(Interview) UPSC Interview By Prince Garg (Manbir Singh Board)

UPSC Interview By Prince Garg (Manbir Singh Board)

Name: Prince Garg

Attempt : 4th

Qualification: Mass Communication

Interview Date: 27-05-2015

From : Haryana

My interview was conducted on 27.05.2015 in morning session. It was Manbir Singh Sir’s Board. Interview started at 12.40pm and ended around 1.10 pm

I will refer Manbir Singh as MS. Member 1 as M1; Member2 as M2 …

I: May I come in sir…
MS: Yes please, please have a seat. So your name is prince garg (a big surprise).
I: Yes sir.

MS: Bachche, you are from haryana, I was reading about a recent interview of haryana CM, he was praising KHAP panchayats.. Bachche, khap enjoy massive support from people and politicians alike. KHAPs are undertaking various positive activities now a days..Bachche, KHAPs give representation to old people, so much experience of old people help youngsters. Judiciary seems to be against of KHAPs. In the age of modernity, I think khaps are still required for guiding people. Bachche what do you think about KHAPs
I: Sir, KHAPs are active in some belts of haryana and they are unconstitutional panchayats. Experience of elderly can sought from constitutional panchayats which were created by 73rd amendment act. To my mind, khaps are hangover of feudal era, in the age of modernity, some feudal institutions are still lingering on, khap is one. It has happened in most societies across the world be it UK, France, Germany.. It takes time for feudal institutions to go. KHAPs are patriarchal and misogynist institutions who are sometimes engaged in human rights violations. I don’t think people of haryana need khap. (at this expressions of MS changed radically , I felt I have said something wrong, I should have balanced it )

MS: Bachche, you work as assistant in ministry of shipping, tell me about your work and your service.
I: Sir, I m in central secretariat service which was started by british govt in 1920s as Imperial secretariat service (ISS). ISS provides continuity in administration. My work is to open the files, process receipts, seeing past precedents, applying some rules and put up the file to Section officer. (MS cut short and asked)

MS: what about weeding out files?
I: Sir, I have not done it yet.

MS: but files are weeded out every year in ministries
I: silent… (MS asked members to ask questions)

M1: Prince, what is the budget of your ministry and from where that money comes.
I: Sir, its 1400 crores, 1000crores current account and 400 crores capital account. The money comes from Ministry of finance

M1: what is current account used for? Money comes from some other places too like profit earned by your ministry? Or money earned by PSUs under your ministry?
I: Sir, current account is used for day today expenses like giving salaries to employees. Sir, I m not aware of the profit earned by ministry…there are PSUs under ministry but their profit goes to consolidated fund of India

M1: No, think again, your ministry gets money from some more sources..
I: Sorry sir,I m not aware..

M2: Prince, tell me difference between SEX and GENDER
I: (this was my favourite topic , I have written a lot on this on facebook however here time was limited). Sir, sex is a biological term however gender is a socio-cultural term…it is said woman and man are not born, they are made by assigning special social values like woman should stay at home while man should work outside…and..

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M2: Ok, I m done prince

M3: tell us about JAM trinity.
I: Ma’am J stands for jan dhan scheme, A stands for adhar and M for mobile. It will be used for better targeting of subsidies..GOI is paying about 3 lakh crore subsidy annually but it is being used by middle classes and riches too like I m using it in LPG cylinder. By JAM Govt can transfer money in accounts of poor people directly

M3: tell more benefits
I: it will b faster, corruption/bribery will be cut short

M3: tell more, some important benefits?
I: (I had already told imp benefits, I didn’t know more)…I got silent and little scared (I shouldn’t get scared, it was my weakest point, M3 explained something which I anyway couldn’t understand)

M4: Prince, tell me about inland waterways and what ministry is doing, what about coastal shipping, is it adequately developed in India
I: Sir, hardly 0.1% of cargo is transported by inland traffic however its upto 20% in germany. Similarly hardly 7% cargo is moved by coastal shipping, its about 20% in united states. Govt is trying to incentivise business to use waterways for transport like by charging 50 paise/tonne/nautical mile less tax.. Its like Marcopolo programme being undertaken in Europe

M4; what other taxes Govt charge on road, railways
I: toll tax…

M4: Have you heard about red corridor. Name all states where it exists
I: Sir, its related to naxalism, it exists in about 20 states of India like west Bengal, jharkhand, bihar, 36gadh, eastern up, orissa, mp, Andhra, maharashtra etc.

M4: difference between 1g,2g, 3g and 4g?
I: (I told few differences like in speed, bandwidth, FDMA and TDMA but he asked to tell specific difference in technology, I couldn’t recall)

M4: I m seeing so many gaps in your education, you passed 11th class in two years. You did B.E in 2008 and its 2015. Why so
I: Sir, after 10th I had taken commerce under family pressure as my dad was chartered accountant and family wanted me to be CA too however I was interested in science so in 12th class I revolted and went back to 11th class and took science.

M4: you are telling us, you had interest in science but then you left field of science and all the knowledge earned from delhi college of engineering and switched to civil services hahaha.
I: (I didn’t know what to say, I was hating this member)…

M2: Prince, do you think GDI would be a better indicator of development than HDI. Whose value should be higher.
I: yes sir, I think Gender development index would be a better indicator, as the ambedkar sahib had said progress of fair sex is the real progress of society. I feel GDI’s value should be lower on account of persisting gender discrimination in India, in western countries however GDI may be more or less equal to HDI

M2: No, you are wrong, there wont be any difference between value of hdi and gdi, think again
I: I think gdi should be lower sir . (At this M2 started explaining by some geometric mean theorem, I couldn’t understand what he was saying, he was unhappy with me anyway)

M3: Prince, one last question, I have noticed you compare most aspects about India with Europe. Why so? Okay leave it, you have written in your daf that you write on social isssues on facebook. What is your favourite topic.
I: woman (at this she started laughing)

M3: Prince, can I read some of your article but I don’t have facebook account.
I: yes ma’am its easy, just type feminduism and femislam on google, you will get to read one article.

M3: Oh really, we have internet here.
AT THIS CHAIRMAN intervened… OK prince, your interview is over. You may go
I: thank you sir, have a good day (I was last candidate)

I think my answer on KHAP will decide my marks as the Chairman was not even listening my replies when I was talking with members… Manbir Singh sir was in Indian foreign services and has spent plenty time in Europe, I had thought he would be a modernist and he would be loving western ideas and hence would be against foolish kangaroo courts like khap…but I guess he didn’t like my negative views about KHAP.. I m not expecting more than 120 marks, its certain that I would be failed this time too. I see no hopes…again I m falling in love with Schopenhauer. Good bye people~

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