[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #194 : M Sathyavathy Board, History Optional, Queen’s Gambit, Rock On Hobby

Date of interview: 13 March
Board: M Sathyavathy ma’am
Optional: Itihaas gawah hai
College: Padharo mhare des
Profession (if any): dukh dard kasht peeda. Yahi humara profession hai
Hobbies: Queen’s Gambit, Rock On
Your experience in interview- board was extremely cordial. Initially, when I entered there were 4 members, another ma’am joined in the middle of the interview. Interview was 70% from DAF.
Ma’am wished good morning, I wished the others as well. She read out the DAF loudly.

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Chairman

1. You’re from West Bengal or Rajasthan? Then why did you go to Rajasthan for graduation?
2. There was a common entrance test in 2014 also? (There was. It was recently extended to all Central Universities)
3. Do you still play chess (Yes ma’am with a huge smile on my face. I try to play everyday.)
4. What is rapid chess? How does it differ from classical chess?
5. What is the time control? (Classical chess sometimes has 1.5 hours time control for games. Said that). 1.5 hours for every move?
6. Green Hydrogen Mission? What are the problems you can identify as a chemist?
7. And what are the benefits of it? (Ma’am didn’t seem satisfied by my answer)
8. Why are we focusing so much on it?
Passed on to member 1

Member 1

1. What does the NCC do? ( Said don’t know the specifics ma’am)
2. But you were in NCC no? (I wasn’t. CP ma’am glared at her for a good minute after this)
3. Acha tell me the full form of NCC. (Mental dialogue: Are ma’am dur dur tak naata nahi hai mera NCC se)
4. You’ve heard of NSS? What do they do? (Sorry ma’am)
5. They were there in your university? (No. They began in the year I passed out.)
6. What was the story you wrote for which you won the prize? (Asked permission if I could narrate the story. She said tell in 3 lines. Bataya maine 3 line jitna ho saka).
7. What else did you do in the literary club? What other clubs were you a part of?
8. You play the guitar? What sort of guitar? Do you sing also? ( Said no with a wide smile)
9. So you generally accompany others? (Said mostly yes but I have also performed solo once or twice)

Member 2

( Sir. Maine galti se ma’am bol diya inko. Thankfully he didn’t hear)
1. You spoke about hydrogen mission. Why are we coming out with a plan for renewable energy?
2. Agriculture in your state is mostly rice related. What problems do you have in rice cultivation
3. Do you know of soil productivity (he said something else but the essence was the same. I said I don’t know exactly but if you allow me I would like to try)
4. Gave a monologue about 3 rice crops then asked me to explain. Bataya bhai generic baate.
5. Tell me about the cheetah mission.
6. But what are the benefits of it?
7. But tigers and panthers can also do the same thing. Why are we not introducing them? (I said habitat is different for them. Plus cheetahs were there in the areas we are reintroducing them)
Said there are some more reasons. Look them up.

Member 3

(he was to my exact left but he was speaking so low that I couldn’t hear him on 2 occasions)
1. Do you think history is biased?
2. But history is fact based. Why is it biased then? (Said sir it depends on the historian’s perspective as well as the new information we unearth from time to time)
3. Do you think history is dead?
4. Why should we save our museums? (I mistakenly heard should instead of why. He corrected me. Said that they are a repository of our culture. Even my interest in history began when I visited the Indian museum in Kolkata)
Two or three more questions. All were history related.

Member 4

1. I’ll give a situation. You are the CEO of the municipality of a city. Industries there need skilled workers, but people of the area are not willing to let migrant workers come in. How would you balance the need of all stakeholders? Take a minute and answer. (Essence of the question was this. He spoke for nearly a minute)