[UPSC Interview 2023] – Transcript #144: Sanjay Verma Board, Geography Optional, West Bengal Home State

Date of Interview: 22 Feb, Forenoon, 1st to go
Board: Sanjay Verma Sir
Optional: Geography
Home State: West Bengal
Educational background: B.Tech. EE

Home state and places mentioned in DAF – West Bengal, Manipur
College (UG/PG) – KGEC, MAKAUT(WBUT)

Achievements (if any) – leadership position in college sky watchers club, science and maths olympiad state 1st, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Detailed transcript –Entered the room. Greeted everyone and stood beside the chair. I was told to sit after some time.

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Chairman

1. Made me comfortable by asking about how am I doing and how is the weather outside.
2. Said -“You must have read all the newspapers since the morning, right?” I told  “Just two, that too only the front page”
3. Tell me two important news articles – one which is related to women issue, and other that has no impact on the Nation
4. You were born in Murshidabad, have u stayed there?
5. It has a rich history, why has its importance reduced in later times?
6. Many people think the progress of Bengal is mostly owed to the British, what is ur opinion?

Member 1

1. So, u are a geographer, at least for this exam. Tell me where can I find the Mediterranean climate
2. what are the characteristics of this climate?
3. what are grown in this climate? (I said grapes, olives, citrus fruits) Then he said, “That means most of the wine-producing areas fall in this climate, right?”
4. Long monologue about climate change and how it is countered based on higher snowfall at some places while rising temp at others. Then asked me about my opinion on this whole scenario.
5. It is speculated that Western Europe my get frozen in few years, leading to freezing of their port. Why will it happen?

Member 2

(mostly on my participation in Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan)

1. What did u do as a part of it?
2. How far has this campaign is successful? areas where success and areas where work in progress.
3. Is India “really” ODF as of now?
4. How to improve the situation?
5. Have u seen any behavioural shift regarding cleanliness since the commencement of this program?

Member 3

1. You read newspaper today, was there anything regarding any space achievement of India in it?
2. Are u familiar with RTI?
3. Why was it brought?
4. It comes under which ministry – gave 2 options (DoPT and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting). Why not in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting?
5. Whether every kind of file noting accessible to the general public through it?
6. If during govt recruitment, 4-5 candidates get same marks and there is 1 vacancy, is the agency bound to provide info regarding the criteria to chose the one? (I was starting to say about the tie breaking rules, but she said suppose it does not exist and there was a verbal discussion before coming to the conclusion on recruitment)

Member 4

1. You are from KV, tell me what are the differences u find in culture of KV and other schools?
2. You were in Sky Watcher’s club, name 2 interesting things that u saw during ur time.
3. You won Maths Olympiad, do u know about Vedic Maths? How is it different than Maths we do today? (other questions not able to recall)

Chairman again – “it is almost time, it was nice talking to you. All the Best.” Just about to greet everyone, M1 asked one last thing, “do you think that children from families with defence backgrounds are better?” Then I finally wished all of them thank you and went outside.

Utility of Mocks or O2O (if any) – Confidence building and to improve speech impediments.