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As aspirants who want to become IAS, IPS, IFS after appearing for civil services examinations, these are likely questions and the answers expected from them during their interview sessions .
What motivates you to consider civil service as your career ?
I wish to be a part of the system of governance of the country to be able to take part in nation building activities in diverse fields .I am aware of my primary and substantive responsibility- regardless of the ‘ service- cadre” that I might be allocated , that is, to administer laws and deliver administrative justice, implement policies in the same spirit as policies have the force of law. A good example is implementing MNREGA – an Act enacted to implement the Policy to guarantee employment to rural agricultural labour.
Why is IAS your first preference?
Because IAS holds an unrivalled strategic position in the governance of the country both at the centre and in the State and UT administration and in the Districts, State and Central Secretariat as well as in the autonomous bodies . IAS,I believe will provide unique opportunities for work in diverse fields and thus my self development in challenging work environment.
What do you understand by Governance?
Sir, governance may be defined as the exercise of the economic political and administrative authority to manage the affairs of the country at all levels. Civil service officers therefore exercise powers conferred on them under various statutes and thus in their own rights. They are thus accountable only to the designated authorities as laid down under the statues and Policies and ultimately to the Courts. The IAS officials as for instance function as the appellate authority under the Land Revenue laws against orders passed by the Sub Deputy Collectors as SDO and revenue appeals might reach the Board of Revenue and the High court. Since all such orders are to be “spoken orders” meaning “in writing” and subject to appeal, it is imperative for the civil service to be “just fair and transparent in all their actions which should also ” appear to be so before the people”. The functions of the civil service are in all spheres are “quasi judicial” – a fact that needs appreciation because it makes civil service totally different from work in private corporate sector . Hence the personality test is more about assessing the civil service aspirants’ ” potential to deliver administrative justice and leadership” rather than ” executive potential” because the former is a higher and special quality or trait.
Why is the I.F.S your first preference?
Because in the present interconnected world , relations with other countries and especially those in our neighborhood are crucial factors which determine peace and sustainable economic and social progress. I am therefore keen to join in these nation building activities encompassing building peace and a Rules based global order, trade and technology co-operation , response to climate change and blue economy , border trade and building a common approach to environment, river and ecosystem which are crucial for South Asia. Sir, I come from — which shares land borders with—- and therefore I am especially alive to the issues of peace building and international cooperation for all round progress of the nation.
Given a choice upon your selection for appointment to the IFS what foreign language would you opt to learn and muster?
Sir, I will opt for Mandarin because we share a long land border with China and we have strong trade link with China which is all set to challenge US dominance in world powers. Knowledge of Mandarin will also help me in my work in the whole of South East and South East Asia as ethnic Chinese play a crucial role in the economy and politics of the ASEAN and Asia Pacific region. I feel that our knowledge and interest in developments in China need more depth and my knowledge of Mandarin might enable me to join this effort.
Why is IPS your first preference?
Sir I love to join the unique ” uniformed” service as the Policing demands discipline and effective delivery of service to the courts and hence the general public. Further, it will allow me to work in the field- in the Districts down to the Police station level in areas of prevention of crimes, breach of peace as well as investigation in to the crimes. IPS provides unique opportunities for work in areas of national security, intelligence gathering both internal and external . The opportunity to work in such diverse fields attracts me to the IPS.
6. Why higher preference to IPS and even IRS cadres- Customs and Income tax services over IFS?
Sir it’s not that I hold IFS in lesser esteem but for very personal reasons such as commitments to my family, I would much rather like to work in the country as a part of the system of governance both in the field and higher levels of the system of democratic governance.
7. How do you justify your according higher preference to DA NICS , GroupB services carrying lower status, pay and service prospects over and above Group A services which appears irrational?
Sir, to me the real joy and challenge of civil service is the opportunity to work in the field – in running the Revenue circles, Development Blocks, Sub divisions and Districts where the action is and where one’s work could make a difference in the lives of the people especially the underprivileged. Danics I believe will provide me with such work environment and opportunities and especially in administration of urban areas and urban local bodies.
8. Why do you wish to join IAS when you are already a group A central civil service officer?
Sir, because such Civil service cadres like the IRS (IT) administer only one subject- Income tax among the List 1of the subjects in the central List while the IAS and other two All India services-IPS and the Indian Forest service are common to the Centre and the states under the constitutional scheme of administration to deal with a wide subjects under List 1, list 2- state subjects and 3- Concurrent List of subjects over which both the Centre as well as the states have jurisdiction under the Constitution. IAS officers in charge of sub divisions and Districts represent the sovereign power of the state. In fact IAS holds an unrivalled strategic position in the governance of the country both at the centre and in the state governments . Accordingly the IAS officers discharge a wide range of regulatory and development functions for which powers under various Central and State laws such as Revenue, Excise, Forest, Criminal laws, Arms Act, Passport Act are exercisable by the IAS officers when they’re posted in the field. The work being diversified ,its impact on quality of governance and the lives of the citizens is immense because these are the” sovereign functions of the state” which is most pronounced when IAS officers are posted in “disturbed areas” affected by ethnic insurgencies as in parts of the north east Region or by ” Left wing extremism”. The IAS officers play a crucial and often a pivotal role in policy making, budgeting, expenditure control and taxation as well as in social and economic development policy making, implementation and program evaluation both at the centre and at the States. For these reasons IAS officers are to appear before the Public Accounts Committees of the Parliament and State Assemblies in regard to functioning of the departments and expenditure incurred from out of the Consolidated Fund of the central and state governments by way of grants and other forms of allocation.
9. You have the right academic credentials to become a high profile Researcher or technology executive in the corporate sector and yet why do you wish to join IAS or any other civil services ?
Sir, first scientific research is not my cup of tea nor a life time career in a private company or a corporate whose sole object is only” to add value” to the shareholders investment appeals to me as worthwhile. I would much rather like to use my skills in civil service which I believe will provide opportunities for work in diverse challenging areas both in field as well as at the Centre regardless of the Service that I might eventually join under the Central Government, because my work could make a difference in the quality of governance. I am sure that I will also get the opportunity to use my scientific and technical skills for improving democratic governance.
10.We often hear about cases of ” judicial overreach or activism” What’s your views on this subject?
Sir, we are a ” common law ” state because we follow the British common law principles of jurisprudence having adopted the Parliamentary form of democracy of the West Minister model. An unique feature of the common law is” judge made laws” meaning that as the interpretation of laws by one judge while deciding a case is followed by other judges in similar cases, the original interpretation becomes a” case law , that is law to be followed. In the same way the directions and orders of the courts as and when implemented by the government become ” laws” like the present” collegium system of appointment of judges in the High courts and the Supreme court was the outcome of land mark judgements of the Supreme court in the early 1980’s on the subject of appointment of judges in the High courts and the Supreme court as there was no statue on the subject then and even now.
