UPSC Interview 2024] – Transcript #68: Bidyut Behari Swain Board, Reading Non Fiction Hobby

Date of Interview: 02/04/25 Forenoon
Board: Bidyut Behari Swain
Background: MA IR from JNU
Hobby: Reading Non Fiction
DAF- MA IR from JNU, Reading Non Fiction and military biographies [Rest of it is irrelevant]

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Chairman

1. USA is attacking Iran — do you know of any movement in that region?

2. What’s your take on this US action?

3. Don’t you think this will push Iran further into instability?

4. What could be the implications of such an action?

5. How much nuclear enrichment has Iran done so far?

6. How much time will it take for Iran to create a bomb?

7. Can the USA destroy Iran’s bombs completely?

8. So you mean to say they can delay but not destroy?

9. What steps will Iran take in response?

10. Do you think the USA can eliminate top commanders?

11. Some more comments on Iran-China-USA triangle.

12. Can you elaborate on your comment that USA is in relative decline?

13. Don’t you think Trump did the right thing by ending endless wars?

14. So you think Trump is unwise?

15. So you agree with his strategy, but not the means?

16. [Later] You talked about Bangladesh. Talking with Jamaat? Won’t that increase terror in the Northeast?

Member 2

1. What do you think is the most important quality of a civil servant?

2. Why innovation specifically?

3. Suppose you’re an SDM and your junior is underperforming, what will you do?

Member 3

1. Suppose you are an SDM and receive conflicting orders from seniors — what will you do?

2. Suppose your senior gives you illegal orders — what will you do?

3. Suppose your junior is going through a personal problem — how will you handle it?

Member 4

1. What is your service preference?

2. Do you agree — “Disarming Hamas won’t solve Israel’s problem”?

3. Is there a way to solve the Israel-Palestine issue?

4. Do you know about Mohammad Yunus’s recent comments on India’s Northeast?

5. As Foreign Secretary, how would you respond to such statements?

Member 5

1. You talked about Bangladesh — how would stopping the Brahmaputra’s water work?

2. Israelis don’t care about law — shouldn’t India also act like that?

3. You read military biographies and nonfiction — why not fiction?

4. Do you think literature and fiction should be taught in schools?

At the end Chairman sir Said, I do agree with most of Bangladesh solutions given by you, but I think talking with Jamat may get counterproductive as they may involve themselves in terrorism in North East. But chaliye, is topic pe kabhi aur charcha karenge, aaj waqt ki thodi kami hai!

Interview over.

Remarks- Cordial environment, Shukla sirs format is a bit different. He rarely asks straight questions and instead gives a few statements and goes silent! [Which gets problematic at times as it creates uncertainty as to what he wants from us]
Overall It was fun!
Duration- God Knows!