[UPSC Interview 2020] – Transcript #35 : Bharat Bhushan Vyas Board, Uttar Pradesh Home State, Journaling, Listening to Rock Music Hobby

Date of Interview: 23/08/2021
Board: BB Vyas Sir
Home State: Lucknow, UP
Education: BA (Hons) Econ – Ramjas, MA(Econ) – Delhi School of Economics
Work Ex: Consultant, EY LLP (Data Analytics) 2015-17
Hobby: Journaling, Listening to Rock Music
Attempt – 3rd; Interview – 1st

Chairman 

1. Hello ….., please come in. You can move your mask to the chin so that it is easier to speak and keep wearing your face shield. (That’s how the interview was taken)
2. Are you Ambitious?
3. Is ambition a good thing or a bad thing?
4. What is the difference b/w Ambition and Aspiration?
5. What is this Aspirational District Programme?
6. Who’s programme is it? (I took a pause to recollect Niti Aayog but then he moved to another question, without me being able to answer; Tip – don’t take too long to answer)
7. You know ….. when we were preparing for UPSC, we used to hear about cooperation and collaboration. Now people are talking about Competition? Why do you need it? Is it a good thing?
8. What is the credit to GDP ratio? What is the value in India and how does it compare globally? Why is credit important?
9. Why are banks being merged? What is the main objective behind it? (Chairman and M2 started chatting in the middle – Mera to Canara mein account hai, vo bhi merge ho raha hai; Mera to Punjab & Sindh Bank mein hai …… I was smiling, then once they were done, I answered )
10. Is there any Indian bank in Top 100? What about Chinese banks? How are they doing?
11. Have you read the Economic Survey this year? Every year we have some area of focus of ES. What was this year’s focus? (I said 2 points)
12. ES also talked about Adam Smith? What was it? (I said I am unable to recall, sir)
13. It is very interesting. Go and read it.

Member 1

1. (Max time taken – did not go very well)
2. What is parliament financing? (Sorry sir, I am not sure of this term)
3. How is budget passed? What is the value of this year’s budget?
4. What type of cuts can parliament make in budget? (I remembered only Token cut motion, but he himself mentioned that. I said sorry sir, I am unable to recollect the names of the motions.)
5. Then he asked what does Cut Motion Signify?
6. What are the major sources of revenue? Then he himself said that we have direct and indirect taxes, what else? (He wanted to go towards disinvestment, but I hovered around here and there)
7. They say the government is selling ‘family gold?’ (That’s how I understood that he wanted to ask about disinvestment, but the damage was already done!)
8. Do you think we are in Debt Trap? How much is our Fiscal Deficit? (I told the FD but tried a lot to defend that we are not in a debt trap. Some grilling was there! I feel I could have answered it way better. I got a little nervous and then mind stopped for few seconds.)

Member 2

1. You have qualified NET (Economics) also. You don’t want to go to academics/teaching?
2. Why do we need budget?
3. What is parallel economy? Why it exists? What can be done?
4. Then he pointed to the water bottle kept infront of me and asked that what is the Permissible
5. TDS? (Sorry Sir, Don’t know)

Member 3

1. She said, I am not going to ask you economics.
2. India in its 75th year needs social revolution. Elaborate. (I did. Talked about health, education, women etc.)
3. Then she said, how can we achieve it? (This answer became unstructured and I got super nervous. Tip – don’t mention too many angles or when they talk about solution, pick 2-3 areas and elaborate)
4.  What is the role of Panchayats in this?
5. What is stopping us?
6. Does caste have any role to play in this?
7. She said Thank You. Didn’t look impressed. Made sense, because my answers were pretty unstructured

Member 4

1. Is price rise a problem?
2. What can be done?
3. What is the difference between cess & surcharge?Then chairman said, Thank You. Your interview is over. Have a nice day.
   No question from Hobby, Home State, Work Experience.