Q n A - Detailed Interview

This is the detailed version of my 3rd UPSC Interview - 27th March 2010 - P.Aggarwal's Board

(recollected and compiled on 2nd April 2010)

[BM - Board Member]

· What do you mean by ‘Digital’ in Digital Wallpapers ? ( My hobby is Making Digital Wallpapers)

BM : (The Chairman answered this question on his own)Your hobby is Making Digital Wallpapers. You mean to say that wallpapers which are made on the computers.( pointing towards the computer monitor kept next to him).

Me : Yes Sir,these are the wallpapers made on computers, I make use of photoshop to make them.

BM : Ok, I thought you are talking about those big wallpapers which I used to see on my big walls at home.

Me : Sir, the term “Wallpaper” is taken originally from those wallpapers only.

BM : Ok, Let’s start now.

· What is the difference between Governance, Management and Administration ? (One of my optional is Public Administration)

BM : Your optional paper is Public Administration . (Then he asked the above question).

Me : (Thought for a while) Sir, Governance is the process of taking or not taking a decision with respect to a policy. Management means getting the things done. And Administration is Governance + Management. As in the Administration, we are involved in taking or not taking a decision with respect to a policy, as well as, we are into getting the things done.

· If you are posted as an administrator in any of the districts of Uttar Pradesh, what would be the biggest challenge you’ll face ?

Me : I believe , Poverty is one of the biggest challenge that I would face as an Administrator in UP.

BM : What Poverty ? Poverty is a Pan Indian phenomenon. Tell me some UP specific problem.

Me : (Thought for a while) Sir, Caste Politics.

BM : Yes, that’s the answer.

Me : Caste politics is a problem thriving most in the societies of UP and Bihar. Caste creates rift between the people. It creates discrimination. People eat on the basis of caste. People drink on the basis of caste. People intermingle on the basis of caste.

BM : Ok, tell me another problem.

Me : (thought for a while) Illiteracy. Because it creates lack of awareness among the people.

BM : What about Political Interference ? The officers are facing errant transfers. One day they are in one department, another day, they themselves don’t know which department they would be in. (He was speaking in Hindi ).

Me : Yes Sir, certainly this is one of the biggest problem any administrator would face in UP.

· What happens when bureaucrats succumb to the political pressure ?

Me : (Thought for a while) Sir, they loose Political neutrality and Objectivity.

BM : Apart from this, what else happens ?

Me : (thought for a while ) They loose sensitivity towards the masses.

BM : Yes, ok.

· What do you know about Kalinga war which Ashoka fought ? (I had Ancient History as one of my subjects in graduation ).

Me : Sir, it was considered to be the last war which Ashoka fought in his lifetime. It was a life changing event for him. After this war only, he got converted to Buddhism.

· What are the problems of Indian Football ?

BM : You used to play Football.

Me : Yes Sir, I captained my school team of football.

BM : (Then he asked the above question).

Me : Lack of Infrastructure…( I coudn’t complete, they interrupted )

BM : What lack of infrastructure ? Football khelne ke liye ek Gend chahiye, ek ground chahiye aur do dande chahiye..We have enough of it.

Me : Sir, we do not have good and standard grounds. Apart from these infrastructural bottlenecks, there is lack of nutrition, lack of funds, lack of sponsorship, and lack of good training and coaching facilities..(I forgot to say lack of international exposure)..

BM : Yes, lack of coaching facilities is on the biggest problem.

· What do you mean by Inclusive Growth ?

Me : Mam, it is the concept introduced by our H’ble Prime Minister in the previous 5 year plan. It is a kind of a growth which brings all the deprived sections of the society into the mainstream growth process. In a way, it ensures that the benefits of the growth process percolates down to the most deprived sections who have been left out of the growth process. For example, if a girl child in a far off village is not educated, then that means that we are not following the inclusive growth. If the roads connecting the villages in to the mainstream society are not constructed, then that also means that we are not following inclusive growth.

· What is meant by Financial Inclusion ?

Me : Mam, this means including even the deprived sections of the society in to the growth process financially. For example, under NREGA, we are bringing about financial inclusion. Under this programme, all the wage payments are made to the workers through their post office bank accounts. ( I forgot to talk about the credit availability facilities )

· Out of the Formal and Informal Sector , which one predominates in the Indian Economy ?

ME : Mam, it is the informal sector which is the predominant one. Infact, it is one of the glaring problem which the Indian Economy is facing today.

· What are the women specific problems in the informal sector ?

Me : The informal sector is the highly unorganized sector. There are odd working hours for women. There is no assurance for a 9-5 job. Further, there are irregular wage payments. Women also faces the problem of sexual harassment. Moreover, for the equal amount of work done, the women are paid less then the men.

· When are the Commonwealth Games scheduled from ?

Me : Sir, they are scheduled from 3-14 October this year.

· What are your expectations about the forthcoming Commonwealth Games ?

Me : Sir, I am highly optimistic about the forthcoming commonwealthgames. I am very sure that we are going to perform very well.

· Name the events you are optimistic about in the CWG ?

Me : Shooting and Archery are the best bets. Apart from that, events like boxing, wrestling, are also medal winners for us. We have good chances in Tennis. In Badminton also, we have high hopes. Our shuttler, Saina Nehwal recently reached in to the top 5 slot in the world.

BM : What are your hopes about Athletics ?

Me : Sir, I am not very hopeful about our athletics performance. I am also not very sure whether Anju Bobby George would be participating this year or not.

· What are the problems of Sports in India ?

Me : The biggest problem of sports in India is the Political Interference. Sir, today in India, the Sports Federations are headed by the Politicians and not by the Sports Personalities. Because of that we see more of politics in sports. And this is the primary reason that we are not able to convert our Commonwealth glory into Olympic glory. Over the past few Commonwealth games , for instance , 2002 in England and later in 2006, we have repeatedly been placed in the top 5 in the medals tally with some 50 plus gold medals. But our Olympic performance has been very dismal.

· Name few politicians heading the sports federations.

Me : Sir, Sharad Pawar had been heading BCCI for a long time..(they interrupted)

BM : Leave Cricket, you talked about archery, tell me the head of archery federation..Woh to 100 saal se chairman bana betha hai..nahi main mazaak kar raha hoon..pichhle 36 saal se who chairman hai..(he was speaking in hindi)..( Chairman and other Board members were laughing a lot )

Me : Sir, I don’t know..Infact, I would like to know his name.

BM : He’s V.K.Malhotra.

· What do you know about Limba ? ( related to Archery)

Me : Sir, I read his name few days back in the newspaper. He a personality related to archery. But, I don’t know the exact piece of news related to him.

BM : You are a sportsman and you don’t know about Limba ?

Me : I don’t know sir..

BM : He was a prominent player of Archery for the past 15 years and suddenly he’s out of sight and you don’t know his name.. !!!

Me : Sir, infact this is the problem of sports in India that we are not able to nurture our sportsmen.

(The Chairman looked at all the other Board members and said “theek hai” 4 times…and then said, Manpreet aapka interview over ho gaya hai.)

I scored 196/300.