[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #262 : Lt. Gen Raj Shukla Board, Sociology Optional, Tamil Nadu Home State

Date of Interview: 24th March, Forenoon session – 5th to go (after 3 hours of waiting)
Board: Lt. Gen Raj Shukla sir
Optional: Sociology
Home state: Tamil Nadu
Background: B.E Computer science
Work experience: Nil
Keywords from DAF: watching sitcoms, 1st preference -IFS (no questions from other areas in DAF)

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Chairman

He told me Good afternoon(time was 12:00 PM) when i opened the door. I greeted them later (Lucky)
He asked me to remove my mask. He was smiling throughout the interview.
He went to the rest room once and was using his computer for a few minutes while other member was asking questions.

1.You watch sitcoms. Is there any difference between sitcoms and the previous profession of Ukraine leader Zelensky?
(I told him that zelensky was a standup comedian and sitcoms are television series)
2.Make a comparision between zelensky and winston churchill
3.Sitcoms are based on comedy genre. How do you see zelensky as a comedian turned politician?
4.Is there any relations between comedy and leadership?
5.Advantage of being a humourous person and taking up a leadership role?
6.Are you working? No
7.Tell me three areas where you will concentrate after getting into civil services.
8.You are prefering Foreign services. How do you see strategic autonomy? is it real?
9.I feel it is a cliche term. Practically it does not exist. Who do you think?
10.You are saying that we are diversifying our partnerships particularly with defence purchases. It has multiple challenges. Do you know?
11.How do you see the rare earth metals, semiconductors dependence in few countries? It is not making us autonomous. Right?

Member 1

1.You are CSE graduate. Tell me the difference between normal and quantum computing.
2.Since you are preferring for IFS. I will ask a question in IR.
What are the differences in damages faced by USA and EU in Ukraine war?
3.What benefits USA gets from Ukraine war?

Member 2

She was very cordial and smiling.
1.Since you are preferring for IFS. What Geographical area do you want to work?
I said South asia and told her that it has lot of potential to work in improving neighbourhood relationship.
2.Tell me 2 neighbours where we have to improve our relations. I said Pakistan and Nepal
3.Is there any border issues between India and Nepal?
4.Do you think corruption is a big issue in our country? What rating you will give to corruption as an issue which makes our country backwards?
I told her that i will rate it as top 5.
She asked me then what are the other areas?
5.How patriarchy is affecting our country? (since i told her – patriarchy as one area for the previous question)
6.Other then relaxation, what is the reason for you to watch sitcoms?
7.Do you watch only American sitcoms? Yes.
She told me that it has slang. British sitcoms are better.
She suggested some few British sitcoms to watch like “yes minister”. I Cant recall other names.

Member 3

Cordial but asked tricky questions which needed some time to think and answer.
1.Do you know Rousseau?
2.Rousseau said that Men lived in a state of bliss when there was no state(govt). After establishing state, constitutions, people are not satisfied.
Analyse it with the current situation in Pakistan. (A bouncer straightaway)
3.Tell me something about Weber’s model of Bureaucracy. Relate it with Indian bureaucracy.
4.You want rules based or roles based bureaucracy?
5.You might be aware of the foreign policy of India. Is it national interest based or ethics based?
6.Tell me the difference between money bill and finance bill.
7.Tell me two constitutional provisions regarding money bill.
8.Tell me one speciality about your birth place
9.Tell me one speciality about madurai(where i live)
10.Madurai is seen as a place of rowdies and law and order issues. Is it true?
11.What do you know about Alanganallur?

Member 4

He had a rude face and gave reactions of dissatisfactions for few answers.
1.You might have studied about Operating systems in CSE.
What do you know about CDMA?  (CSE related)
2.What is a switch in OS?  (CSE related)
3.Tell me some changes in civil services recruitment process.
Few cross questions with which he made me stressed.
4.Tell me one strength of you which will make you a good civil servant.
5.Tell me one weakness. Then he asked me any other weakness you have?

Chairman:
Are you an overthinker or a deep thinker? (Since i told overthinking as a weakness to M4)
It is good. Right?
I explained it why it is my weakness.

Thank you. Your interview is over.

Utility of mocks: They will change your faults in mannerisms, sitting posture, give us questions based on DAF, prepare you for the worst.
The real interview was far far better and comfortable than the mocks.

Interview Experience: Very good experience unlike mocks. Members did not make me stressed except one member.
If they feel that i am struggling with any answer, they went to another questions.
Chairman was smiling throughout which reduced my anxiety to a great extent.