///////////////////////////////////REAL INTERVIEW CSE-2012//////////////////////////////////// NAME-PURNA SINGH Assistant Commissioner (P) at IRS (C&CE) Board Chairman-Prof. David R. Syiemlieh. Board Composition: A lady member and 4 gentlemen (including chairman) My interview was scheduled on 21st March, 2013, afternoon session. Reporting time was 1.15 pm and by 1.45 pm our documents were verified. I was told that my interview would be 1st, would be starting at 2 pm and the board would be of Prof. David. At 2, the concerned peon took me to outside the room and asked me to wait. Since members were gone to have lunch so I had to wait another 8-10 mins. It was an open veranda, so the cool breeze helped me in calming down my anxiety and nervousness. Within other couple of mins, when all the members got in, I was asked by the peon to enter the room (he held the door open). Me: May I come in, Sir? Chairman: Yes, Come in. Me: Thank you, Sir. I entered the room and wished the lady member 1st and then the chairman and thereafter nodded head while looking towards other members. The lady member directed me to take the seat. Before I took the seat, Chairman (CM) asked me: You look worried? Me: No, Sir. (Smiling to keep my thumping heart at low). Chairman: Is this your 1st interview? Me: Yes, Sir. (Assuming that he asked with reference to CSE/UPSC). CM: All right, please sit down. Me: Thank you, Sir. CM: So, Purna, where are you coming from? Me: Allahabad, Sir. CM: I have not been to Allahabad personally but I have heard about it a lot. It has given number of prime ministers to India but still what I perceive is that it’s still not a very developed city…..so Purna, What could be reasons for this….in your opinion ? Me: Yes Sir, I do feel that Allahabad has not utilised its potential upto it’s capability. Sir, it’s because the political culture of Uttar Pradesh had been based on casteism and regionalism. This has led to ignorance of real development factors being efficiently involved in formation and execution of policies. Apart from this, the investment in infrastructure in terms of power, roads, and human infrastructure such as education and health had not been optimal. Also, Sir, the reversal of policies upon change in state government had also led to decrease in motivation of administration and thus, reducing the efficiency of welfare schemes. But Sir, in recent past Allahabad has seen development in various fields especially after the enhanced role of local self government in coordination with district administration. CM: So, the recently concluded Maha Kumbh Mela, Do you see it as a successful arrangement? Me: Yes Sir, in a very short duration of 2-3 months the district administration with the help of other agencies build up the mega city in the mela region. CM: Do you feel that Allahabad is developing now ? Me: Yes Sir, It’s catching up with the pace required. CM: Good to hear that, you are proud of your hometown. Me: Thank you, Sir. (Smiling). CM: And you have worked in L&T….What were you doing there ? Me: Sir, I was a Graduate Engineer Trainee there, placed in hydropower development division and I was being trained in business development, project development and design of hydraulic structures. CM: You have left this job in June 2011, what were doing after that ? Me: Sir, I Started preparing for civil services exam and simultaneously I gave few other exams to check the level of my preparation. I had given Delhi Metro Railway Corporation, Executive Trainee, test, and I scored All India Rank 1. I had also given exam for Coal India Ltd. and qualified the written exam. CM: So, are you expecting an offer from there? Me: No, Sir. I didn’t appear in the interview for CIL. CM: All right. You have mentioned your hobby as travelling, what do you gain from it ? Me: Sir, it helps me in planning the activities for travelling, it also helps me in co ordinating with my friends and accepting the challenge to learn about new places and meeting new people. ( Honestly speaking I forgot to mention that it’s also for the food habits and to try new tastes). CM: Which all places have you been to? Me: Sir, I had been to all the 4 south Indian states and Goa. I had also been to J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal. (though I had been to more than these places but confined the answer to this question) CM: You have also mentioned one of your hobbies as Photography, how does it help in your travelling? Me: Sir, it helps me in documenting my travel and using them in future as a memoir which can be used as enhancing planning for further travels. Now CM directed the interview to the lady member (LM), while nodding his head. LM: Purna, there seem to be lot of fuss about Kumbh mela. Do you see it as an achievement and what are the shortcomings and what solutions would you suggest in its arrangement on part of administration? Me: Yes, Ma’m. It was an achievement as it has shown coordination of central, state and district administration can enhance the welfare and development activities. The mega city built to accommodate nearly 10 cr. people had become an interesting case study for Harvard scholars who studied them and aimed to apply it in case of refugee camps and other mass gatherings. LM: So, do you think that can we teach something to people at Harvard ? Me: Yes, Ma’m. Beside these, also the infrastructure level in terms of road, electricity distribution lines, sewage disposal, hygienic sanitation facilities and transportation planning was of optimal standards. LM: How was sanitation and sewage situation handled? Me: Sewer lines of approximately the length of 400 kms. were constructed and free toilets were in place to prevent open defecation. LM: From your form, what I can feel is that you had been giving so many exams……do you know what exactly you want to do in your life? Me: (smiling) Ma’m, I always aspired for civil services. These exams I have given to check the level of my preparations as they had 1 or more subjects in common. LM: And why did you always aspired for civil services? Me: Ma’m, growing up in Uttar Pradesh, I had seen lack of infrastructure, not only in physical, that is, in terms of roads, power and industries but also in social and human terms. My areas of interest in academics being Maths and Physics during my class X and XII, so I opted for Civil engineering as my graduation course. It was during college, having discussions with my friends, teachers and seniors that as a Civil Servicemen larger contribution can be made and bigger differences can be brought upon for the development and welfare of society. LM: All right. Now CM directed to the 3rd member of the panel. M2: You are civil engineer, how can this help in general administration ? Me: Sir, having sound technical knowledge in subjects such as transportation engineering, town planning, water resources engineering, building materials and construction would help me in enhancing the efficiency of administration and importantly having studied environmental engineering would help me in planning and executing programmes for sustainable development M2: What all things have you studied in environmental engineering ? Me: Sir, I have studied water supply engineering, waste water and sewage disposal engineering and air pollution. M2: You were selected in DMRC. What is it ? Me: Sir, it’s a public sector undertaking in the field of urban mass transport under the govt of delhi and union govt on 50:50 basis. M2: Who is the head….CMD….CEO….of this ? Me: Sir, Shri Mangu Singh is the managing director of DMRC. M2: No Srinivasan ?!?!......?? (I paused for a while, and then replied.) Me: Sir, earlier Mr E Sreedharan was the MD of DMRC and now Shri Mangu Singh. M2: Have you studied about operational research in your civil engineering ? Me: (paused for a while to recall) No, Sir. M2: You don’t know about CPM and PERT ? Me: Yes, Sir. I do know about CPM and PERT. M2: So tell me about them. Me: (paused for few seconds to recall and formulate the answer) Sir, PERT stands for Programme Evaluation and Review Technique, it has probabilistic approach with three time estimates and used in research projects with time being the deciding factor. And CPM stands for Critical Path Method, which has deterministic approach with single time estimate and cost being the deciding factor. He seemed to be convinced with the answer. CM directed to the 4th member of the panel. M4: Do you know the details about the stampede occurred railway station of Allahabad during the maha kumbh mela, what were the exact causes? Me: Yes, Sir. It was due to confusion created by a train announcement which led to sudden rush of pilgrims on a foot over bridge, which led to collapse of one of it’s part. M4: Was it due to improper design of the bridge that it couldn’t sustain the load? Me: Sir, the sudden loading and improper channelization of crowd led to impact which caused the failure. M4: So, had it been designed accordingly, it could have been prevented? Me: Yes, Sir. It could have been prevented. M4: What do you think can be India’s interest in Egypt? There was an interview of Mr. Mohamed Morsi in The Hindu, a couple of days ago in which a similar question was asked to him. Me: Sir, Egypt being an evolving democracy, India can help them in establishing their democratic institutions which would stabilise their political arena and ultimately lead to opening Egypt and other avenues in Northern African region for investments in Oil and gas sector and other mineral resources. India can also help them in building the renewable energy sector such as solar power. CM directed to the 5th member of the panel. M5: As an administrator, for the upliftment of under privileged children belonging to urban areas in the field of education, what steps would you take? Me: Sir, 1st of all, an effective implementation of RTE should be there, apart from that well organised coordinating role of local government and NGOs working in the field of education sector, an efficient implementation for 25% students to be admitted compulsorily through RTE in private school…. M5: What is the criteria for, to be in that 25 %? Me: BPL category is eligible to be in that 25%. M5: BPL?? Me: Yes, Sir. {Now, that was not the correct answer, correct reply is; “ they should be belonging to deprived sections of society, and according to the RTE Act, deprived sections include persons from SC and ST categories, socially and educationally backward classes or other such groups that are at a disadvantage due to gender or social, cultural, economical, geographical and linguistic factors”.} CM (interrupted): Besides, there should be a regulatory and monitoring authority to make sure the implementation is efficient…………………………………………..Alright, Thank you. Me: Thank you, Sir………Thank you, Ma’m (wished the lady)…..Sirs (nodded to other members). While returning back….the moment I reached the door, I gradually turned back to see whether they were still observing…..Yes, they were, till the moment I left the room. DURATION: 30-35 MINS. MARKS: 200/300.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 05:29:52 +0000
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