[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #180 : RN. Choubey Board, Anthropology Optional, Reading Hobby

Date of Interview: 6th March 2023; Afternoon session
Board: Shri RN. Choubey
Optional: Anthropology
Hobbies: Reading about defence-related news
Following news media websites of USA

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Chairman

1. Told me to remove mask if I’ve no covid symptoms. I said I don’t have, but I’m suffering from cough, cold, fever since last few days. Sir told me to keep on mask on in that case
2. Asked me if I had lunch. What items in lunch
3. Forex reserve of India
4. Ways through which a nation earns Forex
5. Who owns forex: RBI, or Govt, or Banks?
6. Air India aircraft deal value
7. Should a company be allowed to use so much of our forex to buy aircraft?
8. Would you have allowed it as RBI chairperson?
9. (some follow-up discussion on technicalities of aircraft pricing & purchase mechanism. Sir is ex-Aviation secretary & I’ve deep interest in aviation)

Member 1

1. If seniors in your office are critical of you, write a poor report of your performance, what will be your approach towards it
2. If you ever had to face a situation where you had to compromise on quality due to cost constrain

Member 2

1. Should we have large scale hydel power plants?
2. Environmental impact; Geological & engineering issues of such plants
3. Why should we invest in such plants, when Pakistan’s hydel projects are failing?
4. Defence manufacturing @ Atmanirbhar bharat (DAF Hobby)
5. Why Strategic partnership of Indian manufacturers with foreign OEM is failing

Chairman

1. “Make-in-India” and “Made-in-India”
2. Too much protest around hydel projects. But nation needs such projects.
3. Should we allow these protests?
4. Minerals mainly found in India
5. Why is India poor despite being rich in minerals
6. In which state XYZ mineral (don’t recall) is abundantly found?
   {I said sorry ma’am I don’t know. But she didn’t hear my response.
7. Chairperson sir was very attentively listening. He told M3 that the candidate is saying he doesn’t know}

Member 3

1. Why media is called 4th pillar of democracy? Is it written in constitution (DAF Hobby)
2. What are other 3 pillars of democracy
3. Governors are sitting on bills passed by state legislature. {Here Chairperson sir told M4 that sir you gave a statement, what is your question for the candidate} M4 said he wants my view on the matter

Chairman

1. Since you follow US media websites, what are your observations of US society, media, etc vis-à-vis India

Member 4

1. US media often portrays India in poor light. Do you think they are biased?
2. Your experience in interview- Board was cordial. Chairperson sir was very attentive. He was listening to every question of other members
3. Utility of mocks or O2O (if any)- Good for confidence building. But while mocks were heavily DAF based, in actual interview very little was asked from DAF