IAS interview Experience

Board:
Name of the board: Prof. David R Syiemlieh Board
Duration: 35 minutes (approx)
Qualification: B.Tech (Biotechnology)
Optional subject: Zoology
Hobbies: Music, Movies, Travelling, Football, Cooking, Learning about new innovations
Duration:­ 35 Mins ( Approx )
After the verification of my documents, I proceeded to the waiting hall. During the interview, I was asked various questions which I answered to the best of my ability. Please note that the questions were not in sequential order and my answers may not be exact as I am unable to recall them perfectly. Some of my answers were spontaneous.

Round 1
Me: May I come in, sir?
Chairman: Please come in 🙂
Me: Good afternoon, sir and ma’am. 🙂

Chairman and members: Good afternoon.
Chairman: Can you tell me the names of essential amino acids?
Me: Histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine.

Chairman: And?

Member 2: Threonine and valine.
Me: Yes, sir. 🙂

Chairman: Why are these amino acids essential?
Me: Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body, so they must be obtained from food, sir.

Chairman: Very good! Please take a seat and be comfortable. 🙂
Chairman: So, you have already been interviewed by UPSC for IFoS?
Me: Yes, sir.

Chairman: It means you are dedicated to civil services. 😀
Member 2: You love football, so can you tell me the name of the world’s first football club?
Me: Sheffield Football Club, England, ma’am.

Member 1: In which year was it founded?
Me: I’m sorry, sir, I don’t remember the exact year.

Member 1: What is a dummy run in football?
Me: It is a run by a player without the ball to lure defenders away from the ball carrier.

Member 1: (Smiles with satisfaction)
Chairman: So, you like movies. Which movie have you seen recently that made you think about it for days?
Me: Sir, Aligarh.

Chairman: What was the underlying message of the movie?
Me: Aligarh is based on Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who faced discrimination due to his homosexuality. The movie highlights the issue of privacy and dignity for individuals irrespective of their sexual orientation.
Member 2: Do you support Article 377?
Me: It is a matter of great concern that the state regulates the sexual preferences of consenting individuals. The notion of equal rights for the LGBT community must be legally and formally recognized. The Delhi High Court has reasoned that Section 377 is discriminatory, and the right to equality is a fundamental right that cannot be denied based on sexual orientation. The honorable judges’ progressive judgment has provided sound legal reasoning in favor of consensual adult sex.

Member 3: What are the silent features of the National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020?
Me: The strategy aims to establish India as a world-class biomanufacturing hub, launch a major mission for creating new biotech products, create a strong infrastructure for R&D and commercialization, and empower India’s human resources scientifically and technologically.

Member 2: What are biotech incubators?
Me: Biotech incubators are active programs designed to provide services and infrastructure that help initiate and develop scientific inventions and contribute towards the formation of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources.

Member 3: What are five crustaceans?
Me: Crabs, crayfish, shrimp, krill, and barnacles.

Member 3: Sea horses are not crustaceans.
Me: Sorry, Mam. Thank you for correcting me.

Member 3: Krill and barnacles 
Me: Thank you, ma’am. 

Member 4: What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
Me: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a free-trade agreement being negotiated between 11 countries of the Pacific Rim.

Round 2

Member 4: How important is the TPP to India?
Me: The TPP seeks to vastly reduce tariff levels among member countries and standardize policies on various issues, including safeguarding intellectual property rights.

Chiarman :So, should India join the TPP?
Me: India is not in a position to undertake obligations finalized under TPP with respect to intellectual property rights, such as evergreening of patents. So we should wait for some time.

Member 2: What is IPR?
Me: Intellectual Property (IP) refers to the creations of the human mind for which exclusive rights are recognized.al Property (IP) refers to the creations of the human minds for which exclusive rights are
recognised.
Intellectual property (IP) is a monopoly assigned to designated owners by law.
( Seems not Convinced by answers ).
Member 1: Suppose you are the District Magistrate of Darbhanga. What will you do to improve public health?
Me: As the District Magistrate of Darbhanga, I will take various steps to improve public health. These steps include ensuring access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities, promoting population stabilization awareness, implementing government schemes and funds effectively, creating health awareness programs at all levels, reducing the impact of climate change and disasters on health, and improving community participation. Additionally, I will organize health camps at various intervals to provide healthcare services to people.

Member 2: Why are educated Indian youth getting attracted towards extremist organizations such as ISIS?
Me: The handlers of ISIS are active on various social media channels, and they use propaganda to lure young and gullible minds with the promise of being able to attend heaven by serving the divine cause. These radical elements are well versed in the art of convincing youngsters, including the most promising and educated ones, to join their cause. The Sunni group has already caused immense destruction and laid waste to thousands of lives in order to establish its Caliphate or kingdom.

Member 2: So what should be done?
Me: In my opinion, we should increase the community’s access to skill courses, healthcare, education, better sanitation, and water supply. This will help to improve social and physical infrastructure in Muslim-dominated areas. Additionally, as a “confidence-building” measure, we can undertake “soft interactions” of the Muslim community with the police. Personnel can also interact with religious leaders to reach out to a larger constituency. The police can be imparted with “soft skills” to aid their interface with the people, which will help build trust.

Member 4: Is India becoming intolerant?
Me: Sir, a nation can be considered intolerant when its constitution and institutions are intolerant. However, the unfortunate existence of a few intolerant individuals does not necessarily make India an intolerant nation.

Member 3: Your hobby is cooking. What do you cook – veg or non-veg?
Me: Ma’am, I enjoy cooking both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. I love experimenting with different ingredients and flavors to create new and interesting dishes.

Member 3: It seems that you are very talented. Your wife will be very happy as she will get help in her kitchen. ( 😀 )

Chiarman :There is a similarity between biotechnologists and civil servants.
Me: Sir, both biotechnologists and civil servants strive to extract the best possible things from various fields and apply them for the best results for mankind.

Member 2: According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) data for the period September 2015 to January 2016, which is the most polluted city in India?
Me: Sir, Varanasi and Muzaffarpur were the most polluted cities, with air quality indices in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and Muzaffarpur, Bihar having ‘severe’ values of 409.

Member 2: What is the safe AQI value?
Me: I am sorry, Sir, but I do not know the safe AQI value.

Round 2

Member 2: What are Air Quality Indices?
Me: AQIs are determined based on the concentrations of seven pollutants, including PM2.5 (fine, respirable particles), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon monoxide (CO).

Member2:  What is the Zika virus?
Me: Sir, Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. It can cause symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis.

Member 3: What is microcephaly?
Me: Microcephaly is a medical condition in which babies are born with unusually small heads. This can lead to developmental delays and other health problems.

Chairman: Why does India need a bankruptcy law?
Me: Sir, the failure of businesses can have a significant impact on employees, shareholders, lenders, and the broader economy. In India, delays in making decisions on the viability of businesses, tactics employed by company promoters to delay reorganization or attempts to sell off assets, changes of management, or litigation that goes on and on can have a drag on new business units, jobs, income generation, and economic growth. Therefore, India needs a bankruptcy law to address these issues and provide a framework for the resolution of failed businesses.

Chairman: Anything more?
Me: Sir, I have nothing more to add at this time.

Chairman: Ok, your interview is over. You may leave. Best of luck.
Me: Thank you, sir and thank you, ma’am. Have a good day.

Note:­ Can’t remember any more questions as of now.
!!! Fingers Crossed !!!