{"id":14982,"date":"2018-01-25T23:26:20","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T17:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=14982"},"modified":"2019-07-12T14:43:07","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T09:13:07","slug":"ias-interview-honesty-and-simplicity-is-the-key-here-is-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/ias-interview-honesty-and-simplicity-is-the-key-here-is-why\/","title":{"rendered":"IAS Interview : Honesty and Simplicity is the key. Here is why."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“What will be your priorities as\na District Collector of Central Delhi ?” I asked<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “Sir, as District Collector, my priorities will\nbe to focus on skill development, women empowerment, and bringing in\ntransparency and accountability in the functioning of the government. I will\nalso ensure that law and order is maintained to inspire confidence of women in\nthe system” She said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “Perfect”, I said. Educated, corporate\nbred, and fluent English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 She was preparing for her second Interview , after\nclearing Mains 2017. The kind of daughter that would make parents proud, and\ncolleagues jealous. Dressed in an immaculate and impeccable Kameez Salwar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 She was ME when I was younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Except that I wore pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Let me turn the tables, I said. Let us call some\npeople who actually live here. So I called in three candidates, ( who will be\nwriting their Prelims in 2018). I asked them,” What are the top three\nproblems you face ?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Sir, the congestion is very high, with no parking,\nthere is filth on the roads, and walking pavements have been encroached by\nshopkeepers, forcing us to walk on the road. They said in unison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 They were young, unadulterated and did not have any\nbias as to why I was asking them this question in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “Would you be happy if I offered you women\nempowerment, skill development, transparency instead?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 They looked shocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “Shalini, I said – You are the 200 th candidate\nwho has told me women-empowerment-health-education-skill-develoment as\npriorities as a DC.” In the past 3 years when I have been taking a few\nmocks.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Public administration\/GS 2 answers may not be the best\nanswer. Other candidate are much better prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The one thing , I learned as a development\npractitioner \/ semi -bureaucrat in my last government “job” was to\nunlearn a lot of things I had learned in my last private job – which paid me a\nsix figure salary and 10,000 American Dollars in shares , at the age of 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 And that was – being practical, precise, and meaningful\nin what you say. Do not say things that add no value to the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Least of all, in front of  senior bureaucrat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 It wasn’t easy. I once spoke out of turn in front of a\nPrinciple Secy and multiple times before a District Collector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 When my district collector asked me to monitor 3\nblocks and call meetings of three BDOs, he asked me – So Neyawn ( okay, he\ncalled me by my real name ), what will be your priorities overseeing the three\nblocks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Having just appeared for the UPSC interview, I sang\nlike a bird – Sir, Skill Development, Poverty Alleviation and\nsome-random-stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “Don’t be an idiot from Delhi, who only speaks\nEnglish”, the Collector rued. You will do three things<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0First,<\/em> make sure that all government schemes are properly being implemented, specially Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana – just take a look at the file, you will know all the issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Second<\/em>, see that if any Dalit Tolas are still without pucca house. If any, get a list made and get them expedited and ensure that we don’t have mud houses in the three blocks allocated to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Third<\/em>, account opening is mandatory for receiving MNREGS and IAY from this fiscal as central government has sent circular that wages and funds will be given directly to beneficiary and not to Panchayat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “Sir!” I said. And walked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I became what I am when I served as a Prime Minister’s\nRural Development Fellow almost half a decade ago, in a Naxalite infested area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ( A few years later,  a young woman would meet me\nin New Delhi, for the ForumIAS Community Meet, who would tell me  – Sir, I\nam from the same place you worked as PMRDF. I am the first women candidate to\nqualify for IPS from that district. And I would said ,Wow, thats nice! )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The work was both awesome and challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 This is how my early meetings with Self Help Groups\nwere<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But the point of this story is to tell you a few things –\nespecially those of you appearing for your Interview – is to be simple,\nrealistic and not shallow in your answers. This is what I learned in my job.\nAnd experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 And I passed this on to at least a hundred people I\ninterviewed last year<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 And here it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 #1 What will be your priorities as a District\nCollector?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

 A fairly common  question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Please do not stereotype your answer with\nwhat you think is the problem of the District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fairly common answer is<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 = random* ( skill development, women empowerment,\ntransparency and accountability, poverty alleviation, citizen charter, law and\norder, women empowerment, employment generation, citizen charter, women\nsafety,2-3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Be realistic in your answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 And if you do not know, ask your parents who are at\nhome, and ask them what is the problem of your district – and trust me – you\nwill be surprised by the wisdom of your parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Simplicity is the key. Always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 # Case Studies show who you are and where you\ncome from<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “A girl child has been assaulted and killed by\nsome elements. The family of the child along with other villagers has blocked\nthe National Highway leading to traffic jams. Ambulances are stuck. They are\nnot willing to listen to anyone and have created a ruckus. There are chances of\nviolence. What will you course of action?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0“Sir, I will make sure that first the road jam is cleared and people are not\u00a0inconvenienced. Secondly<\/em> I will make sure that ambulance , if any, is not stuck in the traffick as any innocent lives should not be……….”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Perfect Answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Except that there could be some elements of cultural\nbias in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I thought they were perfect answers, until I asked\nthis to Sudha Kar, what will be your course of action?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 He said “Sir, first I will request the Police to\nregister a proper case against the offenders and promise proper investigation\nand time bound arrest of criminals…..”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 You may not realize it yet, but there is a sea of\ndifference between the two answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Sudha Kar is the son of a farmer. When answering such\na question, he immediately associated himself with the victim. And if\nyou, Sir, own a car or ever travel by a car, – a majority of you will see that\ntraffic jam is the primary problem in this case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In reality, it is merely the symptom of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 And the primary problem is – victims such as in the\ncase above – have a nightmare getting a proper FIR registered even\nin heinous cases like these!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 So when you answer questions, analyze well. Don;t show\nyour English education- 3-years-TCS\/corporate -work-exp-and-middle\n-class-urban-Indian upbringing-in-it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Also, the country is lucky to have Sudhar Kar selected\nin the IAS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  #3 Communication Skills are NOT the key.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

 I have invariably seen people with good,call\ncenter smart English not getting usually good marks in the Interview. And\npeople – often – with poor English and low confidence – getting better marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 You can bank on my observation. I would know at least\nleast a few hundred people in the academy over the past few years. In fact, I\nhave interviewed a few hundred people by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The truth is – what you say and how you say is the\nkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Smart and fluent English does not get you anything.\nBeing simple, straightforward and honest does. Both in UPSC. And the Government\nof India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  #4 Why IAS?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I am not going to answer this question here but let me tell\nyou a secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In the past few years , over the few hundred people I\nhave met, I am yet to meet someone – who got selected for what he said when he\nwas asked – Why IAS?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 On the contrary, I have met a few hundred people who\nhave solely been rejected for what they said in the Why IAS question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “Why IAS?” is not your Oscar speech. It is\nnot and should not even be the magnum opus of your life! It is\nneither an emotional outburst to express the millions of dreams who have had\nfor this job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 It cannot be a secret answer which you hide from\neveryone, even the mock interviews, and keep it only for the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I am not going to pass judgments on it, but here is\nthe golden rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 If it is too embarrassing to answer “Why\nIAS” before a bunch of people, it is also too embarrassing to say it\nbefore a few old men either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Your answer cannot be based on lack of job\nsatisfaction in your current profile or something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Trust me, the simpler the answer the better it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 #5 People Improve.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

 If you have appeared for Interview before and if you\nhave scored low marks in the Interview, you are invariably likely to continue\nto score low marks ( marginal\/delta increments wont get you anywhere ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Unless you decide to make radical changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I am going to share a video with you which I did last\nwinter for Interview Appearing candidates. Back then, I had a bunch of friends\nfor whom I did it – one of them being Priyank, who was probably appearing for\nhis fourth or fifth interview – and had had a streak of bad luck all\nthroughout. ( I have called out his name in the video )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 We worked on it, and he did secure around 205 in the\nInterview last year . And made it to the final list. So if you have scored high\nmarks before, I want you to know that you can improve. If you decide to be a\nlittle open minded and if you are willing to listen. This is not easy, as with\nincreasing attempts, you are less likely to be mold-able, and more likely\nto be rigid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 #6 If this is your first Interview, this is your best\nchance.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

 Take this as an emotional plea,  but if you are\nat all casual about Interview, you may be in for serious disappointment.\nWe all have friends who have done exceptionally well, without visibly working\nfor it. But thats not how you plan life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ( The guy\/officer who designed the ForumIAS Logo also\ngot 207 and 219 in the Interview. When asked what will be his course of action\nin case of a stampede in a temple, he said – Sir, If I may ask – Who am\n“I” in this scenario? The board smiled and replied – you are a\ndevotee )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 If you still  think its a personality test that\nrequires no preparation, watch the video at the end of this blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ( Do not hesitate to seek help from anyone, and trust\nme , the best people to help you are first, your parents, senior or even\nmid-senior officers, preferably IAS, and your mentors in your journey. )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 And to practice, nothing beats a good peer group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Click here to\nwatch now<\/a> ( LIMITED PERIOD)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Until Next time,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u2764<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neyawn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The function random chooses x values from the subset,\ndepending on the value of x, just before the bracket closes. In this case the\nvalue is 2<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“What will be your priorities as a District Collector of Central Delhi ?” I asked  “Sir, as District Collector, my priorities will be to focus on skill development, women empowerment, and bringing in transparency and accountability in the functioning of the government. I will also ensure that law and order is maintained to inspire confidence of women… Continue reading IAS Interview : Honesty and Simplicity is the key. Here is why.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,33,16],"tags":[159,67],"class_list":["post-14982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-featured","category-interview-preparation","tag-interview-preparation-for-ias","tag-neyawn","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":191,"cached_at":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14982\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}