[UPSC Interview 2023] – Transcript #167: Bidyut Behari Swain Board, Uttar Pradesh Home State, Sudoku Hobby

Date of Interview: 01/03/2024, Session: Forenoon
Board: Bidyut Behari Swain
Home State: Uttar Pradesh
Background: IIT Bombay
Hobby: playing Sudoku
Keywords in DAF: Consulting (pvt. sector), IRMS, Civil Engineering from IIT Bombay, Entrepreneurship Cell Manager in College, Bareilly Hometown, Hobby of playing Sudoku

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Chairman

1. Have you joined the training or are you on leave?
2. How long is the leave for?
3. What is your district famous for? Also tell from economic perspective and we already know about Jhumka city – so tell us something else.
4. Discussion around the new 18 Corps in Bareilly among the members and how it is now a combat unit of central command of Army (it was not a question as such – I was just nodding along as Chairman Sir was discussing it with another member)

Member 1

1. What is IVRI?
2. What is it famous for?
3. What type of wildlife are in IVRI?
4. You have studied in IIT and then worked as a consultant and now as a civil servant. I simply want to ask why? Why in the first place did you want to join the bureaucracy and now you have applied again? Why?
5. Your previous job was not related to civil engineering? Was it?
6. Do you think IIT is a waste of resources?
7. Do you think we should stop their funding? IITians either work as consultants or finance analysts or simply decide to go abroad, and their contribution to engineering is negligible – why is that? Should the government stop funding IITs?
8. What difference do you think would have been there in your education if say you studied at NIT or other college than an IIT?
9. So do we need more IITs? Or should we upgrade the existing colleges to IIT status?
10. If you have to choose one out of them, which one would you choose – new or upgradation?
11. Okay, tell me what was today’s news about the solar rooftop program?
12. Why is it a free electricity scheme?
13. Analyse the scheme – tell me its positives and negatives?
14. Ok, can you identify any other challenges?
15. Are you aware about the additional weight the solar rooftop would put on the building and do old houses, especially dilapidated buildings have capacity to bear that weight?

Member 2

1. What was your role at the consulting company?
2. What is this Entrepreneurship cell?
3. How many students pursue startups in IITs?
4. What are your service preferences?
5. Do you think due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Europe is becoming dependent on USA more and more? And What are its impacts?
6. You must have a good understanding of railways, tell me about the Vande Bharat trains and what is the engine type?
7. Where exactly is the engine placed?
8. Why are Delhi metro and Indian Railways gauges different?
9. What has the government done to improve signaling in the railway?
10. A lot of accidents happen particularly due to signaling issues in eastern railways in the coal belt, what is the govt. doing in that sector for better coal transport and reduce accidents due to signaling?

Member 3

1. What is MiVAN Technology in civil engineering?
2. What are its advantages?
3. Tell me more advantages.
4. What types of dams can be found in India?
5. And what about gravity dams?
6. Recently the PM visited Dwarka and inaugurated Sudershan Setu. What type of bridge is it? Where is it located ?
7. What is a cable-stayed bridge?
8. What are the advantages of cable-stayed bridges?
9. Recently, HCES survey was released after 10 years. What are the key findings?
10. By how much has the consumption expenses increased?

Member 4

1. What is the difference between a simply supported and cantilever beam?
2. Tell one more difference.
3. What is pre-stressed concrete?
4. Did you use civil engineering knowledge in your previous job?
5. Why did a consulting company hire you who is an engineer by graduation?
6. Why do consulting companies hire engineers? What do they look for during the recruitment?
7. Consultants make a lot of reports, have you ever made any report?
8. What is river interlinking program?
9. What fundamental objective are we trying to achieve with it?
10. How much time do you take to solve sudoku?
11. What about hard level?

Chairman Sir: Thank you. Your interview is over now.