
it?
10. Who is the father of Sociology?
11. Which has a more profound impact on a child’s upbringing? Family or school and why? If father is a
drunkard what impact will it have on the child?
12. Sociology about joint family and nuclear family. How much time do you spend with your parents?
13. Have you ever studied sociology?
14. What are some other ways an individual’s values are coming from?
15. Do you think that religion has a part to play in it?
16. So you agree religion has a role?
17. Can you tell me a religion that points to desire as a bad thing?

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 CHAPTER-10 HOBBY

“In their time away from work and the hassles of daily life, people tend to display their passions and personal
interests. Someone's hobbies can reveal a lot about their personality”- David S. Walton
The DAF form to be submitted to U.P.S.C. also seeks information about our hobbies, interest in games/sports,
besides awards and prizes won. Though, these are distinct from each other, from the perspective of preparation
for the personality test, they represent a singular domain that is our areas of interest and achievements therein.
What is a Hobby?
The dictionary meaning of hobby is, an activity which is done for enjoyment when one is not working.
Essentially hobby is an interest which is pursued in one’s leisure time. While furnishing details about hobbies
and interests, a careful thought must be given to what all should be filled in:
• Any hobby, games, etc. indicated in the form, should genuinely be of your interest. Making false claims or
trying to hoodwink the Board can be detrimental. Please do not claim ‘social service, medical aid,’ relief to
poor as your hobby, just to portray a high ideological self of yours, unless you have actually worked or been
associated with this field.
• Claiming an activity which was earlier your hobby but you are not presently actively pursuing, is alright. It
is quite understandable that the pressure of studies might have dissociated you from it. But you need to
catch up with it and refresh your knowledge about it during the interview preparation module.
• Do not shy away from filling a hobby. At times candidates leave the section blank or indicate hobbies which
are less likely to attract questions, such as reading newspapers, books etc. Hobbies from the perspective of
interview represent an opportunity. It is an area which is likely to capture the attention of the Board and
give you a question or two, on which you can be prepared beforehand. Trying to evade being queried on
hobbies/interest is akin to an opportunity lost.
• It is advisable to be more specific in your hobby. For instance, instead of mentioning only ‘reading’ as a
hobby, it is better to qualify it with, reading novels, magazines, short stories, fiction, non-fiction, articles
etc. or a combination of these. Such a description captures the attention of the reader a bit more, while
enabling your own preparation to be more specific and narrower.
How to Prepare for Your Hobbies/Interests?
a) Preparation for the hobby begins by questioning your own self that what can possibly be asked from this
area? Or if I were the interviewer then what would I ask?
b) Seeking questions from others (friends, parents, persons having interest or expertise in that area, etc.) can
also serve as a good starting point.
c) Jot down the questions (may be 10–12 from each area of interest and begin preparation).
d) Consulting books related to these topics, articles on internet, or consulting experts/experienced persons
associated with that field, (if you have access to them) can be very helpful.
e) Please remember, that the Board cannot/is not likely to ask you to showcase your talent. Thus, if playing
cricket or philately is your hobby, then do not expect that the Board will ask you, to display a square cut or
to show your collection of stamps. Similarly certificates or awards are generally not asked to be displayed.
What you are likely to be asked is questions like your views on commercialization of cricket, utility and
relevance of philately, etc.
f) To give you further an idea of what to expect, some of the common hobbies along with relevant points and
possible questions are mentioned below. Of course, the listed queries are not comprehensive. They are only
indicative to give you an idea, of how to and the direction in which to, proceed. Besides, some reference
books and websites on the subject have also been mentioned which can aid your preparation.
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Information about few important hobbies
Basketball
Two teams of five players (7 Extras) each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above
the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a hoop at each end. The
court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line. If the offensive team puts the ball into play behind
the mid-court line, it has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line. If it doesn’t, then the defense gets
the ball. Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no longer have possession of the
ball in the area in back of the line. If it does, the defense is awarded the ball. The ball is moved down the court
toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the offense. The team without the
ball is called the defense. When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other
team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points.
A free throw is worth one point. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the
number of fouls committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded the
shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three
shots. Other types of fouls do not result in free throws being awarded until a certain number have accumulated
during a half. Once that number is reached, then the player who was fouled is awarded a ‘1-and-1’ opportunity.
If he makes his first free throw, he gets to attempt a second. If he misses the first shot, the ball is live on the
rebound. Games are played in four quarters of 10 (FIBA) or 12 minutes (NBA). College men’s games use two
20-minute halves, college women’s games use 10-minute quarters, and most high school varsity games use 8-
minute quarters; 15 minutes are allowed for a half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules.
Overtime periods are five minutes in length. Teams exchange baskets for the second half. A limited number of
time-outs, for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one-minute (100
seconds in the NBA) Substitutions are unlimited but can only be done when play is stopped.
Player Positions
• Point guard: usually the fastest player on the team organizes the team’s offense by controlling the ball and
making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time.
• Shooting guard: creates a high volume of shots on offense, mainly long ranged; and guards the opponent’s
best perimeter player on defense.
• Small forward: often primarily responsible for scoring points via cuts to the basket and dribble penetration;
on defense seeks rebounds and steals, but sometimes plays more actively.
• Power forward: plays offensively often with their back to the basket; on defense, plays under the basket
(in a zone defense) or against the opposing power forward (in man-to-man defense).
• Center: uses height and size to score (on offense), to protect the basket closely (on defense), or to rebound.
Previous Year's Questions
• Who is your favourite player?
• Can India adopt a college-basketball model - like Stanford and Harvard, where they even get Olympic
medals?
• Why is it famous in USA? Why is it not famous in India?
• Does swinging of ball happen in Basketball?
• Explain Magnus effect.
• Who organizes Basketball in India?
• What are the dimensions of the court?

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Chess
Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8
grid. Chess is believed to have been invented 1500 years ago in India, then named chaturanga. The game has
changed only slightly since then with the advent of the queen in the 15th century. The ultimate aim in the chess
game is delivering a checkmate – trapping your opponent´s king. The term checkmate is an alteration of the
Persian phrase “Shah Maat”, meaning literally, “the King is ambushed”, and not “the King is dead”, that is a
common misconception. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights,
two bishops, and eight pawns. Each piece type moves differently, with the most powerful being the queen and
the least powerful the pawn.
The game is played on a square board of eight rows called ranks, and eight columns called files. White moves
first, after which players alternate turns, moving one piece per turn (except for castling, when two pieces are
moved). Moving is compulsory; it is illegal to skip a turn. The first generally recognized World Chess
Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, claimed his title in 1886. Since 1948, the World Championship has been regulated
by the Federation Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), the game’s international governing body. FIDE also
awards life-time master titles to skilled players, the highest of which is Grandmaster (GM). Many national chess
organizations have a title system of their own. FIDE also organizes the Women’s World Championship,
the World Junior Championship, the World Senior Championship, the Blitz and Rapid World Championships,
and the Chess Olympiad, a popular competition among international teams. FIDE is a member of
the International Olympic Committee, which can be considered recognition of chess as a sport.
Special moves
Castling: It is a special move allowed only once in a game, for each player. Castling consists of moving the
king two squares along the first rank toward a rook that is on the player’s first rank and then placing the rook
on the last square that the king just crossed. Castling is permissible if the following conditions are met:
• Neither the king nor the rook has previously moved during the game.
• There are no pieces between the king and the rook.
• The king cannot be in check, nor can the king pass through any square that is under attack by an enemy
piece, or move to a square that would result in check. (Note that castling is permitted if the rook is under
attack, or if the rook crosses an attacked square.
En passant: When a pawn makes a two-step advance from its starting position and there is an opponent’s pawn
on a square next to the destination square on an adjacent file, then the opponent’s pawn can capture it en
passant (“in passing”), moving to the square the pawn passed over. This can be done only on the very next turn;
otherwise the right to do so is forfeited.
Promotion: When a pawn advances to the eighth rank, as a part of the move it is promoted and must be
exchanged for the player’s choice of queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color. Usually, the pawn is
chosen to be promoted to a queen, but in some cases another piece is chosen; this is called under promotion.
There is no restriction on the piece promoted to, so it is possible to have more pieces of the same type than at
the start of the game.
Check: When a king is under immediate attack by one or two of the opponent’s pieces, it is said to be in check.
This can involve capturing the checking piece; interposing a piece between the checking piece and the king
(which is possible only if the attacking piece is a queen, rook, or bishop and there is a square between it and the
king); or moving the king to a square where it is not under attack. Castling is not a permissible response to a
check. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent; this occurs when the opponent’s king is in check,
and there is no legal way to remove it from attack.

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Previous Year’s Questions
• Why Chess Board have 64 square Blocks?
• How many queens can be in this game?
• Tell us about FIDE.
• Name any chess player in India. What is his world rating?
• Who is at number 1 at present?
• Name some attacking opening in chess.
• Where did the game originate?
• What is castling?
• What is zugzwang?
Cricket
Cricket is a sport which is played between two teams of eleven players each who score runs (points). This is
done by hitting the ball across the boundary, or by running between two sets of three small, wooden posts
called wickets. The wickets are at each end of a rectangle of short grass called ‘the pitch’. The pitch is inside a
much larger oval of grass called the ‘area of play’. The area of play is a 30-yard circle inside the cricket ground
or stadium. The game started in England in the 16th century.
There are two teams: The team of bowling has 11 players on the field. The team batting has two players, one at
each end of the wicket and rest of the players are sitting. The runs are scored by running between the wickets
or by hitting the ball outside the boundary line. If the ball leaves the field after being hit without bouncing, six
runs are scored. If the ball rolls or bounces out, whether or not the batter hit it, it counts as four runs. The bowler
is trying to aim the ball at a wicket, which is made up of three sticks (called stumps) stuck into the earth, with
two small sticks (called bails) balanced on them. Bowler delivers the balls in a set of deliveries called an “Over”
which is composed of six balls. The batsman is trying to defend the wicket from getting hit with the ball. One
of the fielders, called the ‘wicket keeper’, stands behind the wicket to catch the ball if the bowler misses the
wicket. The other fielders may chase the ball after the batsman has hit it.
Ways of getting the batsman out:
• The batsman misses the ball and the ball hits the wicket: called bowled.
• A fielder catches the ball after the batsman hits it, and before it bounces or leaves the field: called caught.
• The ball hits the batsman’s body when it would have hit the wicket otherwise. Called LBW (leg before
wicket).
• While the batsmen are running, a fielder can throw the ball at the wicket. If the batsmen cannot finish the
run-in time, and the ball hits the wicket, the batsman nearer to the wicket that is hit is out: this is called run
out. When a batsman is out, another comes onto the field to take his place.
The innings is over when ten wickets are taken. After this, the team which was the ‘fielding’ team becomes the
‘batting’ team. They now have to score one run more than the other team managed to score to win.
Forms of Cricket:
• One-Day International (ODI): restricted to 50 overs batting for each side and each bowler can bowl up to
10 overs maximum.
• Test Match: It is the longest form of cricket, played for 2 days, giving 2 innings to each team.
• T-20: It has 20 overs for each side and each bowler can bowl up to 4 overs maximum.
Popular Tournaments:
International:
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• ODI World Cup
• T20 World Cup
• Champions Trophy
• U-19 World Cup
• World Test Championship
Indian:
• Ranji Trophy: The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between
multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. The competition currently consists of
37 teams. The competition is named after first Indian cricketer who played international cricket, Ranjit
sinhji Jadeja. Mumbai has won total 41 Ranji Trophy championships, the most by any team.
• Duleep Trophy: is a domestic first-class cricket competition in India. It is named after Kumar Shri Duleep
sinhji of Nawanagar who is also known as “Duleep”, the competition was originally contested by teams
representing geographical zones of India. It is played by teams chosen by BCCI selectors; as well as only
three teams- India Red, India Blue and India Green. The Tournament also sees a shift in format from Knock-
out to Tri Series and matches will proceed under Flood Lights.
• Vijay Hazare Trophy: The Vijay Hazare trophy follows Duleep Trophy. It is named after Prominent
Indian Batsman-Vijay Hazare. Since its inauguration in the 1993-94 seasons, The Vijay Hazare Trophy
lives through various format changes. Until 2001-02, no finals were held. Teams consequently played only
within their zones, with no overall winner named. During the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, a final round-
robin stage was held for the top teams in each zone. Since the 2004–05 tournament, it follows a full finals
series (including semi-finals and afinal), with varying formats. This year Mumbai Cricket Team has lifted
the trophy.
• The Deodhar Trophy is a List A cricket competition in Indian domestic cricket. It is named after Prof. D.
B. Deodhar (known as the Grand Old Man of Indian cricket) and is a 50-over knockout competition played
on an annual basis among the 3 national level teams - India A, India B and India C. It was introduced in
1973-74 season as an inter-zonal tournament. Till 2014–15, two zonal teams played in a quarter-final, with
the winner joining the other three zonal teams in the semi-finals. From there, it was a simple knockout
tournament.
Previous Year’s Questions
• Name two changes in present Indian cricket culture to make it win the world cup?
• Can BCCI give up 25% of its revenue to support other sports? Will India win the world cup?
• Name 3 pace bowlers for the world cup? Why didn’t you include Umesh Yadav.
• What is your view on women’s cricket? Who is the women cricketer who made a difference in the semifinal
in women’s world cricket?
• Regarding broadcasting rights of cricket. No matches on DD channel what about poor people?
• Is better talent being left out during the cricket team selection?
• What are the zones for cricket at the national level?
• Your hobby is to play and watch cricket? Playing is fine; don’t you think to watch the game which is already
fixed is a waste of time?
• Name the Players involved in fixing scandal? Why BCCI is against UDRS?
• What is Lodha committee? What are its recommendations?
• What are issues in BCCI?
• Why cricket is only famous that much and no other sports
• You Play cricket? Batting or Bowling? So what is Yorker?
• What is chinamen bowling? What law applies to bawling? What is in-swing and out-swing?
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• Tell me field positions in cricket.
• Should India and Pakistan play cricket?
• If you want to adopt a cricketer couple as your parents then who would they be?
• Compare Tendulkar with Kohli? Choose one from them?
• Do you think cricket is encroaching space of other sports?
• What changes need to be there in the cricket body and anything you feel should be done to utilize it?
• Do you watch IPL? Is it helping for improving Indian cricket? Don’t you think it is monopolizing cricket?
• Should cricketer be allowed for advertising?
• IPL wasting Indian water. What should be done?
• Is IPL good for India? Should BCCI be exempted from tax liabilities? Don’t you think tax exemption
amounts to wastage of taxpayers’ money?
• You are a sportsperson. The head if IOC has said that no sport except Cricket can survive in India without
government funds. Do you agree? –
• Why is cricket so famous? We were world champions in both Cricket and Hockey. So, why didn’t we focus
on Hockey? Why is it not famous?
• Have you heard of “Duckworth Lewis”? How it calculates a target for the team batting second?
• The Indian cricket team is on a winning spree and people say it’s because of the captain, What do you think?
• Tell me whether a batsman can be stumped out on no ball?
• How many no balls are allowed in the over?
• Who won the recent IPL?
Football
Football, also called soccer, game in which two teams of 11 players, using any part of their bodies except their
hands and arms, try to maneuver the ball into the opposing team’s goal. Only the goalkeeper is permitted to
handle the ball and may do so only within the penalty area surrounding the goal. The team that scores more
goals wins. The governing body of football worldwide is the Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA) Ball: Its circumference is 27-28cm and mass is 14-16 oz (410-450g). The balls used in a
league or international match have to be approved by FIFA. There are four classes in which the 11 players are
divided:
• Goalkeepers: He /She has to try and stop the other team from scoring (kicking the ball into his goal). The
goalkeeper is the only player who can touch the ball with his/her hands.
• Defenders: They try and stop the other team from scoring by protecting their goal.
• Midfielders: They are the players in between the defenders and strikers. They pass the ball to the strikers
so they can score. Midfielders also help defenders (by defending their goal) and strikers (by trying to score
themselves).
• Strikers (also known as forwards or attackers): They try to score goals by kicking the ball into the other
team’s goal. Formations: The three most commonly used formations today are probably the 4-5-1, 4-3-3,
and the 4-4-2 (note: first # is the # of defenders, the second midfielders, and third forwards) although there
are some different variations of each. Two variations of a 4-4-2 are the “flat back four” and a “diamond
back” or “sweeper, stopper” where the back four defenders form a diamond with the stopper ahead of the
sweeper. Other less commonly used formations are the 3-6-1, 4-2-4, and the 3-5-2.
• Referees: There are 4 referees. The center referee has sole authority, but two assistant referees who officiate
from the touchline may advise him, particularly on issues of offsides and whether the ball has left the pitch,
or draw his attention to infringements that he may have missed. The fourth referee stands off the pitch in
between both team’s benches and controls substitutions and keeps track of the game’s goals, bookings and
ejections.

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• Duration: A football match consists of two halves and each half is 45 minutes long. Between the two halves
there is an interval of 15 minutes. Stoppage time (also called injury time) is the time added on at the end of
each half at the discretion of the referee. The stoppage time added is roughly proportional to the length of
delays in the game. These delays may be due to injuries, time lost through substitutions, general time
wasting etc. If tied at the end of regular time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which
consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, the teams proceed to
penalty shoot outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as “kicks from the penalty mark”) to determine
the winner. Note that goals scored during extra time periods are considered part of the final score of the
game
• A goal is scored when the ball crosses the goal line entirely, between the goalposts and under the crossbar,
provided the attacking side has not committed an offence.
Offside Law
• Offside Position: A player is in an offside position if “he is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the
ball and the second last opponent”, unless he is in his own half of the field of play. A player level with the
second last opponent is considered to be in an onside position. Note that the last two defenders can be either
the goalkeeper and another defender, or two ordinary defenders. Also note that offside position is
determined when the ball is touched/played by a team-mate - a player’s offside position status is not then
altered by subsequent runs by players of either side. It is important to note that being in an offside position
is not an offence in itself.
• Offside Offence: A player in an offside position is only committing an offside offence if, “at the moment
the ball touches or is played by one of his team”, the player is in the referee’s opinion involved in active
play by: interfering with play; interfering with an opponent; or gaining an advantage by being in that
position.
• Offside Sanction: The sanction for an offside offence is an indirect free kick to the opposing team, from
where the offence occurred.
Kicks
• Free Kicks: These are of two types: Direct and Indirect Direct free kick is rewarded to a team if the
opponent’s player touches the ball with his hands or arms (unless he is the goalkeeper within the penalty
area) or fouls a player on the other team. An indirect free kick is usually awarded for an infraction of the
rules, not necessarily aimed at a player of the opposing team. Direct free kicks are allowed to go into the
goal with only one person touching the ball. Indirect free kicks are indicated by the referee raising his arm
from the time the foul is awarded until it is first touched by a player other than the taker of the free kick. If
a shot from an indirect free kick goes into the opponents’ goal without having been touched by another
player, no goal is scored and a goal kick is awarded to the defending team. A difficult concept for many to
grasp is advantage, a player may foul another player and yet a foul may not be called if that players team
does not lose the advantage. An example would be if a player was knocked down in the course of passing
the ball to the team mate who scored.
• Penalty Kick: A penalty kick is the kick rewarded to a team whose opponent’s player commits a foul inside
its own box for which the sanction is a direct free kick. The ball is kept at a spot marked 12 yards from the
center of the goal. No player other than the penalty taker is allowed within 10 yards of the ball until it has
been struck: the goalkeeper is the only other player allowed in the penalty area during this time, and he may
not advance from his line until the penalty has been taken. The taker cannot touch the ball again until another
player has touched it. A goal is rewarded if the ball goes in the net.
• Corner Kick: If a member of the defending team is the last person to touch the ball before it crosses the
goal line or if the ball enters the goal directly from a goal-kick, throw in or indirect free kick taken by the

46
 defending team, a member of the attacking team restarts plays with a kick from the quarter circle at the
corner of the pitch nearest to where the ball left the pitch.
India and Football tournaments
• Indian Super League: India’s current top domestic league, Indian Super League, was formed in 2013 in
an attempt to professionalize domestic football. In 2013 the Indian Super League was formed as an
unrecognized professional league with eight teams to promote Indian football to the country and world. It
was recently recognized by FIFA. Unlike the vast majority of football leagues around the world, the ISL
does not use the promotion and relegation system. Instead, it uses an American style franchise system in
which ten teams were specifically created to participate in the league.
• Santosh Trophy: a knock-out competition between states (provinces) and government institutions. This is
held annually since 1941. The trophy is named after the late Maharaja Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary
of Santosh.
• Durand Football Tournament: It was started by then, India’s Foreign Secretary, Mortimer Durand at
Simla, India, in 1888, initial matches were played in Dagshai. It was basically initiated, as a recreation for
British troops stationed in India. The Durand Cup was twice suspended, during the two world wars. In 1940
the venue was shifted to New Delhi.
• Indian Women’s League: On 21 April 2016, over a year after the AIFF started plans for a women’s football
league, the AIFF President, Praful Patel, said that a women’s football league would kick off in October
2016 with six teams to be decided, with the goal to expand to eight teams by 2017.
Administration: The game in India is administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which is
affiliated with the regional Asian Football Confederation, as well as with the worldwide body FIFA. The Indian
national team has entered into the regional Asian Cup but has never competed in any World Cup. The Indian
women’s national team has also played in various competitions; moreover, women’s football has its own
separate inter-state and state competitions. Youth football is administered by the governmental Sports
Authority of India.
Previous Year’s Questions:
• Who is your favorite footballer?
• What is the full form of FIFA? Who is its chairman? Which country does it belong to?
• Do you know the signature move of Pele?
• What is the standard size of a football ground?
• Tell me about Ronaldo and Messi.
• Where is the next FIFA World Cup? Where was the last and who was the winner?
• What is the science behind football manufacturing? How many hexagons and pentagons are there on
football?
• So why is India not doing well in football compared to other sports?
• What is the difference between Football, soccer and Rugby?
• So your hobby is football why is India not able to win in the Olympics? If the infrastructure is not there in
rural areas how is north east performing well?
• What is the current rank of India in football? Name some Indian footballers.
• Do tall players possess any inherent advantage in football?
Painting
It is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface called the “matrix” or
“support” using brush, knives, sponges, and airbrushes. Paintings can be naturalistic and representational (as
in a still life or landscape painting), photographic, abstract, narrative, symbolistic, emotive, political in nature.
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Support for paintings includes such surfaces as walls, paper, canvas,
wood, glass, lacquer, pottery, leaf, copper and concrete, and the painting may incorporate multiple other
materials including sand, clay, paper, plaster, gold leaf, as well as objects.
Types of Painting
• Oil painting: is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil. Often
the oil was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called ‘varnishes’ and
were prized for their body and gloss.
• Pastel: is a painting medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The
pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints;
the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation. The color effect of pastels is closer to the natural dry
pigments than that of any other process. Because the surface of a pastel painting is fragile and easily
smudged, its preservation requires protective measures such as framing under glass; it may also be sprayed
with a fixative.
• Acrylic paint: is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic
paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on how much the paint
is diluted (with water) or modified with acrylic gels, media, or pastes, the finished acrylic painting can
resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique characteristics not attainable with other
media. The main practical difference between most acrylics and oil paints is the inherent drying time. Oils
allow for more time to blend colors.
• Watercolor: is a painting method in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble
vehicle. 5. Ink paintings: are done with a liquid that contains pigments and/ or dyes and is used to color a
surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing with a pen, brush, or quill. Ink can be
a complex medium, composed of solvents, pigments, dyes, resins, lubricants, solubilizers, surfactants,
particulate matter, fluorescers, and other materials. Fresco: is any of several related mural painting types,
done on plaster on walls or ceilings. The pigments require a binding medium, such as egg (tempera), glue
or oil to attach the pigment to the wall.
• Gouache: is a water-based paint consisting of pigment and other materials designed to be used in an
opaque painting method. Gouache differs from watercolor in that the particles are larger, the ratio of
pigment to water is much higher, and an additional, inert, white pigment such as chalk is also present. This
makes gouache heavier and opaquer, with greater reflective qualities.
• Aerosol paint or spray paint: is a type of paint that comes in a sealed pressurized container and is released
in a fine spray mist when depressing a valve button. A form of spray painting, aerosol paint leaves a
smooth, evenly coated surface. Standard sized cans are portable, inexpensive and easy to store.
Aerosol primer can be applied directly to bare metal and many plastics. Speed, portability and permanence
also make aerosol paint a common graffiti medium.
• Tempera or egg tempera: is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment
mixed with a water-soluble binder medium. Tempera paintings are very long lasting.
Famous Indian Folk Paintings
• Madhubani painting: It was originated in a small village known as Maithili of Bihar, initially, the women
folk of the village drew the paintings on the walls of their home, as an illustration of their thoughts, hopes
and dreams.
• Kalamkari Paintings: The literal meaning of Kalamkari is a painting done by kalam (pen). These
paintings are made in Andhra Pradesh. It is hands painted as well as block printing with vegetable dyes
applied on cloth. Vegetable dyes are used for colour in the Kalamkari work.

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• Phad Paintings: It is a type of scroll painting. It is a-most famous painting of Rajasthan. Phad painting
depicts the heroic deeds or a heroic figure, the daily life of a peasant, rural life, animals and birds, flora
and fauna.
• Warli Paintings: Warli painting derives its name from a small tribe inhabiting the remote, tribal regions
of Maharashtra. These are decorative paintings on floors and walls of ‘gond’ and `kol’ tribes’ homes and
places of worship. Trees, birds, men and Women, collaborate to create a composite whole in a Warli
painting. These are made mostly by the women.
• Kalighat painting: Kalighat painting derives its name from its place of origin Kalighat in Kolkata. These
paintings on paper made with water colours. Subjects are images of Kali, Lakshmi, Krishna, Ganesha,
Shiva, and other gods and goddesses in this process artists developed a unique new form of expression,
and effectively, portray a wide range of subjects commenting on the social life of Bengal
Previous Year’s Questions
• Tell me about your hobby painting.
• Tell me about warli painting. (mentioned in DAF)
• What is different in warli painting? What do the shapes in the warli painting depict?
• Tell me about the monalisa painting.
• Who was M.F. Hussain? Tell about him.
• What kind of painting do you like?
• What is the difference between painting and sketching?
• Tell us the names of the famous Indian painters.
• What is the use of painting?
• What is to be done to promote Indian painting?
• Why don’t you opt for it as a profession?
• Your hobby is cartoon sketching. Name some famous cartoonists of India.
• Your hobby is cartoon sketching. There are instances when certain people are depicted in a derogatory
way? What do you think?
• Which is best painting you like? Why?
Poem
A poem is the arrangement of words that contain meaning and musical elements. It is a piece of writing that
expresses the writer’s thought and feelings in order to set a mood; it can be happy or sad, simple or complex.
In just a few words, a poem can say a lot. It can inspire and awe and can be a welcome escape into something
that is totally wonderful. A poem can either be rhyming or non-rhyming. It uses symbols and has lines and
stanzas that have sentences, fragments of sentences or both. It uses metaphor and alliteration, especially in
poems for children. There are several types of poems including: Sonnets, which are poems about love and is
the most popular type of poem and Ode, which is a lyrical poem with three parts; strophe, antistrophe and
epode. A poem can also be epic, narrative, dramatic, or lyrical. An epic poem is one that is centered on mythical
or heroic figures, a narrative poem tells a story, dramatic poems are written in verse, and lyrical poems describe
the poet’s feelings and thoughts.
Poetry
Poetry existed long before people became literate. Ancient poems were memorized and passed down from one
generation to another orally. Indian Vedas, Zoroaster’s Gathas and Odyssey are examples of ancient poetry.
Poetry is defined as a literary form of art, evoked in language. It can be written on its own or in combination
with other arts as in poetic drama, poetic hymns, lyrical poetry and prose poetry. Poetry is distinguished from
other forms of writing by its use of repetition, verse, rhyme and aesthetics. It uses words and speech in rhetoric,

49
drama, song and comedy. It suggests alternative meanings in its words to bring about an emotional or sensual
response. Poetry uses rhythm, alliteration and onomatopoeia, which give it a musical effect. It uses symbolism,
metaphor, simile, metonymy, irony and ambiguity to suggest different interpretations. Poetry has many
elements, some of them are: Prosody, the study of the meter, rhythm and intonation of a poem; Rhythm, the
timing set by accents, syllables or moras; Meter, a metric system used by poets; Rhyme, alliteration and
resonance, which are ways that create a repetitive pattern of sound that can be identical (hard rhyme) or similar
(soft rhyme).
Difference between Poem and Poetry:
• Poetry is the use of words and language to evoke a writer’s feelings and thoughts, while a poem is the
arrangement of these words.
• Poetry is the process of creating a literary piece using metaphor, symbols and ambiguity, while a poem is
the end result of this process.
• Poem is the fundamental unit of poetry whereas poetry is made of the poem.
Previous Year’s Questions:
• What kind of poem do you write?
• How frequently do you write?
• What was the last topic?
• In which language you like to hear the poems? Recite your own poetry.
• Tell us about any ancient Indian poet?
• Tell us any Shayari of Ghalib.
• Does Shayari inspire you?
• So, you read and write Shayari. Recite one.
• Role of poets in Indian freedom struggle?
• Tell me your best poem?
• What is the main difference between poems and poetry?
• What is the difference between Shayari and wazm?
• Who is your favorite poet and why?
• What is the difference between Ghazal and Nazm?
Some other Previous Year’s Questions related to Hobbies
Reading Novels
• What kind of novels you read, (Hindi, English, regional languages, fiction, non-fiction, short stories, pulp
fiction, etc.)
• Your favourite author(s)/novel(s)/the last one/recently read novel. Why do you like the novel/novelists
works, etc.?
• Standard and volume of novels/literature in Hindi and regional languages is declining. Do you agree? If yes
then what should be done to promote Indian writers and literature?
• What are the reasons for the success of Indian writers in English language, especially on the backdrop of
international acclaim and awards won in recent years? What is the reason of the rising popularity of English
novels in India vis-à-vis other languages (e.g. wide readership, money in English publication or other factors
responsible for it).
• Have a brief idea about important Indian writers/novelists in language of your interest as well as in Hindi
and English.
• What measures should be taken to encourage readership amongst youth and children?

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Cooking
• Which form of cooking is your hobby/specialization? For example, food such as North Indian, South Indian,
regional, Western, Chinese, Oriental, etc.
• Name a few dishes which you cook best/have practiced cooking recently, its recipe/method of cooking or
what can you cook quickly?
• What should be the focus areas in cooking? For example, areas such as hygiene, nutrition, taste,
presentation, cost, etc. What precautions should be exercised while cooking?
• Are modern life-styles and fast food adversely affecting traditional Indian style of cooking?
• Have a critical understanding of Indian cooking and its pros and cons e.g. use of oil, spices, frying; emphasis
on, fresh cooked/non processed food, variety of food items; traditional method of cooking. Do you know
MLA Pesarattu? Recepie?
• Food fortification? What is good calorie intake for human beings?
• What is important? Taste, or nutrition or presentation?
• Probiotics -Tribal and food fortification; Micronutrient foods.
• When do you cook?
• How cooking will help you in Administrative life?
• Kokum made from which part of tree?
• Prescribe me a balanced diet.
• What is kokum curry?
• How do you cook Daal Baati?
• What do you cook? If you want to put a hoarding in your village to convince people to come and have food
there. What will be the tagline you will use?
• How did cooking and gardening develop as a hobby?
• What you cook? Which type of dishes you cook?
• In what dishes you are good at?
Badminton
• You play badminton. Singles or doubles? What are the differences in services in singles and doubles? You
play badminton, I have come from Africa, I don’t know anything about Badminton, I want to play
badminton, how will you teach me, about Badminton?
• What is the status of badminton in India?
• Why china is dominating?
• Why racquet is oval-shaped?
• At which level did you play badminton? What is the contribution of Pullella Gopichand? Who is Prakash
Padukon?
• For indoor, is there any limit for the ceiling?
• Name other famous Indian badminton players?
• How will you prepare a badminton court? What are the dimensions of the court?
• Where did badminton originate? Are you sure it was in the UK? What if I said badminton originated in
India?
• What are recent changes in badminton rules? Which series has recently started?
Photography
• Is there any kind of disruptive technology in the field of photography? First tell me what is disruptionist
technology? So, is there any kind of such technology in photography?
• Do you print your photographs?
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• What is the difference between film photography and digital photography? What are the changes in
images/pictures due to digital photography?
• You have photography as an interest. Do you know what the depth of field is? How do you control it? What
do you like to click? What’s the depth of field you use?

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 CHAPTER-11 TOPERS INTERVIEW

"Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don't wish it were easier; wish you
were better" - Jim Rohn
This chapter includes a set of interviews of the toppers of the previous Civil Services Examination (CSE). All
of these candidates have been awarded remarkable marks in the personality test enabling them to secure a top
CSE rank. Each of these are truly a gem of an interview and succinctly bring out the dynamics of the personality
test, highlighting the balance to be struck between the preparation of personal profile and the issues/current
affairs. Besides the command over subjects associated with their DAF (Detailed Application Form) all
candidates have displayed commendable poise, presence of mind, sincerity and truthfulness, all worthy of
emulation.
Aditya Ranjan, AIR 99, CSE 2014, Interview Marks 210
• Me: May I come in madam?
Chairperson: Yes, please.
Chairperson: Aditya… already in service... Jharkhand. Preferences, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha.
Chhattisgarh. So, you are already in service?
Me: Yes ma’am
• Chairperson: You must be aiming for some of the top ranks, right?
Me: Yes ma’am
• Chairperson: I have seen toppers filling bigger and better developed states as their first preference. But
you have listed small and less developed states as your top preference. Why is it so?
Me: Ma’am, because they are less developed states … (There was silence for a few seconds on this
unexpected reply of mine but it captured well what I wanted to convey)
• Chairperson: Okay, Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax; you are from Jharkhand, so is there any
dowry system in your state?
Me: Yes ma’am, it is there. But it is mostly in the higher castes and upper classes.
• Chairperson: So, do you believe in caste?
Me: Madam, by the time I could know what is caste; I was already born into it. So I do believe in caste as
a fact but I do not believe in any of the practices associated with it.
• Chairperson: Ok, is there any dowry in the tribal societies?
Me: No ma’am it is not there. In fact, there is a reverse practice of paying the bride.
• Chairperson: Why is it not there?
Me: Ma’am, dowry system is not merely an institution or a practice, but it is also a question mark or a
reflection on the status and dignity of women. In societies where status and dignity of women is mostly at
par and sometimes even higher than that of men, such institutions cannot exist.
• Chairperson: But such practices are slowly moving to tribal societies too. How to stop them?
Me: There are many traditional institutions and practices related to group authority, types and methods of
marriages, lifestyle related to equal economic participation, etc. which help in keeping status of woman
high in the community. They should be fully protected and better still be spread slowly in the feudal
communities too. (She then asked me questions about the literacy rate of Jharkhand, the percentage of tribal
districts in Jharkhand being Naxal affected, etc. I answered them well and the question passed to the 1M.)
• M1: So, you are a computer science engineer.
Me: Yes sir.

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 M1: Do you think that smart phones will replace television in the coming decades? ME: Sir, while smart
phone is a personal friend, TV is a member of family, so there can be interactions between them like Hotstar
Apps and smart TVs but there can be no replacement.
• M1: I see from your profile that you won coding and debugging competitions. What is the origin of the
word bug?
Me: Sir, it comes from the discipline of biology that is any insect kind of creature which is unwanted and
creates problems.
• M1: No, I mean to ask how it came into the world of computers.
Me: Sorry sir I don’t know the exact thing. (The Member then explained the origin of the terminology)
• M1: So, there was a huge mainframe computer in those days which malfunctioned and after a lot of efforts
they found a cockroach inside it and called it a bug.
Me: (I smiled) Okay sir, thank you (everybody smiled). (question passed on to the 2M)
• M2: What is the problem of child labour?
Me: Sir, the problem of child labour lies in the term itself. While labour is an economic concept which
demands economy, efficiency, a greater number of hours of work, and to some extent even exploitation etc.
On the other hand, child’ is a cultural term that demands happiness, quality parenthood, health, education,
love. This paradoxical nature of the term leads to all sorts of problems that can go on even to the extent of
child abuse.
• M1 (interjects): Can you tell us the recent amendments in the Child Labour Act?
Me: (It was a fact-based question and I answered it well)
• M3: It is said that India and USA are natural allies but I see USA is using India as bait against China,
nothing else. What is your view, do you agree?
Me: No sir. I respectfully disagree, as I see India itself as a huge game changer in coming decades. Further
the natural advantages of our country like strategic location in seas, huge market, rising economy, etc. goes
contradictory to the opinion that India can be used by any other country.
• M3: In the light of the recent developments in our neighborhoods like relations with China and Pakistan,
strife in Bangladesh, Maldives, etc., do you think India can be the next battleground like Afghanistan?
Me: No sir, I don’t think India can ever be like Afghanistan. This is so because of its own strengths. A
credible army always under the control of democratic institutions since independence, huge economic and
strategic prowess in the subcontinent, global image as a peace-loving nation, strong diaspora, etc, will never
allow it to become one.
• M4: What do you think about Judicial Appointments Commission? Will it not be a beginning of dark era
in the Indian democracy?
Me: Sir, institutions are built in a certain context. In the context of the ‘Emergency’ and the years after that,
too much of encroachment by executive on judiciary led to the creation of a collegium system which ensured
independence of judiciary. But today when all three institutions are mature enough to respect each other’s
domain then there is a need for NJAC because both separation of powers and checks and balances are
equally important in a democracy.
• M4: I see you were part of ‘Entrepreneurship Development Cell’ in your college. Why in India it is not as
good as it is in the West?
Me: The university culture that is there in the West is missing in our country, as we see some of the major
companies in the West originated in the corridors of university, like the Facebook, Google, etc. The
government policies too are not very conducive for the growth of entrepreneurship. The third major thing I
see is the lack of social acceptance in Indian society to new, independent and unconventional things.
• M4: You said government policies should be there, but I see wherever government entered in business it
has only been bad for the sector like one can see the telecom sector which many feel there are already too
many government regulations and regulators like SEBI, TRAI, etc.

54
 Me: That is what I also meant sir; there are too many regulators but there are no facilitators.
• M1: Hmmm...
• M4: So, you are in Indian Revenue Service. Tell me some of the new and important changes in taxation.
ME: (I spoke about two to three changes that were brought in the Income tax provisions.)
• M4: Ok, more
Me: (I replied about a couple of more changes brought that year in the Direct taxes)
• M4: Ok, some more
Me: (I was about to tell more but was interjected)
• M4: Have you not heard of GST?
Me: Yes, sir I have heard.
(As he had mentioned before the start of the question that I was in Income tax, so I did not go to the Indirect
tax reforms but before I could put an explanation, he said “Ok, thank you”, thus ending my interview.)
Anurag Chander Sharma, AIR 11, CSE 2015, Interview Marks 200
• Chairperson: So, you have worked at ITC for only three months. What have you been doing since then?
Me: Sir, I quit ITC in 2013 to prepare for the Civil Services examination. I qualified last year with a rank
of 416 and I am currently allotted to the IRS(C&CE).
• Chairperson: So, are you undergoing training?
Me: No, sir. I joined the service on 28th December and applied for extra ordinary leave EOL) the next day
itself as it was advised by my course director in the academy that OTs (Office Trainees) who are willing to
take the CSE again should proceed on EOL, as preparing alongside training would not be possible. (At this
point, third Member intervenes)
• M3: So for how long you will be on leave?
Me: For one year, until the Main examination ends this year i.e., December 2016.
• M3: Okay. They did not have this provision during our time. (I nodded politely).
• Chairperson: So, Anurag people are walking in everyday, saying that they want to join the civil services
for diversity, status, exposure, public service, etc. If you have any other novel reason to join, then tell me
what it is?
• Me: No sir. The reasons you have mentioned cover my objectives to join the IAS as well.
• Chairperson: Okay. Have you been following the news lately?
Me: Yes, sir.
• Chairperson: What are your views on the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order on the World Culture
Festival held in Delhi? (The World Cultural Festival had been organized from 11 th to 13th March 2016 by
the Art of Living Foundation, on the flood plains of Yamuna in New Delhi. Participants of over 150
countries performed in these three days cultural extravaganza. However, owing to removal of vegetation,
levelling of the banks of Yamuna and other activities having adverse environmental impact the NGT had
criticized and imposed a fine on the Art of Living Foundation.)
Me: The NGT has proclaimed the World Cultural Festival (WCF) to be an “ecological disaster”. It has
caused serious damage to the Yamuna floodplains. In my opinion, while WCF does project India’s soft
power it should not have been conducted in an ecologically fragile region.
• Chairperson: But what kind of disaster do you think can occur in that region? Only shrubs and trees were
removed and the area was levelled. No permanent structures were constructed. Then how does it become
an ecological disaster?
Me: Sir, the gestation period to the buildup of a disaster is long. Even though no permanent structures were
constructed one cannot predict what impact it may cause immediately. However, as the floodplain was
levelled and all vegetation removed, the region becomes prone to flooding and inundation by say, torrential

55
 rainfall. Hence, the NGT sought to proclaim the WCF as an ecological disaster based on the evidence that
was put forth.
• Chairperson: So what should have been done?
Me: Sir, the authorities should have assessed the scale of the project before any kind of clearance was given.
(At this point fourth Member also nodded.)
Chairperson passed the baton to the M1.
• M1: Recently in Himachal Pradesh, the CBI has been looking into various cases of fake universities giving
degrees. Do you think this is the reason why the state has a high literacy rate?
Me: I am unaware of this news sir. But anyone above the age of seven only needs to able to read and write
in any one language to be proclaimed literate. So the students being duped by these fake colleges would be
that capable in my opinion. Hence, literacy should not have any correlation with this CBI case.
• M1: So, you studied at Sanskriti School. It was in the news recently. Why? (Sanskriti School is based in
New Delhi)
Me: Sir, the High Court of Delhi has quashed the quota for civil servants in Sanskriti School.
• M1: How much was the reservation?
Me: I do not remember sir.
• M1: Do you think it is right to have a quota in this school?
Me: No sir. I think the entry to the school should me merit based. Such a reservation breeds a wrong culture
and leads to the formation of groupism amongst young minds at the school level itself. Young minds should
not be molded with a sense of entitlement but with a sense of equality. Further, the official quota at the
entry stage translates into preferential treatment for the children with a bureaucratic background. For
example, I wanted to pick economics as my 5th subject in 11th standard but I was offered biotechnology
even though some vacancies in economics were kept open for students with a bureaucratic background.
According to me this was incorrect.
• M1: Groupism forms in colleges and universities between general and non-general candidates also. You
must be against SC/ST/OBC reservations also?
Me: Sir, I am not against the ideology behind reservations. But the manner in which it is implemented needs
a relook. The entire scheme was meant to be a temporary measure but the current manner of its
implementation makes it appear as if the policy would continue perpetually. Further, the benefit of
reservation only accrues to a certain higher class within the caste groups having reservation. Hence this
“elite” within the caste group restricts the possibility of lower classes within the SC/ST/OBC community
to avail of the benefit of reservations.
• M1: I agree with you on this. (This was a morale boosting statement)
• M1: So, you like reading books. What kind of books do you read?
Me: Both fiction and non-fiction. No particular genre as such.
• M1: Why are books considered a man’s best friend?
Me: They are a source of knowledge and guidance. For me it would be the sense of accomplishment that
the book provides when I am done reading it.
• M1: But why only books? Even teachers are a source of knowledge. Why particularly books?
Me: Sir, I think this is a subjective opinion that one can have. For me it is books. For example, for others
the dog is considered man’s best friend. (At this point fourth Member smiled a bit.)
• M1: Okay. Thank you, Anurag.
• (Chairperson asked M2 to proceed.)
• M2: So, you had biotechnology in classes 11th and 12th. Can you tell me what major biotech related issue
has been doing rounds in the news for some time now?
Me: Sir, it is GM crops.

56
• M2: What has been happening with respect to GM crops in India?
Me: Sir, based on the recommendations of the ‘Technical Expert Committee’ the Supreme Court has put
an indefinite moratorium on open field trials of GM crops (particularly Bt brinjal) until proper bio-safety
testing with respect to toxicity is complete and a proper regulatory mechanism is set up to assess GM crops.
This was because India is the center of origin for brinjal and the current genetic makeup of the plant has
evolved over many thousands of years. Hence, tampering at the genetic level without proper tests could
affect the crop adversely.
• M2: But do we need GM crops?
Me: Yes, sir. Due to the challenges posed particularly by climate change and pests, we require drought
resistant hardy crops, which are also immune to pesticide resistant pests. Even the Economic Survey
2015–16 has made a strong case for India to invest in GM crops.
• M2: What else can India do?
Me: Sir, Bangladesh has invested in Bt-Brinjal and reaped its benefits. While India conducts its tests
and strengthens its regulatory mechanism it can learn from Bangladesh’s example.
• M2: What is the genetic cause for cancer?
Me: At the genetic level, a faulty gene leads a cell to multiply uncontrollably and this leads to the
formation of malignant tumors in the body.
• M2: What is siRNA?
Me: I am unaware of this sir.
(Chairperson points to M3 to continue.)
• M3: You called the WCF an ecological disaster. I think that is far-fetched. I have been to the Yamuna
floodplains many times. There is hardly any vegetation there. Even sir (points to M1) would agree with me
on this. Don’t you think it is too much for the NGT to intervene and call this an ‘ecological disaster’?
Me: Sir, the NGT has used such a term based on the evidence that was provided to it. It was admitted that
the scale of the project was not assessed by the authorities when clearance was provided.
• M3: (interrupts). But courts can be wrong also. That is why you have the system of appeal.
Me: Yes, but in a democracy, we go to the courts for adjudication. And there is no higher authority than the
SC to interpret the law. The court is not final because it is right, it is right because it is final.
• M3: Is climate change happening?
Me: Yes, sir. All the evidence points to support the fact. The global average temperatures have risen since
preindustrial levels due to anthropogenic reasons, the global stock of carbon in the air has risen above 400
ppm, the size of the Antarctic ice shelf has progressively reduced over the years, the decadal difference of
the length of glaciers highlights sharp withdrawal and the sea level is also rising...
• M3: (interrupts). How much has the sea level risen?
Me: I do not have exact figures but various studies point that it threatens to consume island states such as
those in the pacific unless we act now.
• M3: Various studies have been done by Geological Survey of India to highlight that glaciers are not
receding. Since you are being so emphatic about climate change maybe you should look it up.
Me: Sir, I am not being emphatic. Science works on the principle of refutability. If a counter evidence is
provided the current position will naturally be changed. I shall look up these studies and update myself
accordingly. (3M smiled.) (C passes the baton to fourth Member.)
• M4: So, you are from Himachal. Which is the major river in the state?
Me: Sir, I don’t know which particular river you are referring to but the major rivers in the state are Beas,
Sutlej, Yamuna, Chenab and Ravi.
• M4: Which district are you from?
Me: Kangra

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• M4: What are the neighboring districts?
Me: Chamba, Mandi, Kullu.
• M4: (interrupts). Which is the northern most district, which shares a border with Jammu & Kashmir?
Me: Chamba
• M4: Are you sure? Don’t you think it is Bharmour? (I knew this was a trick question as there is no district
called Bharmour).
Me: No sir, Chamba is the northernmost district.
• M4: What is the major hydroelectric project on Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh?
Me: Sir, I am not able to recollect.
• M4: Bhakra Nangal. I nodded. (I thought the dam was situated in Punjab. However, Bhakra dam is in
Bilaspur, HP. Nangal dam is south of Bhakra and is situated in Punjab.)
• M4: Okay, so what is the difference between base load generating station and peak generating station?
Me: Depending on the average load consumption in a particular division, the base load generating stations,
which are mostly always coal based power plants, are adjusted to provide a constant load near to the average
consumption. They operate at high Plant Load Factor (PLF). Peaking power stations are gas based or hydro
based generating stations, which increase their output as the load increases. They operate at low PLF for
this reason.
• M4: How is the average load consumption determined?
Me: Based on the load curve.
• M4: Where is it plotted?
Me: Sir, it is done at the Load Dispatch Centre.
• M4: Okay coming down to your hobby. What is the difference between a piano and a harmonium?
Me: Sir the harmonium is a wind instrument whereas the piano is a percussion instrument.
• M4: How many octaves does a harmonium have?
Me: I am not sure sir. I have never played the harmonium. I only play the piano.
• M4: Okay. What about the octaves on a piano?
Me: Sir, it has seven octaves plus three more keys
• M4: What type of theme do you play?
Me: Western classical only.
• M4: Okay Anurag, thank you.
• Chairperson: Alright thank you. You may leave.
(I got up, wished all the members and left. It was a pleasant experience. The board was cordial.)
Nitin Sangwan, AIR 28, CSE 2015, Interview Marks-193
I wished the members good morning and was asked to sit down. The chair was tucked inside the table and I had
to pull it out. It was a heavy wooden chair and as I tried to lift it, it hit the table above making me a bit nervous.
• Chairperson: What is your roll number?
Me: 0055401 (Instead of saying fifty-five thousand four hundred and one, I told every single digit loudly
and clearly.)
• Chairperson: Where are you posted right now?
Me: Sir, currently I am a probationer at National Academy of Customs Excise and Narcotics, Faridabad
(Here I avoided the abbreviated name of the academy).
• Chairperson: So, you have worked as a Tehsildar in Haryana. How long were you there?
Me: Sir, around one and half year.
• Chairperson: In which areas did you work there?
Me: Sir, I was still in training and for some time I got field experience as a Patwari and a Quanungo.

58
• Chairperson: So, you have not worked in actual capacity as a Tehsildar?
Me: No sir, probation period was actually of two years and I had left before it was over.
• Chairperson: Nitin, India has been aspiring for a permanent seat in the UNSC for a long time and has been
struggling for that. Assuming this is the platform of the UN and you are the Indian ambassador to the UN,
you will get one minute to think or write and 2.5 minutes for presenting your case assuming that this is the
gathering at the UN. (I scribbled a few points on a piece of paper and was soon asked to stop and deliver).
Me: (With a little loud voice) Good Morning all, India is the largest democracy in the world and yet the
irony is that India is not a permanent member of the UNSC. We are the third largest economy as well in
terms of PPP. We are one of the largest contributors of the peacekeeping forces in the world. Historically,
India has an excellent record of upholding peace and other noble ideals. We have also supported all the
major progressive resolution in UN on women, rights of the underprivileged and so on. So, being the largest
democracy of the world, we deserve this seat. (My conclusion was a bit awkward hinging on the word
‘democracy’. The ideas of nuclear weapon state, NAM, etc. were in my mind, but I deliberately avoided
them for some reasons).
• Chairperson: You mentioned democracy twice, what so big thing about that. And it is a fact that we are
still behind 5th on GDP.
Me: (almost interrupting) Sir, GDP is measured in various terms, India is 3rd not in real terms, but on PPP.
• Chairperson: Who said that (with a wry dismissive face)? What is the difference? There must be some
various other areas where India has excelled and which you might have added. Can you think of more?
Me: (It suddenly dawned upon me that the C is an ex-navy personnel) Sir, in terms of military strength also
we are a leading country.
• Chairperson: Yes, we are fifth biggest military power. What else?
Me: In terms of population also we represent almost 1/6th of the world.
• Chairperson: What population (he said in a tone as if population is a kind of burden on India and is of no
consequence). Give me some other points.
Me: Sir, nothing comes to my mind at this time.
• Chairperson: India has done so well in terms of technology, services. We are also a leading space power.
We are also a nuclear power as well. (I nodded at each utterance and at this he passed it to other members)
• M1: What is the difference between engineering and technology?
Me: Sir, I would like to explain it with the help of an illustration. For example, in a lighter, how we make
the lighter and its parts is about engineering and how it actually works is technology. (I had read similar
definition and example earlier somewhere and I blurted it out). (At this C interrupted)
• Chairperson: Can you give another example?
Me: Sir, If we take another simpler example of say a wheel, then the process of making the wheel, i.e.
chipping wood off it, turning it, etc. will be engineering part and how the wheel functions is the technology.
• M1: What is Panchsheel?
Me: Sir, it was a doctrine of foreign policy that was propounded in the early 1950s by India, especially
keeping in mind our neighbours like China. It is said that its core philosophy was taken from Buddhism and
it included five principles, namely, non-interference, peaceful coexistence, and so on. Basically, it was a
peace doctrine of India.
• M1: Why did our first PM, Nehru, decided to go ahead with PSUs after the independence?
Me: Sir, at the time of independence, level of industrial development was very poor. Private enterprise was
also very weak as the British followed a policy of imports and it had virtually killed our domestic private
enterprise. Hence, to give industrial development a push in India, state had to invest in certain basic and
heavy industries.
• M1: Government invests more in engineering as compared to other social sciences. And when they go
somewhere else, this money is wasted. Do you think so?

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 Me: Sir, education is not just about... (At this point, I was interrupted by 1M).
• M1: I think you are not clear with the question. Let me repeat it again (he repeated, saying that government
suffers loss actually when this happens as engineers are not doing engineering work).
Me: Sir, there may be a notional loss in terms of say money when an engineer enters into other fields like
management, civil services and even entrepreneurship. The contribution that one makes there cannot always
be quantified in measurable terms and in terms of value addition, there may be even more in these fields.
• (At this point, 2M takes over)
• M2: In Lakshadweep, what kind of administrative challenges do you face? (I was in DANICS earlier, so
he probably asked this one for that reason)
Me: Sir, first of all, it is the communication and transportation. There are only two way to connect there—
by sea or by air. And very few airlines operate on that route. So, essential supplies are one issue. Secondly,
the island is a coral island and hence fragile one, thus tourism can also not be promoted to a great extent.
Islands are small and not well-connected and hence this is also an issue.
• M2: Any other issues?
Me: Sir, actually, I haven’t been there for long so I not aware much about that.
• M2: (smiling), So, what if you have not been there. From where do you get electricity there?
Me: Sir, I am not aware about that.
• M2: Ok, what is the economic mainstay of Lakshadweep?
Me: Sir, tourism is one source. Secondly, since education and literacy is high there, service industry is also
another source. As the predominant Malayali community lives there, fishing is also important source of
income.
• M2: What else?
Me: Sir, I am not aware about that much.
• M2: Coconut?
Me: (With a bigger smile and nodding, as if I knew it and had just forgotten to say it).
• M2: You told that you have not worked much as Tehsildar, but you must be having a fair idea about land
records. In some countries, land record system is managed very well and there are hardly any disputes,
while in India, it is not so. Do you know about any such countries?
Me: Sir, I am not aware about any such countries but in India the problem is due to poor land records. First
of all, the land is not consolidated in many states except a few states like Haryana. Some land holdings are
still of irregular shapes and this creates problems. Further, ‘Intakaals’ or mutations are also not timely and
sometimes, revenue officials also connive with parties to deform the records. So, this creates issues in India.
• M2: What is this ‘Record of Rights’ called in Haryana?
Me: Sir it is called ‘Jamabandi’.
• M2: How this system of land records can be improved?
Me: Sir, first of all, the consolidation of the land-holdings has to be carried out. Secondly, technology has
to be used so that human interface is minimised. For example, in Haryana, to pay the stamp duty, there is
now ‘eStamping’ in which money is paid in the banks and one need not bring cash. Similarly, there are also
plans of digitisation of all the records through Online Registration, etc. This will ensure that all records are
online and anyone can access these from any place. It will bring more transparency in the whole system.
• M2: What is the name of the program of the Government of India regarding this?
Me: Sir, it is called National Land Record Modernization Program. (at this he nodded and seemed a bit
satisfied)
• M2: You have worked in both the private and public fields. How did you find them?
Me: Sir, both the places had their own advantages and specialties. In private, things are more streamlined,
there are fewer rules and paperwork is lesser. As compared to that, in government, diversity of work is more
though paperwork is also more as e-Governance has still to catch up in government. In some areas like

60
 work-life balance, some companies like Infosys—they are actively promoting work-life balance—as you
find everything you need within campus itself. On the other hand, public sector has still to catch on these
terms. (I had mugged up so many points, but only these came out).
• M3: Have you heard of this term ‘work ethics’? (I said ‘Yes’). What is it?
Me: (I struggled a bit as I didn’t have a clear definition in my mind and tried to fabricate one) Sir, work
ethics is doing your work with full honesty, dedication and sincerity. It is aligning your goals with
organizational objectives and pursuing them. (And I almost repeated the same things again, but as a different
sentence).
• M3: Different countries have different work ethics. Some are known for good work ethics. Can you name
a few?
Me: Japan is one such country sir. I have heard that employees work there diligently even if employer is
not watching them. This is the reason that even the notions of ‘quality’ comes from… (At this I was
interrupted).
• M3: Ok, leave Japan and Germany, which other countries?
Me: Sir, there are many other European countries. In Asia we have Singapore, and for that reason, it is also
at the top of ‘ease of doing business index’ as well.
• M3: Do you agree that India has inferior work ethics?
Me: No sir, we don’t have ‘inferior’ work ethics, but ‘different’ work ethics. Different would be actually
the right word. The notions of ‘work’ in modern history arrived with industrialization which incidentally
happened first in the West and some Asian countries like Japan and South Korea and hence the idea of work
ethics. We have a different historical context and have a complex society. So, sometimes there are some
extraneous factors that affect workplace as well.
• M3: What are those extraneous factors?
Me: Sir, caste is one. Religion is also there. We have pictures of gods and deities even in our government
offices. Apart from it, we are a much closed knit society and sometimes relatives and friends ask for some
favours as well.
• M3: Why sex ratio is poor in Haryana?
Me: Sir, Haryana is a patriarchal society and for that reason, people attach different notions and values to
male and female child. Secondly, some sociologists also suggest that as land prices went up and property
became costly, due to a patriarchal and patrilineal system, preference for male child also became higher.
Thirdly, Haryana is closer to Delhi and hence there was early access to sex detection techniques in the
region. (this was another expected question and I had prepared it well but I could remember only these.)
• M3: Can you name a few Indian sociologists?
Me: Sir, starting from G S Ghurye, M N Srinivas, Yogendra Singh (and then I suddenly went blank, though
I know names of a lot of them, and seeing my this situation, 3M came to my rescue).
• M3: Ok, tell me the contribution of any one of them.
Me: Sir, Mr. M.N. Srinivas is considered as to be belonging to the structural functionalist tradition in Indian
sociology. He gave various theories on village, caste and religion. He gave idea of ‘dominant caste’ and
‘Sanskritization’ which explains the phenomenon of social change via cultural change.
• (Now the Chairperson took over)
Chairperson: Recently, there was some issue in Haryana. How do you feel about that? Why they were
doing so and how things played out? (He was actually referring to the stir by people of Jat community for
reservation and the consequent violence).
Me: Sir, regarding how I feel about it, I feel very bad about it… (at this I was interrupted and I also realized
that perhaps I had made a wrong selection of words).
• Chairperson: I am not asking about your emotions. You are a future administrator, you have to take
decisions. Tell me how it played out and where administration failed.

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 Me: Sir, the protests started as a particular community (I deliberately avoided putting a name) felt that their
main economic mainstay ‘land’ is no longer a viable option as land holdings become very small. They also
found themselves with no other options like other castes have. Adding to that, employment opportunities
also shrunk in both public and private sector. Public jobs declined from 21 million in 1990s to 17 million
today. Similarly, private sector also failed to provide meaningful jobs. In this situation, the particular
community felt that they are no longer the so called ‘dominant caste’ that others used to call them and hence
suffer from economic handicaps. Regarding how it played out, I would say that it was an ‘error of judgment’
on the behalf of administration. While the protests were growing, adequate preventive and enforcement
measures were not taken and intelligence also apparently failed. Government and higher officials also failed
to establish dialogue and bring the parties on the table for talks to alleviate their apprehensions. So, there
was a communication gap as well. In this situation, technology played its role and misinformation and
rumors spread like a wild-fire through social media, WhatsApp. and situation turned very volatile. As a
result, communities turned against each other as well.
• Chairperson: What do you think that should they be given reservation or not?
Me: No Sir.
• Chairperson: Thanks, your interview is over.
Me: Thank you sir. (I said thank you to other members as well).
(Suddenly, it came to my mind that chair was inside the table when I entered the room (and keeping in mind
that I was sitting in front of an armed forces personnel) and to show my etiquette).
I picked up the chair very gently and tucked it again inside the table—where it was earlier— and left. I also do
not remember what the M4 had asked I am not even sure that whether he had asked any questions at all, or
whether some of these questions were by the M4.)

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 CHAPTER-12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

"Questions are the root of everything great I have done in life. The most creative ideas ever experienced are
often conceptualized by asking simple questions." - Jeff Shinabarger

Q.1 When should I begin preparation for the interview?

Ans. Ideally, preparation should be begun just after the main examination, preferably after taking a break of
10–14 days after the last paper. However, the sabbatical from your books should not stretch beyond a month
and the intensity of preparation should gradually be increased. It is prudent to start as early as possible. Good
and comprehensive preparation can make a difference in the interview marks secured. A difference of even five
to eight percent (nearly 15–20 marks) can very well mean a substantial rise or fall in the final ranking.

Q.2 Do I need to take leave from job/college to prepare for the interview, as I did for the Main
Examination?
Ans. Unlike the Main Examination, which calls for intensive preparation with single minded dedication,
preparation for the interview can be begun by devoting a couple of hours daily which can be increased later on.
This can be done even while you are pursuing you academics or your career. As such taking leave from your
college/job may not be necessary, especially, if you begin your preparation timely. In case you decide to join
any interview guidance Programme or you have started your preparations for the interview rather late, then
taking leave may be necessary. However, it is advisable to take a few days leave before the day the interview is
scheduled. This helps in better mental conditioning and focusing your time and energy on the interview.
Besides, taking leave will be a necessity in case you are from outside Delhi and need to travel to Delhi for
appearing in the interview. So, it is better to preserve your leave for later stages of interview preparation and
appearing for the interview.

Q.3 Which are the areas of interview for which I need to prepare?
Ans. There are no set topics or a cut out syllabus for the personality test. However, depending on the personal
profile of the candidate, as indicated in the Main Examination form submitted to the U.P.S.C, there are some
important areas which ought to be prepared well. These are: (a) city/state of domicile, current residence (b)
Information/analytical perspective of current/previous job (c) Hobby, games and achievement (d) Issues of
national, international and regional importance (e) Subjects of graduation and optional (f) Educational
background (g) Verbal, non-verbal communication skills and techniques of how to answer.

Q.4 What are the qualities/attributes which the Interview Board is looking for in the candidates?
Ans. The attributes desirable in the aspirants are essentially those which are expected of a civil-servant. These
include honesty, integrity, sincerity of purpose, clarity of thought and expression, ability to take decisions,
balance of judgement, and ability to reason, positive approach and other leadership qualities. Amongst these
attributes, the ability to think clearly, coupled with an honest approach, sincerity of purpose and willingness to
toil hard are of utmost importance. In fact, it is the thoughts process of the candidates which the interview board
aims to unravel and understand as a means to assess his personality.

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Q.5 Some Interview Boards are reputed to be very strict in awarding marks while some are perceived to
be generous. What should be the approach if I encounter a so called ‘strict’ Board?
Ans. Some candidates do have apprehensions about a particular Board being strict while some other being
liberal in awarding marks. Such apprehensions and prejudices are not only pointless but at times detrimental
also. The Board to which a candidate is assigned is disclosed only on the day of the interview and there is
nothing which a candidate can do about it. The preparation for the interview cannot be Board specific. Rather,
the preconceived notions about a specific Board’s predisposition can make a candidate unduly depressed, in
case he/she is to be interviewed by a Board perceived to be tough. Conversely, the prospect of interview by a
so called ‘friendly and liberal’ Board can infuse a false sense of euphoria. Both the situations can be detrimental
to the candidate. It is generally believed that some discussions on the marks being allotted by various Boards
are held between the Chairman and the Members of the U.P.S.C on a regular basis. This is to reduce the disparity
in the range of marks being awarded by the Boards. Though there may still be an element of subjectivity in the
awarding of marks by the various Boards, as an interviewee, one need not be perturbed about it. One has to
believe sincerely that all interview Boards will be fair to all candidates.

Q.6 Some people advise that a copy of the application form for the Main Examination should be retained.
Is it necessary? What should I do if I have not retained either its soft or hard copy?
Ans. After you have cleared the Preliminary Examination you are required to fill up and submit the Detailed
Application Form (DAF) for the Main Examination. In this form, the U.P.S.C seeks information about your
educational and social background, home state, choice of subjects, medium of examination in interview,
preference of services, details of prizes, scholarship, previous employment, etc. Needless to say, this
information furnished by you, forms the nucleus around which the questions in the interview revolve.
Understandably, this form should be filled very carefully. After filling this form, a photocopy of this (filled up
form) should be retained, in soft and hard form. This enables you to recollect later the information furnished by
you, and how and what to prepare for the interview. In case you have not retained a copy of this filled up form
then here is what you can do. The Appendix-B of this book contains the particulars of the application form for
the Main Examination. Go through it point wise, recollect to the best of your ability what information you had
furnished and jot it down. Perusing this compiled information will help you in planning your preparation.

Q.7 Is it necessary to indicate a hobby? Can I indicate reading or singing as my hobby? I do not have any
hobby as the pressure of studies does not allow me to pursue my hobby, although I used to have hobbies
in my school days/college days. Should I indicate an activity as a hobby although I do not have much
interest in it? Will claiming ‘social service’, ‘medical aid to poor’ as a hobby, portray a good picture of
me?
Ans. It is always prudent to indicate a hobby, as hobbies from the perspective of the interview represent an
opportunity. It is an area which is likely to capture the attention of the Board and give you a question or two,
on which you can be prepared beforehand. Trying to evade being queried on hobbies/interest is akin to an
opportunity lost. It is advisable to be more specific in your hobby. For instance, instead of mentioning only
‘reading’ as a hobby, it is better to qualify it with, reading novels, magazines, short stories, fiction, non-fiction,
articles etc., or a combination of these.
Similarly, do mention what type of songs you sing, viz., classical, ghazals, bhajans, western, film songs, etc.
Such a description captures the attention of the reader a bit more, while enabling your own preparation to be
more specific and narrower. Claiming an activity which was earlier your hobby but which you are not presently
actively pursuing, is alright. It is quite understandable that the pressure of studies might have dissociated you
from it. But then you need to catch up with it and refresh your knowledge about it during the interview
preparation. However, if you really never had and still do not have any hobby then it is better to leave the
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relevant space in the form blank than to make a false claim. Any hobby, games, etc., indicated in the form,
should genuinely be of your interest. Making false claims or trying to hoodwink the Board can be detrimental.
Please do not claim ‘social service’, ‘medical aid,’ ‘relief to poor’ as your hobby, just to portray a high
ideological self-image, unless you have actually worked or been associated with this field.

Q.8 Is it necessary to indicate I.A.S as the first choice of service in the Main Examination form? I have
opted for I.P.S as my first choice and not opted for I.F.S at all. Can I be questioned about my choice?
How should I explain the choice of service to the Board?
Ans. There is no hard and fast rule for preferring/not preferring a particular service. The preference is often
based on one’s aptitude and abilities, perception about the service, career prospects, work diversity and advice
rendered by others. However, one should be mentally prepared to answer a query if it arises, pertaining to the
choice of service or order of preference. For instance, if somebody has opted for Indian Police Service (I.P.S.)
as the first choice, or not opted for Indian Foreign Service (I.F.S.) at all, then he is besieged with the nagging
question as to how he should explain his preference to the interview board. The way to handle this perplexity is
to question oneself frankly the reason for the specific choice and come out with an honest reply. For many, the
desire to be in a uniformed service and to fight criminals may be a motivation.
Role models like Kiran Bedi or some other IPS officers may also be an inspiration to opt for the Police Service.
For some it is the lure of raw power which might be one of the reasons. Identify both the positive and negative
shades of your thought process. Emphasize and articulate the positive ones and purge out the negative reasons.
Similarly, family compulsions or other personal factors may be the reason for a candidate not opting for the
I.F.S. or for giving it a lower preference. There is no need to carry the burden of guilt that your choice/order of
preference is anomalous. Explain those personal factors (viz., supporting old parents, family commitments,
etc.). You can also add that you want to serve your nation and society from within the country, although you
hold the Indian Foreign Service in high esteem. Please do not state that you do not consider yourself fit to be in
a diplomatic service or have anxiety or fear of not being able to cope up with the foreign environment. Citing
negative reasons to explain the choice/order of preference of services is likely to be detrimental.

Q.9 For the last three years I have been appearing for the Civil Services examination but have qualified
for the interview only for the first time. I have not pursued higher studies or taken up any job. This is
reflected in the Main Examination form. Can I be asked about it? What should be my response?
Ans. It is possible that the Board may ask you whether or not you were pursuing higher studies or had taken up
any job and if not, why. You have to be truthful in your response but need not be distraught or feel) guilty, in
case you were not pursuing higher studies or were unemployed or had repeatedly failed in your previous
attempts. Failures are a part of everybody’s life, and the Board fully understands it. But, it is your approach
towards failures which matters. Whether you accept failure in a positive manner and strive harder for success
or whether you let negative and self-defeating thoughts besiege you is what the Board wants to understand.
Similarly, if you wanted to pursue your goal of qualifying for the civil services with single-minded dedication
and accordingly did not pursue higher studies, then do say so. Even if you were not able to secure any job after
you graduation/post-graduation then state it without any sense of guilt.

Q.10 My job is very time consuming and leaves little time for preparation. I cannot take any leave as I
have already consumed all my leaves in my preparation for the Main Examination. How should I go
about the preparation for the interview?
Ans. Constraints of time is a problem which is faced by many candidates. If you perceive that you are also
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likely to face such a problem then it is better to start your preparation at the earliest without waiting for the
results of the Main Examination. You can begin your preparation just by devoting a couple of hours daily. This
entire amount of time is not required in one go, but you can devote 30–45 minutes in the morning 20–30 minutes
during your lunch break and an hour or so in the evening/night. This is inclusive of the time you spend in reading
newspapers and magazines. Of course, your reading has to be very focused and purposive. If, for reasons that
were beyond your control, you could not do much preparation and do not have much time left for it, then it is
best to concentrate on your personal profile and the most important issues of national/international significance.

Q.11 Which magazines and newspapers are helpful in preparation for the interview? Is watching T.V
helpful? What can be other resource materials/ aids for interview preparation?
Ans. It is advisable to read regularly two national newspapers like The Times of India, The Hindustan Times,
The Hindu, etc. But the more important thing is how and what to read so as to economies on time and yet capture
what is essential for the interview. Making the correct choice of magazine is also important so as to optimize
your time and effort. Given the constraint of time it is essential that you utilize it fruitfully in reading only those
articles which are of relevance and substance. One of the magazines which is popular amongst the aspirants, is
The Frontline. The magazine offers wholesome coverage of issues, with good analysis and cogent view-points.
Other good magazines are The Outlook, India Today, The Week, etc. But it is advisable to go through at least
a couple of magazines, especially in the last few months of interview preparation, so that a whole range of
current issues are covered. Television is a versatile aid for preparation, provided you use it appropriately and
know what and how much to watch. Besides the above, internet, books and at times other people can also give
inputs which are most helpful in your preparation.

Q.12 Some of my friends advise me to join interview coaching. Is it necessary to do so? How helpful are
such interview guidance programmes?
Ans. Joining a coaching institute or an interview guidance programme is an issue which has to be decided by
each candidate considering his own particular circumstances, viz., availability of time, convenience, input
anticipated, logistics and cost involved. While weighing your options the following points are worth
considering.
• Most of the reputed coaching institutes are located in Delhi or other state capitals.
• Some of them provide good inputs about dynamics of personality test, and a decent coverage of current
affairs.
• Attending a good module does add substance to your preparation besides instilling confidence.
• The course fee charged at such institutes is often pretty high, although there are some NGOs operating on
non-commercial basis.
• For attending modules lasting a week or two, one has to work out suitable logistics of stay and transportation
in these cities (if you are not based there).
• For many candidates, taking out time of a week or two from their schedule may be a constraint. There can
be no golden rule which can guide your decision of joining or not joining these courses, nor can there be a
plain ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for an answer. You have to weigh the factors mentioned above and ascertain where the
balance of advantage lies.
However, if you have had absolutely no prior exposure to interviews or you consider personality test to be your
weak spot, then you can opt for professional coaching. But please ascertain beforehand the reputation of the
course/coaching center you intend to join, specifically by speaking to other candidates who might have attended
it earlier. In short, joining professional coaching is not an absolute must but attending a good course can be

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helpful in brushing up your own preparation and knowing where you stand.
Q.13 I am not comfortable wearing a sari. Can I wear a salwar- suit for the interview?
Ans. Whether female candidates should wear saries and the males should wear suits or shirt-tie-trouser
combinations, is a query which is often asked by the candidates. A dress should be such that it should befit the
occasion and be comfortable to wear. Aesthetics, cost of the outfit, socio-economic and cultural perspective are
other factors to consider. A decent well ironed cotton sari is perhaps the most dignified and commonly worn
attire by ladies. However, if for some reason you are physically or mentally uncomfortable wearing it, then
wearing a salwar-suit is the next best option. For men, wearing a suit or coat is not advised as summer sets in
Delhi by this time of the year (April–May). Travelling to the U.P.S.C and waiting there for a couple of hours in
a thick suit or a coat may not be physically comfortable.

Q.14 Can I be questioned on topics of my optional subjects/subjects of graduation? My optional subjects

for the Main Examination were different from the subjects I graduated in. Will I have to revise all of
these subjects for the interview also?
Ans. The Board can ask questions pertaining to your optional subject/subjects studied in graduation/post-
graduation. However, the questions are not likely to be theoretical/factual ones as asked in the ‘Main’
examination. The personality test is not aimed at examining the bookish knowledge which in any case has
already been tested. You need not be bogged down by the nitty-grities of your subjects but should concentrate
on the fundamental aspects of the discipline, e.g. fundamental laws, theories, etc. Also identify the areas of
latest development, especially those which have been in news for some reason. For example, areas of research,
Nobel prize, recent discoveries, international agreements, national and international events, etc. which are
related to your profile/subjects. This should be done for your optional subjects of graduation and post-
graduation. But if you are hard pressed for time then at least revise salient portions of those subjects with which
you have been out of touch or which you have not chosen as your optional in the Mains.

Q.15 I am an engineer from IIT/a doctor from AIIMS/have graduated from a government funded/aided
technical institution. What should be my response if the Board Members remark that by joining civil
services you are wasting a professional seat or the government’s money?
Ans. At the outset purge out any sense of guilt or thought that you are doing anything ethically or legally wrong
by wanting to join the civil services. The government rules fully permit even the professionals and technical
personnel to opt for the civil services. In fact, professionals being a part of civil services are not only permissible
but to a certain extent even desirable. The civil service as a collective body is to work in extremely diverse
social environment. As such diversity of educational background helps to enrich the collective competency of
the civil services. But the most important thing in responding to such query is that first, you, yourself must be
convinced that your ambition of joining the civil services is neither wrong nor misplaced. Wasting of a
professional seat or some amount of government money is only a cliched logic. The burgeoning work force of
India demands lakhs and lakhs of professionals every year; those few hundred, who qualify for the civil services
are akin to a tiny bubble in a big cauldron. How much potential loss can they mean to the huge professional
pool? (Also refer Paragraph 4.4.3 [Chapter 4] ‘Specialist vs Generalist’ for similar queries.)

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Q.16 I am already in a government job/employed with a P.S.U./have a high salary job in an M.N.C. Will
my opting for the civil services be seen as lust for power? What should be my response if am asked why
I want to join the civil services when I already have a very good job?
Ans. Ask yourself what has motivated you to take this grueling examination despite your cushy job. Be truthful
to your own self. The real reason may be a combination of several factors. These may not necessarily be either
ideologically exalted or decried ones. Many a times, it is the challenge of succeeding in one of the toughest
examinations which propels you. It may also be the advice or desire of your parents, suggestions of your friend
or peer influence. For some, public personalities like Kiran Bedi have been an inspiration, while for others, it
may be the glamour or awe which is the driving force. Whatever it may be, do not hide it from yourself.
Introspect, identify and jot it down. The next step is to judge the propriety of the reasons you have given
yourself. As an interviewer, would you prefer a candidate whose motivations are only the glitz and glamour
associated with the civil services and who is blatant about it? Would you believe a person who vainly talks
about lofty selfless ideals without an iota of conviction in what he says? If you do identify traces of negativity
in your own self, then purge it out of your system. Please remember that interview preparation is not merely a
test of your personality, but also an opportunity to mould it. If you sincerely believe that it is ideological
motivations which is the reason for your reaching so far, then go ahead and proclaim it. Your sincerity and self-
belief will be your testimony. But if the show of idealism is only a façade, then be sure that the Board is
competent enough to see through it. Besides, do not feel hesitant to specify, if other simplistic reasons have
driven you so far. It is also pertinent to remember that the civil services as a career offers bright prospects,
variety in work, opportunity to take salient decisions and work directly and in close coordination with and for
the masses. These in itself are sufficient justifications for young and bright students to tread this path, even
though they may be having a secure and a well-paying job.

Q.17 What and how should I prepare for questions on my hobbies? My hobby is singing/listening to
music/debate/dramatics, etc. Can I be asked to sing/perform? What can I be asked?
Ans. Preparation for questions on your hobby begins by questioning your own self as to what can possibly be
asked from this area. Or if I were the interviewer then what I would ask. Seeking questions from others (friends,
parents, persons having interest or expertise in that area, etc.) can also serve as a good starting point. Jot down
the question (may be 10–12 from each area of interest) and begin preparation. Consulting books related to these
topics, articles on internet, or consulting experts/experienced persons associated with that field (if you have
access to them) can be very helpful. The members generally do not ask you to showcase your talent, but be
mentally prepared in case they ask you to do so. Also refer to Paragraph 4.9 ‘Common Hobbies and What to
Prepare’.

Q.18 In my previous civil services interview, the members often interjected me and asked another
question even before I could complete the reply of the previous one. How should I tackle such a situation?
Ans. Such a situation arises in two circumstances. Firstly, if the Member is able to gauge that you are aware of
the issue and your answer is proceeding on the right line. He/she instead of spending time testing you on that
question further decides to assess you on a more vexing or on a different issue. Secondly, it is possible that you
may be elaborating on a specific aspect of reply without touching upon some other critical or equally important
aspect. You may be wanting to come to that important aspect later but the Member interjects you and probes
you further. In case you have been interrupted then you need to respond to the new query posed. But it is best
not to let such a situation to arise. This can be done by summarizing the important points of your reply at the
very outset and then elaborating on them point wise. This way you are able to convey to the Board that you
fully understand the relevant aspects of the issue and time permitting you can elaborate upon it.

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Q.19 In case the Member refutes me on an issue or suggests that my reply is wrong or gives a counter
argument, then what should I do? Should I concede and accept the Member’s point of view? Or should
I stick to my point? What to do if an argument erupts between me and a Member?
Ans. The course of reply in a situation as mentioned above, depends on the situation itself and the facts. In case
you see that the reasoning given by the Member is logical, then there is no harm in accepting it. You can say
that what the Member is stating is logical and, for you, it is a new perspective on the issue. You can add that
what you are stating is also correct and that presents another perspective of the issue. In case you feel that what
you are stating is correct and you are confident about it then you have to say so, firmly yet politely. Many a
times, the Members want to test the argument and reasoning ability of a candidate and his understanding of the
subject. As such they may seemingly refute the candidate’s line of argument. In such a situation, the candidate
should back up his own line of argument but yet should be polite in the way he asserts his point of view. In no
case should you pick an argument with the Member or allow your temper to flare up or emotions to run high.

Q.20 I am unable to maintain eye-contact with the listener while I am speaking. Is it necessary to do so
during the interview? How should I maintain eye contact with all the Members while I am speaking?
Ans. Maintaining eye-contact is an important aspect of non-verbal communication. Many candidates find it
difficult to maintain eye contact specially with all Members. Lack of eye contact can be misinterpreted as lack
of interest or concentration. While replying, it is important to establish eye contact with the Member who has
put forth the question. After a while it is also necessary to look towards other Members. This enables you to
gauge the impression of the other Members. This is also essential, lest the other Members feel ignored. This can
especially happen when one member puts forth a number of questions one after the other. Maintaining eye
contact may not come naturally to everybody and therefore needs to be practiced. One way of developing this
skill is to sit before a full-length mirror and to pose questions to yourself. Try answering them by looking at
yourself and watching your expression in the mirror. Turn to other directions too as if you are speaking to other
members seated in front of you, to the left and the right sides. This can also be done by sitting before a webcam
and recording your reply. Taking mock interviews with a group of friends can also be very helpful. Their
feedback would also help you in refining your body language.

Q.21 I tend to falter or speak incoherently while responding to questions. Many a times I am unable to
convey what I actually want to say and end up communicating what was unintended and what my
thoughts did not match with. What should I do?
Ans. Incoherent speech, faltering/stammering while speaking are often signs of nervousness and lack of
confidence. This can be overcome by good preparation and having faith in oneself. At times the aforesaid can
also be the result of lack of proper verbal communication skills. Deficiency in this vital skill often results in a
person not being able to choose or recall the apt word and expression. This makes our communication imprecise
and vague. To hone your verbal communication skills, practice reading and speaking aloud. Listen to good news
readers. Pose questions to yourself and reply aloud the answer to it. Think what questions can emanate from
your reply and try to answer it. If you can practice as mentioned above before a full-length mirror or record
yourself in a webcam, then it also helps to identify and iron out your shortcomings pertaining to body language
and instills confidence in you. Also refer to Chapter 6 on ‘Verbal Communication’.

Q.22 While replying to the interviewer I find that my hands begin to shake. Can I put my hands in my
pocket? Should I hold it? What should I do?
\Ans. Shaking of hands or feet is the sign of nervousness. Many people experience it while speaking in public

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or facing an interview, etc. But as the speech or interview proceeds the nervousness lessens and shaking
diminishes or stops altogether. So, do not get unduly perturbed by the shaking hand or leg. However, if the
shaking is pretty bad, then hold your hands together gently and place it in your lap or place your palms on your
knees. This way they will be placed below the level of table and will be out of sight of the Members. As the
interview proceeds your excitement and nervousness will abate and your natural self or subconscious will be in
control of your body posture. Do not place your hands in your pocket or cross your arms. It may be
misinterpreted as a sign of over confidence or lack of respect.

Q.23 What should I do if I get unduly excited/nervous before the interview or during the interview?
Ans. Excitement or a bit of nervousness is natural during such occasions. A bit of excitement helps to keep our
alertness level high and channelize our nervous energy. But it is important not to let nervousness get the better
of us. Before the interview and just as we enter the interview room our nervousness is at peak. Usually the
candidates are required to sit outside the interview room for a few minutes before they are ushered in. At this
moment taking a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds and gradually exhaling, can be very helpful. Cupping
your eyes with your palm for a few seconds and then gradually opening your eyes can also help. But even if
such techniques do not work; then do not get unduly upset. As the interview proceeds your nervousness shall
abate and you will become more in control of yourselves.

Q.24 I am currently residing in a state/city which is different from the state/city of my domicile. Do I need
to know in detail about both the states/cities? During the course of my graduation/professional
education/employment I have also lived/worked in some other states/cities. Do I need to prepare for them
also? What all should be included in the amount of preparation and how should I go about it?
Ans. In case you have lived/worked for a reasonable period of time in states/cities other than the state/city of
your domicile, then you do need to prepare about them also. But what is also of relevance is when and how
much was your association with the place and whether or not this is duly reflected in the information furnished
by you in the Main Examinations form (DAF). Consider that you have indicated that you had your primary
schooling for three to four years in school X in city A, but later shifted to school Y in city B. The chances of
your being queried about city A is less as your association was long time back when you were a child. But if
recently you are staying in a City Z, say, for the last one year, pursuing higher education or a job, and this is
indicated in your profile, and then you need to know the salient facts about the place. What all is included in
the ambit of preparation, what will be the nature of questions and how to go about the preparation is described
in detail in the Paragraph 4.6 titled, ‘Information about States’.
Q.25 I have worked in a P.S.U/MNC/was employed with the state civil services. What are the areas of my
previous/current job which I should concentrate upon?
Ans. Queries about the current or previous job are a challenge as well as an opportunity. How much and what
to prepare will depend upon the duration of your job and the manner of your association with the organization
you are presently/previously employed with. The following are the important areas of preparation about your
job.
• Information about the organization, viz, its objective, nature, function, structure, hierarchy, etc.
• Your specific role and job content.
• Understanding of the strength, weakness and challenges before the organization.
• Critical evaluation of functioning and efficacy of the organization, its role and contribution to the society.
• Full understanding of those issues (if any) which have brought the organization in the news in recent times.
• Reason for planning to leave the organization and preferring civil services to it.

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