Civil Services Interview

A peep inside the Civils interview room

Ake Ravi Krishna

IPS.

 Ake Ravi Krishna

Ake Ravi Krishna, who cleared the Civil Services in 2006, is now working as Assistant Superintendent of Police, Chinthapalli, Visakhapatnam district, writes on the interview he faced. It gives an insight into the kind of questions asked and reflects the quality of the members of Interview Board in covering a gamut of subjects and areas without making the interviewee uncomfortable.

The interview started with Mr. Navalawala, Chairman of the Board, asking questions.

He initially glanced through my bio-data.

He started reading out my service preferences - IAS, IFS, IPS, Indian Audit and Accounts Service. (Looked at me for a second) and said, fourth choice Indian Audit Accounts Service (I answered “Yes, sir”).

He then started reading my hobbies - playing chess, writing letters to the editor, writing, acting and directing drama.

Finally, the interview started. 

1.       Why do you write letters to the editor?

Sir, I believe press is the important medium in democracy to bring social change. I want to become  

part of that social change. I started this in a simple manner by writing letters to the editor. I am

planning to write articles in future.

2.       Can you name a few old papers in India?

Sir, The Hindu, Anand Bazaar Patrika, The Times of India...

3.       Do you read Times of India?

Sir, I read The Hindu regularly.

4.       What do you like in that?

Editorial column sir...

5.       Have you read today's paper? What is the major issue on front page of The Hindu?

Sir, it is regarding Ms. Medha Patkar. She has been taken to..

6.       Yes, she has been taken to AIIMS. Do you support government action?

Sir, I do not support government action..

7.       But why? She is almost committing suicide…

Sir, (highly polite) I think she is not committing suicide. She is using the weapon of Mahatma Gandhi - non violence and Satyagraha, and she is fighting for a valid cause..

8.       But government is saying that they have done rehabilitation. How do you support Ms. Medha Patkar...

Sir, government is saying that they have rehabilitated but the real issue is that government has rehabilitated people by giving cash. But tribunal award clearly says it should be given only in kind. That is land for land. Besides, we should not build dams on the broken lives. This is what Ms. Medha Patkar's stand sir..

9.       So are you against big dams....what about Nagarjunasagar and Hirakud dams…

Sir, I am not against big dams per se... What I believe is that rehabilitation and resettlement should precede construction of big dams. Besides, Ms. Medha Patkar has also said that they will accommodate the cause of Narmada dam, if proper rehabilitation is done.

10.   Second Member: You are a gold medallist in Geology.

(nodded my head)

11.   Can you name some famous ancient singers from Andhra Pradesh…

Yes sir… Tygayya, Annamayya..

12.   Contemporary persons?

(Thinking..not able to recollect...) I am not aware sir…

13.   What is the famous South Indian music?

Sir, it is Carnatic music…

14.   Did it originate in Karnataka?

Sir, it is Carnatic. It is not exactly from Karnataka..

15.   OK. Can you name some mineral resources in Andhra Pradesh?

Yes sir, we have coal resources in Singareni Collieries. We have barites in Mangampeta, gold reserves are found in Ramagiri, diamonds are found in Vajrakarur.

(Interrupted in middle…)

16.   What is the quality of Singareni coal?

Sir, it is Gondwana good quality coal but ash content is a bit high.

17.   If you have coal reserves why are you importing coal from Australia for steel plant at Vizag?

(In a polite voice) Sir, I have already said that Singareni coal has some ash content. I think for making coke which is essential for steel manufacturing, that coal is not fully suitable. That is why we are importing coal from Australia.

18.   What is Singareni coal used for?

Sir, it is used for power generation....we have a thermal power plant at Ramagundam.

19.   Do you support Indo-US nuclear deal?

Yes sir.

20.   Why?

Sir, our energy security is under threat due to increasing global oil prices. We need to diversify our energy sector and for that nuclear energy is essential.

21.   What is total power generated in India?

Sir, I cannot recollect the figure.

22.   Guess...

Sir, I think it is around hundred million megawatts.

(Mr. Navalawala corrected it saying it is hundred thousand MW.)

23.   What is future nuclear energy generation capacity in India?

Sir, presently it is 3 per cent. We are planning to make it 20 per cent. Besides, it depends on our installing of new reactors.

24.   OK. How do you estimate some minerals beneath the earth?

Sir, first we do reconnaissance survey. After finding intimations about mineral presence, we go for advanced methods like drilling etc.

25.   Recently, they found gas in KG Basin. Why didn't they find it earlier?

Sir, previously some work was done in this regard. ONGC has been operating in and around this place for a long time. However, exploration activity increased in recent times due globalisation and liberalisation. More private players and investments are coming into this. Reliance recently found gas reserves in KG Basin.

26.   Is there any chance that oil and gas found together in some places?

Sir, I think there is a great chance to find oil and gas together in some places because both form due to decomposition of fossils.

27.   Member (from north-east India): Coming back to your hobby of writing letters to the editor, what is caveat?

Sir, I cannot recollect. (He said it is special column that appears in some papers. I admitted my ignorance politely).

28.   Will you go to NE if you get selection?

Yes sir, NE is a part of India. I am ready to work in any part of the country.

29.   Do you know the problem of Nagaland?

Sir, it has great insurgency problem. There is fight for greater Nagaland.

30.   There is a beautiful word regarding Nagaland, can you name it?

Sir, I cannot....

31.   Which is the State which is close to China?

(After a bit of thinking) Sir, it is Arunachal Pradesh.

32.   What happened in 1962?

Sir, Indo-China war took place during that time. China occupied some of our territory.

33.   What about its stand on Arunachal Pradesh?

(Due to his different accent I could not fully understand it)

Pardon Sir

34.   Arunachal Pradesh is not considered as part of India by China.

Yes sir, China is considering whole of Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed area.

35.   Fourth Member: You are working in SBI

Sir, (in a polite voice) I am working in RBI.

36.   What is difference between RBI and other banks?

Sir, RBI is the central bank of this country. Banks are essentially organisations which accept deposits and lend to the public.

37.   But RBI accepts deposits from the public, taxes collection etc., so there is no difference between banks and RBI.

Sir, I beg to differ with you….(Chairman interrupted and cracked a joke saying, “You don't beg, it is your right to differ that is why you are here”. There was laughter in the room. I also smiled a bit).

Sir, we accept deposits on behalf of the Government since we function as bankers to Government based on the RBI Act, 1934).

38.   What are the other functions of RBI?

Sir, our functions are currency management, we act as banker to the banks, and we are regulators and supervisors of banking industry. Besides, we are the authority to issue monetary and credit policy.

39.   What is the similarity between government's fiscal policy and your RBI's monetary policy?

Sir, the objectives of RBI's monetary policy are to ensure price stability and credit availability.

Similarly the objectives of fiscal policy are growth and employment. In one way both the policies try to bring economic development in the country.

40.   From which denomination RBI release notes?

Sir, it is five and above.

41.   Are you sure... what about two rupee notes?

Yes sir, RBI releases two and above notes (I corrected my answer).

42.   Why do one rupee notes are printed on the guarantee of Government?

Sir, presently the printing of one rupee notes is dispensed with.

43.   But why did they print separately on the behalf of Government...

Sir, I am not aware about it. (actually I know the answer, but it did not strike me at that point of time).

44.   Why did RBI increase interest rates recently?

(Politely) Sir, as far as my knowledge goes, RBI has not increased interest rates recently but it increased repo and reverse repo rates.

45.   Ok. Generally there was an increase of interest rates of bank deposits in recent period, why?

Sir, it happens because of supply and demand gap. Last year, the total deposits raised by banks were Rs. 2.99 lakh crore. But the total demand for credit is around 3.46 lakh crore. There is a huge demand supply gap hence interest rates go up sir.

46.   Do you think it adversely impacts our economy and people?

Sir, I think it will not affect our economy and people because at present our economy is strong.

47.   What is difference between SBI and other banks?

Sir, I cannot recollect.

48.   When were the banks nationalised and what about SBI?

Sir, nationalisation happened in 1969 and 1984. The Imperial Bank was converted as SBI in 1949.

49.   You are right that is the difference. The SBI was formed due to Parliament Act while other banks are based on Company's Act. Do you know Company's Act?

Sir, I am not aware of it.

50.   Will you read it after going home?

Yes sir, I will read.

51.   Why does RBI harass commercial banks?

(After taking a few seconds gap, I answered politely). Sir, it is not harassment, In fact, we are regulators and supervisors of the banking industry. We are facilitators of banking in the country.

52.   Can you name two private sector banks?

Sir, ICICI and HDFC.

53.   Why they are called private banks?

Sir, it is because majority of shares are held by public.

54.   If majority shares held by the public why can't they be known as public banks?

Sir, I think since management of banks is under the control of private people, they are known as private banks.

55.   What are the reasons for growth of Naxal movement in Andhra Pradesh?

Sir, Naxalism breeds on the grounds of underdevelopment. Andhra Pradesh is divided into three regions - Telangana, Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra. Naxal movement is prevalent in Telangana region because of....(interrupted.).

56.   You tell reasons one, two like that...

Yes sir, underdevelopment and lack of land reforms.

57.   Fifth member: You are a geologist. Is there any similarity between Geology and Pedology?

Yes madam. Geology studies about formation of various rocks. Pedology talks about the various soils. When rocks get weathered, soils are formed. This is the major similarity.

58.   What are the factors of soil formation?

Madam, temperature, rainfall, sunshine and slope.

59.   What do you know about exfoliation?

In hot places, during day time there is an expansion of outer layer of rocks and night time there is contraction. This will lead to breaking of outer layer of rocks.

60.   Are we producing geothermal energy anywhere?

Yes madam, I think it is at Manikaran.

61.   How do you explain to a lay man about geothermal energy?

Madam, inside the earth there is lot of heat. Liquids will be very hot and due to pressure in layers this hot water comes out of the earth. The heat in the hot water is converted into...(interrupted).

62.   Can you name some of the fauna and flora of India?

Madam, Gondwana flora...

63.   You tell class, subclass and genus of some flora and fauna.

Madam, I cannot recollect.

64.   Tonsure is famous in Tirupati. What do they do with that hair?

Madam, I think they auction it every fortnight. Hair is exported after this auction.

65.   What is its use?

They use it for manufacturing of wigs.

66.   People come to Tirupati and drop lot of money in hundies. If it is given to the poor, it will be more useful. What do you say?

Madam, even Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam spends that money doing good things like providing free meals to devotees and people need not spend anything on Tirumala.

67.   But if it is directly given to people don't you think more benefit will be done?

Yes madam, if directly given, there will be greater benefit.

68.   Why do people in Andhra eat more onions? They use onions in all curries.

Madam, there is a Telugu saying, u lli chesay melu talli kuda cheyyadu. Ulli means Onions and t alli means mother. Our ancestors rated the help of onion higher than that of mother. That may be the reason why more onions are used in Andhra Pradesh.

69.   Any geographical reason for more heat in the region?

I am not aware madam.

(Chairman asked second member to ask questions. Second member looked at me....and said, “I think I have already asked you questions”. I replied politely, “yes, sir”)

70.   Chairman (Mr. Navalawala): I will ask two questions and leave you, are you ready?

Yes sir.

71.   What is the famous scale to measure earth quakes?

Sir, it is Ritcher scale.

72.   What is range of the scale?

Sir, it is from 0 to 9.

73.   Are you sure! It is 0 to 10.

Sir, as far as my knowledge goes, it is 0-9.

74.   OK. If on the scale one earthquake has 4 and another 8. Does it mean earthquake 8 is double the power of 4?

It is different sir. If earthquake four is 10 units powerful, 5 will be 20 units powerful and 6 will be 40 units powerful.

75.   What is that scale known as?

Sir, it is logarithm scale.

76.   What is unit of measurement on this scale?

Sir, it is magnitude.

77.   But there is something also...

Sir, I cannot recollect.

78.   Is energy released?

Yes, sir.

79.   Do you know North East?

Yes, Sir.

80.   Can you name all seven States and capitals?

Yes sir...Arunachal Pradesh-Itanagar, Tripura-Agartala, Manipur-Imphal, Nagaland-Kohima, Meghalaya-Shillong, Assam-Dispur...(I got only six and was searching for seventh in my mind).

81.   One board member: “Sikkim”.

(Mr.Navalawala: Sikkim is not part of this seven States. But you tell the capital)

Gangtok.

82.   Another member: “Mizoram has not come in your list. Can you name the capital”.

Yes madam. It is Aizwal. (North east member said it should be pronounced as Oizwal)

Mr. Navalawala: Thank you.

While coming out I could not open the door as it was a bit different. Mr. Navalawala suggested me to pull the door. I gently pulled the door and came out).

My body language was positive. I was smiling and maintained eye contact with the members during interview.

Duration of Interview: 48 minutes

Result: 189/300

Final Result: All-India rank 117.

Service: IPS

Ake Ravi Krishna, IPS.,

Assistant Superintendent of Police,

Chinthpalli.

gandhianpolicing@gmail. com