[UPSC Interview 2024] – Transcript #13: Bidyut Behari Swain Board, Physics Optional, Kerala Home State, story writing

Date of Interview: 24-03-2025
Session: Afternoon 5th to go
Board: Bidyut Behari Swain
Optional: Physics
Home State: Kerala
Keywords: Kerala, Canada, IIT Madras, malayalam story writing, Geopolitics, Astronomy (Rest of Daf is not relevant).

• To view all IAS Interview Transcripts 2024, visit this page

Chairman

1) So you write stories. Do you know MT Vasudevan Nair? Tell me about his work.
2) Have you read his story Sherlock? (I said yes, but long long back. So i just remember that it was a story about a cat )

Member 1

3) Since we talk about malayalam literature, let’s talk about K R Meera. Have you read her? She was my student!!!
What is the speciality of her writing?
4) So you studied in IIT Madras. Also you worked there for a year. In which lab did you work)
5) Why didn’t you continue in science?
6) You studied in Canada. How is Trump going to affect Canada.
7) How is the world going to be in 2029 when Trump leaves office.
8) come back to Kerala, I have been to Many universities and colleges in Kerala, why are so many seats vacant in colleges?
9) Why are so many students migrating to Canada?
10) what should be done to bring them back?
11) if u are in the education department mention 3 things u will do to improve the quality of higher education

Member 2

12) Why do you think Mr Trudeau was on a path to destroy india canada relations?
13) Do you think it will continue?
14) Do you think the current parties in Canada which have vested interest against India will have more voice in the coming election?
15) Wayanad recently had a landslide. If you were made Collector here, what would be the things you would do with regard to DM.
( looked at my daf again and made some comments on my teaching experience. So you have been sending students to IAS and IITs)
16) Three important areas which can generate employment in India?
17) why didn’t India have a good manufacturing sector?

Member 3

18)  Kerala is called god’s own country. Name three reasons why one can consider it as god’s own country?
19) Kerala is generally good with regard to women issues. But there was an incident about a movie actress. What was it?
20) why do you think such incidents happen?
21) What practical solutions are there. (Mentioned about the Hema committee)
(Two more questions I don’t remember)

Member 4

24) So you write stories. You are a creative person. Do you think in the current times, students are losing creativity? (She asked in the context where during some contests many students just copied poems from Chatgpt and changed words)
25) You think students are losing values and ethics in the AI era?
26) three ways in which we can improve the creative mindset of kids?
27) I visited kerala a couple of times. It’s a beautiful place. But I have seen huge dumps of wastes at many places..what’s the current waste management scenario in Kerala.
28) you studied astronomy. But nowadays you can’t find any stars from the city. Do you think there should be a limit to which the amount of light can be used in cities.
(2-3 more questions that I don’t remember)

One on One: with Nithin Menon of Fortune IAS Academy(except the literature related questions almost all questions in my PT  came from the topics discussed between us), Achuth sir(Fortune. Some last minute talks and 2 topics!) , DP Vajpayee sir(DIAS, Some interesting questions about Canada which became helpful), Asif Sir(Next IAS, confidence booster.)

Mocks: Fortune IAS academy(3 bureaucratic mocks and 1 faculty mock)
Next IAS (2 mocks), Lead IAS(1 bureaucratic mock and 2 faculty mocks. Confidence boosters!), iLearn, Amrita IAS academy, Vision IAS, Kerala State Academy, Shankar IAS.

(I used to attend mocks at least twice a week  in the last month to keep my momentum. Hence so many questions repeated. And boosted confidence too.)