[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #14 : M Sathiyavathy Board, Haryana Home State, Reading, Meditation Hobbies

Date of Interview: 30/01/2023
Board: M Sathiyavathy
Background: Electrical Engg, IIT Delhi
Home State: Haryana
Employee: Intel, Currently in IDAS
Hobbies: Reading Biographies, Meditation, Playing piano

• To view all IAS Interview Transcripts 2022, visit this page

Chairman

1. Satyavathi Mam read out the DAF loudly and asked the following questions :
2. Tell us about the recent reforms in Railway services?
3.  Give me your personal opinion on Railway services merger?
4. Okay, so you prefer specialists, then why do we hire generalists?
5. Apart from DM, say health secretary, power secretary etc, who is better suited for that job?
6. But Vallabhai Patel once said that If we hire all specialists, they would be undecisive and only generalists are capable of acting decisively, Was he wrong?

Member 1

1. What is the difference between fine arts and conceptual arts?
2. Do you follow International relations?
3. Tell me the about Bangladesh?
4. Why do we make people fill all these, sports hobbies etc in DAF?
5. You are an IAS, if you suddenly get to know that you have to join one particular district within a month, What will you do first? (followed by What else twice)
6. Defence has the largest budget in country and is so important for the country, but you still want to join IAS, Which one do you think is more important?
7. If both are equally important, then why join IAS?

Member 2

1. You have lived in Bhopal, what did you like about the place?
2. Apart from people, anything else- architecture wise?
3. You have mentioned reading biographies as your hobby, Which ones have you read?
4. Why do you read biographies specifically?
5. Which biography did you find most impressive and Why?
6. Okay, What did you learn from Dalai Lama’s biography?

Member 3

1. What is budget?
2. What about previous definition related to plan, non plan expenditure?
3. Why did we abandon planning commission?
4. So, how is planning done now?
5. Do we have a state budget as well? Are you sure?
6. What is climate change?
7. What is the main reason for it?
8. What is carbon sink?
9. Do you think artificial carbon capture is feasible?

Member 4

1. You have lived in Chandigarh, what did you like about the place?
2. Your interview is finished, you may go now.
3. This is my personal opinion, but according to me, thinking a lot about everything in your DAF helps a lot. Interview preparation should ideally be 10% reading, 90% thinking.