[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #278 : M. Sathiyavathy Board, Telangana Home state, Travelling, Mentoring, Basketball Hobby

Date of Interview: 5 April 2023, Afternoon
Board: Smt. M. Sathiyavathy Mam
Home State: Telangana
DAF Keywords: IIT Roorkee, Geophysics, Seismology,
Hobbies: Travelling, Mentoring, Basketball

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Chairman

Read the DAF out loud
1. Meaning of your name?
2. How are the two names connected?
3. What have you been doing since your graduation?
4. Didn’t you think about doing any job?
5. What is the difference between geologist, geophysicist, hydrogeologist etc
6. Don’t you think the holistic essence of knowledge is being forgotten, going for more and more specialisation?
7. But now everyone wants to go to a super speciality doctor. Just MBBS seems to be useful in today’s world.
8. How will your knowledge in Geophysics help you in administration?

Member 1

1. What is the reason for earthquakes?
2. Ok, other than tectonic?
3. If we compare Himalayas and Alps, which region is more favorable for constructing Tunnels?
4. Ok, what about Himalayas, where is it safe to construct Tunnels?
5. What measures do we take in seismic retrofitting?
6. How do we do base isolation? What is the mechanism we use in this process?
7. Do we need a new States Reorganization Commission? Now that we have so many demands for new states?
8. What can be the criteria to create new states?
9. What were the reasons for Telangana state demand?
10. But now AP is saying that they are being neglected. What do you say now?
11. You are a DM. Incharge for building a housing society. The minister insists you to buy land from a particular company. What will you do?

Member 2

1. Is Delhi safe from seismic activity? Are we on a fault plane?
2. We felt the vibrations even from an earthquake so far in Afghanistan. Isn’t it dangerous?
3. On what all factors does the impact of an earthquake depend on?
4. Russia-Ukraine war. Who is at fault in your opinion?
5. Now that Finland has joined NATO, what will be the implications of it?
6. Which places did you travel in recent times?
7. What all do you explore in a place?

Member 3

1. Your state Telangana is famous for Tobacco industry. Don’t you think we should replace Tobacco cultivation by a different crop?
2. Which crops can we grow as an alternative in that areas?
3. Telangana is planning to grow oil palm. Can we replace Tobacco cultivation with Oil palm? Isn’t it the same agro-climatic zone?
4. Any statistics which show Telangana has developed?
5. So, is dividing states the formula for progress?
6. But your state lost access to the coast now? That is a major loss, right?

Member 4

1. You have studied in Roorkee. Roorkee is the “City of …..?”
2. How much progress has India done in deep sea mining?
3. Why is our status in deep sea exploration limited?
4. Any mission that is looking after seismic profiling in the EEZ of India?
5. What is dead oil?
6. You said you went to places X and Y recently. What problems will you solve in those areas, if you were made the DM there?
7. How will you explain the colour purple to a blind person?

Experience: Cordial experience. Sometimes, cut answers midway. Not like grilling, but there was subsequent cross questioning. But otherwise good.

Said Sorry quite a few times, but the overall feel was positive.

Mocks: Gave about 6-7 mocks. Gave quite a few DAF based mocks as well. Helped in gaining fluency and also identify the words I am speaking frequently. So that, I can work on further expected questions in those areas.

Thanks to my friends and PT Extended family for being ever supportive

Wishing everyone All the Best