Interview Notes of N.Prakash Reddy IPS

Hi all,   Congrats and best of luck to all those appearing for civil service interview.We have given N.Prakash Reddy IPS interview(2010 April) just in case anyone is interested.       Interview Board - Vijay singh (ex defence secy) Time 2:35 to 3:02pm(1st person in afternoon)   My profile: job at sun microsystems,engineering in instrumentation, Optionals-geog and psy,andhrapradesh,hobbies:watching telugu movies, Did a project on rural entrepeneurship   Chairman(C) started then M1(pub.ad),M2(lady-psychologist),M3(engineer),M4(psychologist)   C: had too much of sun?thats why left it? P: I did it for money not to burden my father during civils prep   C:What was job: P: portal server,which was used in norways e-governance initiative;developed website and a mail client   C:why c.s? P: gave a personalized answer***********I have been thinking about c.s since my BITS second year. For every problem I see in news paper I used to think what difference I can make as an IAS/IPS. I got this service orientation from my father,who was doctor in a village. He worked selflessly for their welfare and villagers also loved him immensely.I felt my intellect must be used for progress of the country rather than going abroad….   C: what are problems of rural a.p? P: absenteeism of techers,doctors,needs uplift of shgs…..etc   Passed to M1 M1: have u read xyz book on entrepreneurship?it says "ppl must stay hungry and foolish"? P: no sir   M1: what is e'ship? P: to identify a a economic oppurtinuty and gather resources to meet the need.so that poor people can climb up the economic and social ladder.eg. I did a project in bits where we gave a market to rural women to supply paper bags in our supermarket….etc   M1: I thot it means to take more risk and go in less traveled way… P: yes sir, I am sorry I was explaining abt rural e'ship.   M1:administrator must be leader or manager? P:a combination of both   M1: no choose one P: leader…..gave reasons   M1: okay but I appreciate ur previous answer,he must be both M1: how to increase accountability? P: sir , in jhansi district, a public grievance redressal system with mobiles is implemented which can be replicated. The problem is we have many good best practices in different parts of country which are not highlighted,a website which highlights best practices of administrators and ngos must be there(M1 looked at chairman)   M1: police reforms: P: sir due to lockupdeaths ,police got very bad name.they must adopt community relations like in our district sp has conducted blood/eye camps/schools etc….   M1: (looking at chairman)this has become a fashion,but it is not police duty… P: yes sir,but home minister also says law and order must follow development.that is why naxals have more informers than police…..   M1: okay,sexual harassment and recent court judgement P: women are competing with men…resulting in ego issues…conflicting with our culture….transition period from less women in workplaces to more women …more violence….have gender cells in offices…my college has one.(women member M2 keenly interested)   Passed to M2 M2(very cordial lady): why u chose psychology? P: seniors…..physics was tough ,no e and I in list…etc   M2: enjoyed psy? P:yes   M2: Oedipus complex,effect on family P: defined   M2:cog.affective,pshycomotor *******(could not understand) P: madam please repeat M2: repeated P: sorry I don't kniow   M2: just try…what is cognition? P: defined M2: what is affective? P: defined M2:What is psychomotor? P:defined M2…that is what is cog.affective,pshycomotor ******* M2: id,ego,superego P:defined M2: analogy iwht maslow? P: told about need hierarchy   M2:latest after maslow motivation theory? P: don't know   M<2: hv u heard hergberg's improvisation? P: no madam   M2: hypnosuis…is it medically used… P: defined….medically not proven but used in smoking and drinking problems…     M2: can hypnosis act as anaesthesia? P: yes,recently a news came on that….   M2: how to distinguish psy.disorders and Normal deisorders? P: cannot say fully but psy. Involves mental processes. While normal like pain may increase with psy. Disorders…for ex,old people complain more about pain due to their isolation and idleness(I forgot I told this,later I was crossquestioned by M4 which I could not correlate)   M2: ur hobby is movies….tell a telugu movie which was dubbed in other languages and got many awards…. P: Pokiri…a cop story,remade in hindi and tamil as wanted and got best actor,movie,director awards in state awards…..   Passed to M3 M3: lot of engineers need…but many go abroad and like u come to c.s….why this tend? P: abroad---as no proper research in our country,c.s—good for the country,they bring tech to admin.   M3:"engineer has ability to do job,adminstartor to get the job the done"what would be the combination…engineer as admin? P: He will get the job better done(I told in a light hearted way smilingly)   M3 got very angry,nodded negatively,disapproved as if I did not understand the question,mumbled something…   M<3: tell about medical instruments P: sir ultrasound,MRI   M3: is it MRI or NMRI? P: I am aware only of mri   M3: what is used in ultrasound? P: soundwaves…. Ecg? P: sir echo is used in echocardiogram M3: but I asked ecg,eeg etc?they use electrical waves right? P:  yes sir   M3: what was ur physics theseis? P: sorry sir no thesis   M3: engg project P: 1 project on biometrics(shud have talked about uid project)   M3: problems of rural India? P: healthe ,education, water…   M3: tell health inititaves P: Rajiv arogyashri in ap….   M3(interrupted):central schemes…..nrhm P: told about nrhm….2005-2012…imr…mmr…ashas….   Passed to M4 M4: (interrupted)tell about karimnagar P: history…satavahanas,kakatiyas,nizams…etc,temples,p.v narasimha rao and kcr…. Are from karimnagar…   M4: crops? P: maize,paddy,groundnut….rivers manair and godavari give waters…   M4: okay kcr…why andhras opposing telangana?give 1 reason P: Hyderabad—lots of investment   M4: no no I was expecting river sharing P: yes sir, it is also a reason…godavari,Krishna flow majorly through telangana.so if separate state difficult for Andhra people….also other issues are jobs and education   M4: where is nagarjuna sagar? P: in nalgonda district   M4: who benefits? P: Andhra people   M4: theory x,y,z? P: I think they are used in admin…I don't know.   M4: types of conditioning? P:cc/ic/modeling     M4: she(M2) was asking about something….have u heard autosuggestion? P: it is like suggesting urself…like before I came to this room I suggested to myself I would do well….(this and next question relate to my reply to M2 about old women feeling more pain)   M4: who are hypochondriacs? P: (in low voice) may I guess sir? Chairman(interrupted): he is asking about hypochondriacs? P: I don't know sir   C: do u read books.what type…. P: yes sir, I read bestsellers….last one was gandhi's autobiography…   C: Oh, how was it? P: I am reading for 2nd time sir….first time I did not understand it 4-5 years earlier….now that I am preparing and learing psychology and practicing vipassana I better appreciate it apply it.   C: Okay any other book? P: The white tiger   C: it is extremely readable is it not? P: yes sir, it contrasts the rich and happenening IT sector with its underbelly.   C: I was referring to driver killing owner? P: if u put up an analogy,20 percent of bpl left out would attack the upper classes like in naxalism ….   C: valid analogy….but why civil serants are apathetic to public needs? P: sir, in psychology we have studied that Indians have aaram work culture.they do work as service to others….amoral familism…to benefit friends and family   C: yes, we have familism,casteism,communalism,as soon as they occupy the chair they forget their duty is to serve people… P: true sir, a person might have been a very good father or a good husband, as soon as comes to this chair he utlises it to satisfy his ego and forgets his responsislty is to serve the public….   C: Hope if you might be selected, you would be senstitive to public needs.Thank you. P: thank you sir,thank you madam………….ended….   My assessment: chairman was very cordial, lady member was very cooperative(I smiled only with her),M1 and M4 neutral while M3 was visibly upset with my answers…. I could have talked about UID project…. Talked more about telangana….. Linked between autosuggestion,hypochondrics and my earlier statement with lady member….overall it was a nice experience….     POSTSCRIPT(after rank)   I feel I got good marks(230 marks) in interview because I was honest and some answers to M1(like naxals have more informers than police,IAS must be both leader and manager) were good and spontaneous. I did not get irritated by M3 getting visibly upset,I kept my cool and understood that he is testing my patience. And last Q&A with chairman regarding familism,Gandhi,mentioning of vippassana meditation , might have connected with him that "this fellow might well be honest even after selection for a long time". Before every mock and final interview I used to do following: 1)strike a conversation with other students waiting for their turn of interview. 2)If anyone is getting tense, I used to encourage them that everything would be fine. These might have unconsciously helped me to be tense free, developed a belief that there is no reason for any board to reject or hate me, that I am likeable generally…. 3)Before entering interview room, I told to myself, -----Be honest -----Be confident -----Be respectful Mug these words, believe in them, try  these in mocks and success will be yours. And enjoy your interview!!Best of luck.