[UPSC Interview 2021] – Transcript #177 : Smita Nagraj Board, Bihar Home State, Philosophy Optional

Date of Interview: 18.04.2022/ 3:00(3rd to go)
Board: Smita Nagraj Ma’am
Optional: Philosophy
Home State: Bihar, serving in Tamil Nadu
Background: NIT Jamshedpur( Metallurgical and Materials Engineering)
IOFS( almost 4 years)
Medium: English
Last attempt, Second interview

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Chairman

Remove your mask and be comfortable. So you have worked in Ordnance Factory and a part of Ordance Factory Board. I said not anymore ma’am.

1. what’s your PSU called? ( answered)
2. What’s your take on corporatisation of Ordance Factories? ( Answered in Positive)
3. Do you think private sector is ready to compete with you? ( yes, gave some examples, Ma’am was member of defence acquisition council)
4. What is crony capitalism?
5. Why do you think it’s bad for India?
6. But developed countries encourage it, why?
7. Then India should also encourage it. ( answered in negative. Monopoly and cartelisation, customer loss)
8. Give example of telecoms sector and so many company closed and merged. Why? ( gave example of Jio and free pricing of data on trial rollout)
9. Then CCI should have done something. ( Nodded in positive)
10. What it should have done? ( Minimise basic pricing)

Member 1

1. Some GDP data.
2. Total budget expenditure( answered it wrong as per him)
3. Biggest  source of revenue earning
4. Biggest destination of revenue expenditure
5. Data( said sorry a few times)
6. And some more data
7. Southern states contribute more still get less from central pool while northern states contribute less and get more. What’s the reason? ( development and other factors)
8. Then it breeds inefficiency. I think we should stop it.( answered in negative as northern states need help to develop and centre can only provide)
9. What’s one thing we can learn from Jamshedpur) my college was there. ( sanitation, planned development, urban governance etc)
10. Tell me two positive and two negative of river Ganga.( answered)
11. If you have to merge two states which ones will you merge and why? ( Andhra and Telangana, have reasons of Andhra asking for special status and low development and financial position)

Member 2

1. Tell me about Namami Gange program.
2. What is being done under it.
3. What is MSP
4. When it is announced
5. Recent controversy over MSP and farm bill
6. It’s still continuing ( answered in positive)

Member 3

1. tell me about metaverse and NFT
2. But what’s so special about NFT I can send the same message and have it ( he said that first SMS was sold for huge price) ( replied)
3. But why we want to spend so much over something so trivial.( replied as it’s like owning a original monalisha and copy ones, the unique id means authentic NFT and it’s a matter of pride for the owner like the painting)
4. Why blockchain is being criticised ( carbon emissions, anonymity leading to illegal activity and terror financing and ransom etc.)

Member 4

1. you are from engineering background so I will ask questions from medical field. What will you suggest to increase the number of doctors in rural India.
2. There is govt program to lease space kf district hospitals to pvt players what do you think about it? ( I said good and bad both gave reasons)
3. Then some data( I said i am sorry sir)

( these questions might be linked to DAF as my father runs a medicine shop)

Chairman:

1. So you talked about metaverse, now tell me what do you think about multiverse? ( said have watched Spider-Man and Star Trek )
2. No No. not about movie. What if it’s proved to exist.( I said means multiple personalities in multiple forms in multiple universes)
3. No. What will happen if the multiple universe theory proved?( said means our knowledge of origin and development or universe will prove to be wrong and then some random things that came in mind after watching a lot of sci-fi movies and she listened for some one and half minutes)
4. Now your interview is over, you may go.

Overall I felt it was totally random and just 2-3 questions from DAF. Nothing or any relevance from DAF.