UPSC Interview 2024] – Transcript #63: Lt. Gen Raj Sukhla Sir Board, Economics Optional, IIT Bombay

Date of Interview: 04/04/2025
Board: Lt. Gen Raj Sukhla Sir
Optional: Economics
Background: IIT Bombay (Electrical Engineering)
DAF Keywords: IIT Bombay (Electrical Engineering), MA Economics, Hobby Sharemarket, Working in Audit Department, Posted in Goa, Voluntary activity Beach Cleaning, Birthplace Khajuraho

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

Chairman

Are you working somewhere? (Yes sir, posted in Goa, Audit Dept)
Gave loooong monologue on the need to fundamentally reform the Audit Dept, focusing more on outcomes rather than processes. Randomly started talking about defence startups. Questions were unclear but talked about possible reforms in auditing, role of CFO in companies, GeM portal, GFR.

Member 1

1) Why Economics optional after Electrical Engineering, despite good CPI?
2) Can we use a shunt motor in electric train?
3) E-governance initiatives in Audit Dept
4) What is special about Khajuraho?
5) What measures should be taken to promote tourism in Khajuraho?
6) What is the ratio of foreign & domestic tourists in Khajuraho?
7) What measures would you take as DM to boost tourism in Khajuraho? (repetition of points from previous answer)

Member 2

(Smiling, nodding):
1) Causes of rail accidents in India?
2) Can privatisation address the situation?
3) What is KAVACH?
4) Why do you want to leave Audit Dept, a peaceful job?
5) If you are SP and there is custodial death in your district, leading to public outrage, what will be your steps in chronology?
6) Cut me in between and asked, what are the Supreme Court guidelines on custodial death? (Himself answered that a murder case needs to be registered against SHO)
7) Is tourism declining in Goa? Why?

Member 3

1) Asked about beach cleaning initiative mentioned in the DAF.
2) There was a landslide in Wayanad. Is Goa on track to experience similar natural disasters if unabated development continues?
3) Is Goa overpopulated?
4) What can be done to ensure that tourism doesn’t harm environment?
5) Single-use plastic was banned few yrs ago, but still there are mountains of waste. What will you do as DM if there is a similar issue in your district? How to address this huge issue of waste management?
6) How will you spread awareness among public regarding eliminating plastic?

Member 4

1) You studied Electrical Engineering from a prestigious institute. How did you use your electrical engineering knowledge in Audit?
2) Most of the IITB graduates do a software job or go abroad. Why did you choose to do neither?
3) Give positives and negatives of IIT Bombay?
4) What do you mean by “good quality education”?

Chairman: Thank you, All the best
Overall, the board was cordial.

Mocks given: Samkalp (great experience), O2O with Ravindran Sir, VisionIAS, Chanakya Mandal.

Special thanks to Shubham sir (Vidyapeeth) for his continued guidance in the last 2 years.

Most of the mocks focused on economics and sharemarket, but completely untouched in the actual interview.