[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #267 : Smita Nagraj Board, Geography Optional, Bihar Home State

Date of Interview: 28th March 2023, Afternoon, Fourth to go
Board: Hon’ble Smita Nagraj ma’am
Background: Electronics and Communications engineering
Optional: Geography
Work Ex: Semiconductor verification @Intel | BPSC
Home state: Bihar
DAF keywords: South Asia’s best speaker, Best outgoing student, Model UN, Madhubani painting, Badminton, Intel woman leader in silicon verification

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

Chairman

1. What are you doing these days?
2. (Follow up) Should we congratulate you, are you happy?
3. What were the criteria for the ‘Best outgoing student’ award?
4. (Follow up) Should these criteria be conveyed to the students or not?
5.  A scenario where some part of students’ fees goes in a prize award, should the criteria’s of awards be conveyed then? [some discussions]
6. Subjectivity on code of conduct, what does it mean?
7. How would you judge a person’s conduct?
8. Should the convention of addressing seniors as sir or ma’am be removed? If not, why?
9. Did you address your seniors in Intel as ma’am/sir or with their names? (some discussion around this)

Member 1

1. Why did you leave such a well paying job for civil services?
2. You are from Bihar. Can you tell the name of a Chairman of the  Finance commission who hails from Bihar?
3. (Follow up )Tell some of his recommendations which differed from previous ones.
4. Follow up from previous question on Disaster management : Adaptation vs mitigation.
5. As the District magistrate of a district in Bihar, how will you address the issue of Disasters?
6. What can be done to ensure that the dependency on funds from centre be reduced for disaster mitigation and response?

Member 2

1. What is insurgency?
2. How does elements from inside and outside the country impact it? Give examples
3. Can it be removed completely? Steps taken till now?
4. What is the Great Wall of steel?
5. (Follow up) How does it impact India?
6. In case of a war with China, can India hold its grounds?
7. (some more follow ups on this)

Chairwoman ma’am:
1. About this Great wall of steel, according to you, is it offensive or defensive?
2. What was the significance of Great wall of China?
3. Why did President Xi choose to call it the Great wall of steel only?

Member 3

1. Asked about the MUN mentioned in DAF.
2. What is the significance of MUNs?
3. What about the UN? Does it need reforms?
4.  (follow up ) What is complementarity of UNGA and UNSC?
5. Stand of UN on the Russia – Ukraine war.

Member 4

1. You have a technical background. Don’t you think you are wasting your talent and resources  by switching to civil services?
2. You have played football in University. How many years did you play for and what did you learn?
(Politely corrected him that I played Badminton)
3. Why is Badminton gaining popularity in the country?
4. Don’t you think the players doing well is the most important reason?
5. (Follow up ) Is this role modelling approach helpful in socio-economic context in any way?

Chairwoman ma’am:
1. Can you give an example where models have been replicated from one state to another, tell wrt Bihar.
2. Where was the implementation done first?
Thank you, your interview is over.

Overall experience: Very cordial and attentive board. Real interview is different from mocks. It is an enriching experience of a discussion on your own interest with an extremely dignified panel.
Utility of mocks : Helpful in understanding the formal setting of an interview, content structuring based on your background and DAF, gives room for self analysis.
Good ones: Vajirao and Reddy, Chanakya Mandal Pariwar, Unacademy.
O2O : Extremely helpful.
– Vinay sir for discussions and his continued guidance| Ravindran sir’s O2O was the closest | Special mention to Utkarsh sir from SOMP for his constant support |Ayush sir for multiple discussions | Deepak sir from IAS PCS factory for his help on certain DAF related prep

Discussions with my friends and seniors helped the most. Also thankful to the community for the transcripts.
Hoping for the best. Good luck everyone!