[UPSC Interview 2024] – Transcript #19: Lt Gen Raj Shukla sir Board, Karnataka Home State, Vipassana meditation Hobby

Date of Interview: 24/03/25, 1st to go ~40 mins
Board: Lt Gen Raj Shukla sir
Home State: Karnataka
Background: civil engineering
Hobby: Vipassana meditation
DAF keywords- Urban planning, civil engineering, Bengaluru, Karnataka, eco sustainable building ,Rubik’s cube, Vipassana meditation

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

Chairman

1. Where are you from?
2. Do you the know debate about ship vs chips?( Sir explained it in depth)
3. Asked major reasons for this debate?
4. Why chinese are setting up trend in every field, be it defence, technology,trade( debate went on to china vs US)
5. Why Trumps wants to take over panama,Canada, Green land?
6. Do you think India neglected the maritime domain in its defence strategy and why?

Member 1 – long discussion about Bengaluru and issues

1.List out problems in Bengaluru
2. about water scarcity and cause
3. About flooding
4. About traffic management
5. About Solid waste management
6. How to solve these problems as a civil engineer
7. As a administrator
8. Cauvery issue

Member 2 – Was smiling whole time

Do you watch cricket?( Not in my DAF)
I said , yes sir sometimes

1. Which one is better T20 or Test tell me three merits and demerits ( stopped me to merits only
2. Why ipl has done well compared to other series – a debate on some points about superstars
3. What are its implications
4. Rubik’s cube and it’s benefits

Member 3 

1. Who is Basavanna?
2. What are his teachings
3. Tell me unique things about Vipassana?
4. How did it help you?
5. Delimitation debate
6. Do you think it will be injustice to Southern states if implemented as per new census
7. One vote one value ,art 82 mandates!!
8. When was last delimitation done
9. What should we do now.?

Member 4 – Was preparing questions on the DAF whole time

Unfortunately sir had prepared questions on someone else’s DAF not mine!!!

So he had to leave DAF and ask something outside due to shortage of time ( only one topic asked)

1.Tell me about rooftop solar scheme
( I could not recollect data)
2. Why it is not successful – reasons
3. Why there is disparity among states (GJ,TN,RJ,KA. have done relatively better)
4. What are the solutions?
5. Is subsidy enough?

Sir was thinking another question but Chaiman sir intervened
Ok your interview is over you can go now

Overall cordial board

Mocks – Samkalp, Sri Ram,only ias ,vajiram,Vajiro and Reddy,KSG,Vision and others

One on one: Basu sir, Vivekananda sir,Mahesh M Bhagawat sir and SOMP

Discussion with friends helped a lot.
One on one helped to improve answering skills
While mocks set the tone for facing fear of interview

Greatful all for the support from friends, mentors and the community