Civil Services Interview example for candidates.

Civil Services Interview Example

Candidate: Good Morning to you all, Sirs.

Chairman:  Good Morning, Mr. Jugal Kishore, please take your seat.

Candidate: Thank you sir (after taking the seat)

Chairman:  Which newspaper do you read Mr. Kishore ?

Candidate: The Hindustan Times, Sir.

Chairman:  Which States comprise the Northern Zone ?

Candidate: Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Chairman:  The Western Zone ? Candidate: The States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka, Sir.

Member:  Mr. Kishore, can you tell us what is the type of work allotted to the Ministry of Urban Development ?

Candidate: Sir, I have not very closely observed the working of this Ministry but, to my knowledge, it is allotted the Central Public Works Department, Printing and Stationery, allotment of living quarters and the National Buildings Organisation.

Member:  And the Ministry of Petroleum ?

Candidate: Sir, so far as I know, they are concerned with the search for oil on the mainland and sea in order to make India self-sufficient in the production of petroleum. They are also concerned with the refining of crude petroleum.

Member:  Can you detail the work of the Ministry of Agriculture ?

Candidate : Sir, its activities are manifold. This Ministry is mainly concerned with the increase in agricultural production in every possible way.

Member:  You seem to be quite familiar with the working of the ministries. Do you know this from personal contact or you have read about them somewhere ?

Candidate: Both, Sir.

Chairman:  Who is the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission ?

Candidate: Shri , Sir.

Chairman:  You have mentioned in your application that you took up English Literature in your MA.

Candidate: Yes, Sir, I also studied English Literature in my BA. Hons.

Chairman:  Are you in touch with contemporary literature also ?

Candidate: Yes, Sir. I am particularly interested in modern fiction and modern poetry.

Chairman:  Who is your favourite novelist ?

Candidate: William Somerset Maugham.

Chairman:  Which is his most important novel ?

Candidate: Of Human Bondage.

Chairman:  What are the chief characteristics of his work ?

Candidate: His work is marked by satire, skilful craftsmanship, a frequent ironical detachment on the part of the author and the use of plots and material which might earn popular appeal.

Chairman:  What is, in general, the subject-matter of his works ?

Candidate: His subject-matter is largely concerned with white people living in the Orient.

Member:  Which of his novels have you read ?

Candidate: I have read most of what he has written. For example, Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, The Painted Veil, Cakes and Ale, The Razor’s Edge, Then and Now, The Summing Up, and The Hour Before the Dawn.

Member:  Can you give us a gist of any one of them ?

Candidate: Sir, may I talk about Of Human Bondage?

Member:  Yes.

Candidate: This novel deals with the childhood, adolescence and early youth of Philip Carey and his efforts to ‘find’ himself. He was an orphan and was brought up by an elderly aunt and uncle, but he grew up a lonely, shy and sensitive child, very much aware of his inferior social position and his club foot. After a period of misery at school, he went to Paris to study painting and came into contact with a group of art students, painters, writers and the like. He was very much impressed by their iconoclasm, but when his teacher told him that his work showed “industry and intelligence” but no talent, he gave up painting since he didn’t like to become a second-rate artist. He then went to London and fell in love with a petty, selfish and vulgar little cockney waitress. This proved an unhappy affair. The novel ends with his entering a London hospital where he studies medicine and is offered passage as a ship’s doctor to the Orient.

Member:  Thank you.

Chairman:  What do you think is the future of the Theatre in India ?

Candidate: The theatre has not been very popular in India in the past few years. But quite recently there has been a reawakening of the public interest in the theatre. The activities of Sangeet Natak Akademi are responsible for winning social recognition for the theatre besides the works of Mohan Rakesh, Karanth, Tendulkar and Girish Karnad.

Member:  Do you think that the cinema will ultimately over-shadow the theatre ?

Candidate: The theatre is a more original and more alive form of artistic representation of human emotions and actions. So long as Indians maintain their rich cultural traditions, they would always prefer the stage cinema, which is now, threatened by the onslaught of television.

Member:  What do you think about the Indian Film Industry ?

Candidate: I am afraid, Sir, I don’t have very high opinion of Indian films. Most of them betray cheapness superficiality as they cater to people with the lowest common denominator. It is, however, hoped that the Indian film industry will soon become one of the important nation-building institutions now that it has officially being recognized as an industry and many production houses have gone public.

Chairman:  What do you think is the future of English in India fifty years hence ?

Candidate: I still believe that English will retain enormous importance in India. It will continue to be the medium of instruction, but regional languages would also flourish. English being an international language and its literature being one of the richest in the world, will continue to be recognized as an important language in the Indian educational system for years to come.

Chairman:  Do you have any original writing to your credit ?

Candidate: Yes Sir, I have published some short stories in Sunday Supplements of The Statesman, and The Hindu. I intend to publish shortly a collection of my short stories under the title, The Broken Pledge and other Short Stories.

Chairman:  That will do, Mr. Kishore.

Candidate: Thank you, Sir.