[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #76 : Smita Nagraj ma’am Board, playing badminton and listening to music Hobbies

Date of Interview: 6th Feb, Afternoon
Board: Smita Nagraj ma’am
Background: Software engineer, medals in basketball in college,
Hobbies: playing badminton and listening to music

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Chairman

1. What is the one thing you enjoy about working in your company?
2. What are your company’s products , what does your company do?
3. Layoffs and recession happening in USA, what do you think about it?
4. Work from home, is it good?
5. Collegium issues?
6. Isn’t it necessary to maintain independence of judiciary in appointments?
7. Sustainable development defn?
8. Sdg, name any 3 of them.

Member 1

1. Why civil services?
2. How will you use knowledge of your job(software Engg) in administration?
3. Will AI replace humans?
4. (I titlted towards no as AI still has a lot of deficiencies like seen in accidents of driverless cars)
5. AI will become even better in the future. So, don’t you think it will replace humans in distant future?

Member 2

1. Should civil servants be allowed to become social media influencers?
2. Given need for technology in administration do you think engineers are better administrators than those from Social science background ?
3. Listening to music is a very broad category. Do you like a specific genre?

Member 3

1. Full form of my company’s name?
2. Why switch from permanent to adhoc? (Employment related)
3. Aiims cyberattack – what were its reasons,  and what are the solutions?
4. (I had said strengthen firewalls among other solutions). On this, he said that firewall can’t be too strong due to public access, and backup wont help as lots of vips information will still get stolen, so what other measures for aiims
5. specifically will you suggest?
6. You have played both badminton and basketball. How do you compare the 2 sports?

Thoughts :
Board was very cordial. There were a couple of light moments too.  But, some questions could’ve been handled better by me. Let’s see how it goes. Fingers crossed.
Experience with mocks –
Decent experience with all but relatively Vajirao>Rau>Ksg.
One to one with Ravindran Sir was also good.
Mocks can help in getting over the fear of speaking in front of a panel and also in getting possible list of questions. But, would suggest not to give too many.

All the best to everyone.