My date with destiny 25 April 2012

My UPSC interview experience (Rajni Razdan Board), 25th April 2012:

Time around 4:20 PM and I was not very fluent, fumbled in between many times.

[Neeraj] May i come in sir?

[All]        Please

[Neeraj] Good afternoon sir, madam etc

[Rajni] Hi Neeraj, this is you Neeraj {showing my photo to me} and asking my date of birth, roll number

[Neeraj] Yes Mam and gave her my details

There were 6 (or 7) people including Chairperson on the interview Panel

[M1] So Neeraj, you have an interesting hobby Archaeology, why?

[Neeraj] I love visiting historic places, i have seen Qutub Complex, Hampi and Ajanta Ellora, and few sites in England etc. I love the old architectures, stones as these are the material evidences that helps the history in connecting the different joints... They help history to make a theory ...

[M1] Is there any material evidence that can prove the presence of strings used in musical instruments of ancient period?

[Neeraj] I have seen a coin showing Samudragupta playing Veena and that coin is around 1500 years old.

[M1] Is there any other evidence?

[Neeraj] I have no clue sir

[M1] You have also written Cricket as your hobby? So do you play?

[Neeraj] I used to play

[M1] Do you follow cricket? and What do you think of IPL as promoting cricket of causing corruption?

[Neeraj] I follow, i dont think IPL is causing corruption., Match fixing or corruption has nothing to do with any particular format, it can happen in any format. IPL is promoting cricket by popularizing it among the masses.

[M1] Do you follow current trends in Archaeology?

[Neeraj] Yes sir, told him about Brahmi script and its excavations in Adichannloor and a place close to Chennai

[M1] He asked about some titration question

[Neeraj] I dont know sir, i forgot.

[M2] You said you have been to Qutub Complex, what is there?

[Neeraj] Ancient pillars of Hindu temples, Qutub Minar, incomplete Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque...
[M2] What about the iron pillar? Any thing special about it?

[Neeraj] Yes sir, it never rusts, some professor from IIT Kanpur has proved that some chemical was layered on it (forgot the name of that chemical and professor). That's why it never rusts.

[M2] Do you know about the village reorganized by Anna Hazare?

[Neeraj] Yes sir, Ralegaon Siddhi

[M2] What exactly he has done?

[Neeraj] Sustainable use of natural resources etc..

[M2] Can it be reused and if that is the case then why it has not happened?

[Neeraj] It can be reused but i have no clue why it has not happened

[M3] You are getting an excellent salary in IT and you have an excellent track record, why do you want to go to IAS?

[Neeraj] Sir many reasons, i come from Bundelkhand, a very poor village, social services, poverty reduction etc etc

[M3] Honest reasons authority or social service

[Neeraj] Social service,  do enjoy a bit of authority in my current company so want to do social service

[M4] What are the various techniques to estimate the age of a material?

[Neeraj] C-14 dating, dendro chronology, thermoluminiscence etc

[M4] What is C-14?

[Neeraj] Isotope of Carbon

[M4] What Chola empire has given to India?

[Neeraj] Local self government, talked about rural village assembly plate evidences etc..

[M4] What you will do if posted to some area in Kerala ? and you dont know any thing about that area?

[Neeraj] I will build a team, i will do survey, open forums so that people can talk to me directly, e-governance, frequent tours etc..

[M5] How many cases are pending in courts of India?

[Neeraj] 4 mn sir

[M5] its 4.5 million but you were too close, good

[M5] Do you know about Lok Adalats?

[Neeraj] I gave him the idea about it

[M5] What type of cases it can handle?

[Neeraj] Civil cases sir

[M5] Can it handle divorce cases?

[Neeraj] I said no, some one clarified it can handle

[M5] Do you know about green tea?

[Neeraj] Yes Sir, these days many people are drinking it

[M5] What is anti-oxidant?

[Neeraj] I could not answer that.. my lowest point in the interview.. i was not able to recollect it..

[M6] Name three communicable diseases?

[Neeraj] Polio, Measles, Encephalitis etc..

[Rajni] Thank you Neeraj {She said almost abruptly and that was the end of my interview..

And Interview was over in about 20 odd minutes..

My observations:

I was not very fluent and fumbled many times but managed to give answers with good points.. No idea why Rajni Mam abruptly ended my interview... anyways i am an optimist.. so waiting for  the lucky offer...