[UPSC Interview 2020] – Transcript #241 : Sathyavathy Ma’am Board, Sociology Optional, Kerala Home state

Date of Interview: 16 -09-2021
Board: Sathyavathy Madam
Optional: Sociology
Background: Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS)
Home state: Kerala 

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Chairman

1. What were you doing after your graduation in 2015 till 2019?
2. What is your opinion about bank mergers? Are you in favour or are you against it?
3. Why are banks being merged when small banks are being given license?
4. Is the purpose of small banks only financial inclusion?
5. What reforms are required for improving the efficiency of PSBs?

Member 1

1. Should Railways be bothered about efficiency or should it be merely a social service?
2. What is the operating ratio?
3. What are the reasons for the low operating ratio?
4. How to improve operating ratio?
5. What is Ro-Ro service? Do you know that Railways don’t favour it that much?
6. Why are passenger fares not being raised even now?
7. Will people use Railways if fares are increased?

Member 2

1. How to solve the NPA crisis?
2. Do you agree with the view that public sector bankers are being unnecessarily targeted by government agencies?
3. Necessity of manpower recruitment in banks (Addressing manpower shortage was one of the reforms that I had suggested in one of my earlier answers)
4. Should Railways engage private players in freight and passenger operations?
5. Mention one reason each that is preventing private players from becoming active in the Railways

Member 3

1. Instead of increasing manpower, shouldn’t banks go in for technology adoption to reduce costs and increase efficiency?
2. How to solve the India-Pakistan issue?
3. Talks have been a failure since Independence. Give other suggestions.
4. Should India balkanise Pakistan? If not, why? What other choices do we have?
5. Should India go on the offensive? If yes, why? If not, why?

Member 4

1. Why do nano-materials have more strength as compared to other materials?
2. Recently farmers conducted Kisan Parliament. Why was it conducted and is there a requirement for other such ‘Parliaments’?
3. We are going in for de-mergers and decentralisation of institutions but at the same time merging banks. Why is there no uniformity in approach?
4. Wouldn’t creating more elite institutions like IITs and AIIMS lead to loss of brand value? Do you support it?
5. Railways don’t have the cold chain infrastructure to move perishable goods. So, is there hope for Railways in moving perishables?

Thank You. Your interview is over.