[UPSC Interview Transcript #29] :Smita Nagraj Ma’am Board, Kerala Home State, Anthropology Optional, Mountaineering Hobby

Duration: 30 mins
Board: Smita Nagraj ma’am
Optional: Anthropology
Home State: Kerala
Hobby: Mountaineering

Chairperson

1. Have you read Tagores book Geetanjali?
2. Why? It’s an easy read?
3. Okay often with Tagore and other leaders we see that there are lots of debates about them and criticism as well about them. What do you think of this?
4. Okay, but Hitler and Stalin were alive when it happened. What about dead people?
5. Okay, let’s do critical analysis in real life? Take any scheme analysis and criticism?
6. Okay, but premiums will be capped. What else?
7. Why Government is focused on secondary and tertiary care then?
8. Then isn’t it okay to focus on secondary and tertiary and not primary?
9. How to solve excessive testing and unnecessary procedures in private hospitals?
10. Why do we get happy when we see Indian names in fortune 500 companies? They’re not Indian citizens? So why do they leave?

Member 1

1. Have you heard of Geetanjali express? (Related to Tagore- daf)
2. Where does it run from? Andaman is a strategic location why?
3. Till where does nations boundary extend?
4. Have you heard of nautical miles? To what extent nautical miles is the territory?
5. Why do you read books on human evolution? Why so many migrants from Kerala in gulf countries? So they are skilled?
6. What state has the highest literacy? How much? Lowest?
7. Why still wife beating and domestic violence is high after so much education? What are the criteria of literacy in India?

Member 2

1. Do you believe in adam and eve? Why not?
2. Kochi port trust? Tell something about it
3. Have you seen it?
4. Kochi and Ernakulam difference? Jaipur founder?
5. What other contribution of Sawal Jai Singh?
6. Mirza ahmad contribution?
7. Administrative issues that may arise from pm jay?
8. Funding issue would be the biggest problem no?
9. What do you see when you see a mountain or rock face? (Hobby)

Member 3

1. Sports why bad in India despite large population, indigenous games, talent availability? And measures to improve?
2. How to manage funding balancing between various sectors like health education defense infrastructure?

Member 4

1. Have you read Tony Joseph’s latest book?
2. Why not mountaineering? (Hobby)
3. You mentioned Tax terrorism. Whom does it affect- payers or non payers?
4. Vivaad se vishwas scheme. is it fair to give amnesty when others have paid tax on time? What is FATF? What is the grey list?
5. What action taken by countries on grey list and blacklist entities?

Chairperson

1. Interference in west Asia by the USA, what is your take?
2. Western interference in Libya under what clause?
3. West Asia outlook?

For more interview transcript, visit the Complete IAS Interview Preparation Guide