UPSC Interview By Transcript Dr Shaleen Board P K Mishra

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Chairman: So, Mr. Shaleen, You are a doctor. Be relaxed. I am going to ask you very few questions. Be relaxed take your time.

Me: yes sir

Chairman: Can you comment on that civil society can flag the issue, but not flak the issue?

Me: Sir, I don’t know the meaning of the “flak”. I know the meaning of flag but not flak.

Chairman: Flak means something throwing, like… (Motions with hands)

Me: sir, civil society is organization outside the govt. body. It includes Media, various NGOs and other organization and regarding flagging it means civil society can create awareness & burn up the issue. But flaking…?? What is desirable is constructive criticism of govt., unfortunately which is not happening…

Chairman: Come out with your opinion…

Me: answer remain more or less same…& then blank…

Chairman: Suppose civil society is flagging the issue and govt. is not listening. What can they do?

Me: sir, they can make people aware, mass movements, mobilizing, signature campaigns…

Chairman: What else?

Me: Blank

Chairman: Think and tell me.

Me: Elections, they can vote

Chairman: Yes!

Chairman: Didn’t u do any job after MBBS?

Me: No sir

Chairman: you have completed MBBS in 2008?

Me: I have completed my MBBS including internship on 2nd January 2010 Just after completing it I came for civil service preparation.

Chairman: When did you complete your internship?

Me: Sir, 2nd Jan 2010.

Chairman: Ok ok

Chairman: Watching discovery channel shows? (While looking into summary sheet) what type of shows do u watch?

Me: Sir, I am watching discovery channel shows since I was in 8th or 9th class. How I developed interest I don’t know but it just got developed. Shows related to international issues and those discoveries that have changed the world.

Chairman: Do u watch Man vs wild?

Me: Yes sir I do. Bear Grills displays an amazing capability of mental strength than physical one; that I have to survive against all odds. The same is required in civil services, as an IAS officer has to uphold rule of law against all odds.

Member 1: What is the difference between motivation and inspiration?

Me: Sir, I am not able to explain it in theoretical terms, but can I explain it with an example?

Member 1: Yeah, sure sure…

Me: Inspiration is something external. Like, I am inspired by Mahatma Gandhi or Albert Einstein. I aspire to be like them. Motivation is something internal like IAS officer is inspired to do his job with neutrality and integrity. This is the difference.

Member 1: What is environmental management?

Me: it is that purposeful activity by which we protect and develop our environment. It is like taking something from environment and returning back to it without doing any harm to the environment.

Member 1: What is Eco-System?

Me: Ecosystem is that part of environment, or it is when both biotic and abiotic components of environment interact. It is called ecosystem.

Member 1: Okay, Have u come across the news regarding the nuclear reactor?

Me: Yes sir

Member 1: Which one?

Me: Kudankulam nuclear power-project the KNPP.

Member 1: Tell me why protests are going on in Kudankulam?

Me: Sir it is due to fear among masses which the govt. is not able to tell them that it is going to be a safe reactor.

Member 1: [intervenes] Why they have fears?

Me: Sir, it is because this is a nuclear reactor. If something happens, then it will destroy the environment for so many years, which is why they have fears.

Member 1: Should it be constructed or not?

Me: sir it is not just the negative aspects. We cannot ignore the positive ones too. And it is the balance of these two aspects and I am sure that positives outweigh the negatives in this case.

Lady Member 1: Ok tell me, when a hydro dam or some project like this comes up, why do you think people protest? Even if rehabilitation still people don’t support?

Me: ma’am as I can see, it is because of two reasons:-

1) Loss of personal home if someone asks me to vacate my house; it is going to be painful for me and same with people.

2) Then, rehabilitation and compensation is not usually timely and inadequate and there is a difference between the cost of living form where he is displaced and where the person will be rehabilitated.

Lady Member 1: What else?

Me: A little jittery.

Lady Member 1: can u think?

Me: (blank)

Lady Member 1: It is a loss of culture. It happened in case of Tehri dam.

Me: (Nodded)

Lady member 1: what is disaster management?

Me: Ma’am it is like preparing in advance to face the disaster it has components like mitigation, preparedness & early rehabilitation by involving local people itself. Like recent Delhi drive was to prepare people in advance if some earthquake happens then everyone must know what is to be done in such circumstances–how to move & where to move.

Member 2: What is hibernation?

Me: Can I explain with an example again?

Member 2: Ok, go ahead.

Me: Sir, polar bear goes for hibernation in winter to deal with the harsh weather?

Member 2: Are they still active during hibernation?

Me:They are active only to a limited extend like they nourish their kids

Member 2: I read some news, that a polar bear can heal itself when it gets hurt.. Can we bring that to humans?

Me: Sir, healing property is both in humans and polar bear. But for polar bears their surrounding are cold where there is not much chance of infection, but with humans, we meet people and also because of the weather, chances of infection are high. And technology wise I am not aware of such possibilities.

Member 2: You were telling earlier that u watch international issues?

Me: Yes, I do watch them. Like, I recently watched about A Q Khan.

Member 2: Who is A Q khan?

Me: Sir he is the father of Pakistan’s nuclear program.

Member 2: So what the documentary says about; was he responsible for nuclear proliferation?

Me: Yes sir. He was responsible to give technological knowhow to Libya, Iraq, and North Korea.

Member 2:  So what Pakistan did with him?

Me:he has been put under house arrest under pressure from United States & Britain.

Member 2: Can u explain how Pakistan got the missile technology?

Me: Sir, it was a very beautiful barter system that they did with North Korea. They gave them nuclear and got missile technology.

Member 2: have u came across the news regarding BPL?

Me: Yes sir govt. has revised the below poverty line in urban area from 32 to 26 & in rural area from 26 to 22.

Member 2: so what is the problem?

Me: sir real issue still lingers around the methodology of defining who is poor, & govt. still lacks a perfect methodology for this.

Member 2: who is railway minister?

Me: Sir I forgot the name. But I know that Mr. Trivedi has resigned.

Chairman: intervenes– How would u know he is taking oath there & you are giving interview here.

Member 2: once he will take oath only then he will become railway minister..? Isn’t.

Me: (with smile) yes sir.

Last lady Member: Ok, Mr. Shaleen, where is Dhanbad?

Me: I’m not very sure, but I can I make a guess?

Last Lady Member: Okay.

Me: (with a pause)…err… Dhanbad?

Lady Member: As a young IAS officer, when you see our country has progressed so ahead, or itni economic progress ho gayi hai technology bhi aa gayi hai, how do u se the role of an IAS officer in such circumstances when everything is working so fine or GDP has increased, per capita income has increased, what is the need of an IAS officer here?

Me: Though our economy has grown but yet inclusive growth has not been realized. There are many people who are still downtrodden.

Lady Member: Okay Shaleen, who are those downtrodden you have mentioned?

Me: SCs. OBCs, STs and BPLs

Lady Member: Can you name certain groups within SCs who have not benefitted at all?

Me: Mahadalits. They are those people who are discriminated within the SC group itself.

Lady Member: Can you mention certain groups according to sex and age?

Me: Ma’am according to gender – females according to age, old age population and those below 18 years old.

Lady Member: And below 18 years?

Me: Girl child, their nutritional status is not up to mark?

Lady Member: And age?

Me: Children below 5 year of age.

Chairman: Intervenes: What is the stress, eustress and distress?

Me: Stress is the situation when the person is under …

Chairman: Person is under stress?

Me: Sir when he is under tension… Sir, can I give an example? Sir when I was standing outside, I was under stress.

Chairman: And eustress?

Me: Sir I don’t know

Chairman: Is stress beneficial or not?

Me: To certain amount yes, it is desirable

Chairman: So that is eustress, my dear. What is distress?

Me: When a person is relieved of stress.

Chairman: No, no. I am not asking de-stress, I am asking distress?

Me: Sir I am not able to recollect.

Chairman: OK your interview is over; you may go.

Me: Thank you sir. Thank you ma’am separately to both lady members!