Transcript:

Chairman (C): Palash, so you belong to Bahraich...

Me: Maʼam I was born in Bahraich.
C: So where do you live?
Me: Maʼam I live in Lucknow.
C: Okay. So you are interested in meditation, you indulge in social service, you have worked in MKSS, you are also
interested in adventure sports and have done sky diving, bungee jumping etc, you were in weight lifting team of
your college, you like to swim and play squash. Were you also in your school/college team of swimming and
squash?
Me: Yes Maʼam, school team
C: You have done your BSc in Economics from IIT Kanpur which completed in 2015. You have also done MSc in
Economics also from IIT Kanpur which also completed in 2015.... (confused look)
Me: Maʼam I have done an integrated course of 5 years from IIT Kanpur which completed in 2015.
C: Tell me, why you have done economics from IIT?
Me: Maʼam given the rank and my interest in the subject and also the prospects of the subject I took the subject.
Also maʼam my fatherʼs pursuance and inclination towards civil services was another factor which took me in the
direction.
C: Palash, tell me how do you compare studying economics from IIT as compared to Delhi University or Delhi
School of Economics?
Me: Maʼam if I look at it from academic angle then in my own humble opinion I think that Economics is better
taught in colleges like in DU and Delhi School. But maʼam studying economics from IIT had its own advantages.
The students in IIT are from different backgrounds are one of the best academically. The professors are brilliant
and the facilities and infrastructure provided is of world standard. So overall development of personality from
various domains is immense.
C: But professors in IIT would not be good for economics stream.
Me: Yes maʼam the professors of economics were not as distinguished in their field as compared to DSE, but
maʼam in IIT for the first 2 years we were taught subjects of various streams like computer science, physics,
chemistry, maths, electrical engineering etc. So we had the opportunity to interact with professors from different
backgrounds. For example maʼam Professor H.C. Verma of physics still remain one of the most inspiring person in
my life.
C: So you were taught economics only in the last 3 years out of 5?
Me: Yes maʼam economics was taught only from third year onwards.
C: Okay. When did you go to MKSS and what all did you do there?
Me: Maʼam I went to MKSS as a volunteer for 40 days in Rajasthan. Devdungri village of Rajasthan. There we
worked on different aspects like implementation of MGNREGA, organising hearings for sexually harassed women.
Also maʼam at the time there was the introduction of a very good initiative in Rajasthan which was Right to
Hearing....
C: What is Right to Hearing?
Me: Maʼam in this initiative there is a provision where officials of different departments organise a hearing of
public grievances and streamlined redressal is given of all such complaints.
C: Palash, what is your area of interest in economics?
Me: Maʼam we did not have an area of expertise but my interest lied in growth and development and my M.Sc.
Thesis was also in the same.
C: Okay, so tell me how important is social security in terms of a security of pay?
Me: Maʼam are you referring to Basic Income?
C: Yes Universal Basic income is one component of it. Other than that pension, income support etc.
Me: Maʼam as a concept it is very very important and undoubtadly social security and financial security is very
relevant especially for the marginalised sections like unorganised sector and farmers. But maʼam given the
constraint on the public finance the practical implementation is still a challenge. For example maʼam as Professor
Amartya Sen has also commented, before we could first implement anything close to UBI, we should first have
Universal Basic Services wherein the basic amenities like health, education, sanitation etc is adequately provided
to the marginalised sections. And only then the idea of Universal Basic Income would kick in.
C: Are you saying that the schemes brought out in the budget for the farmers and unorganised sector are not
good.
Me: Definitely not maʼam. The schemes brought in the budget are addressing the concerns of the most deprived
sections. For instance they target farmers with less than 2 hectares land holding and employees with less than
15,000 Rs monthly pay. So definitely these sections do require stat support in the form of social and financial
security. Also maʼam the pension scheme for unorganised sector is self funding via contributions from the
employees.
C: No the pension scheme does require equal contributions from the State as well....
Me: Yes maʼam sorry. The state does need to pay equal contributions and thus the scheme is not fully self
funding, but maʼam it is targeted and hence is fiscally viable. So, the schemes brought out in the budget are a
welcome step.

M1: What is macroeconomics? How is macroeconomy of India doing?

Me: Sir if I first define economics as a subject, then it basically deals with the study of choice. Both at the micro
and the macro level. So macroeconomics is essentially a study of how resources are allocated, how different
sectors are performing, how trade is taking place etc. Sir, coming to the macroeconomic state of Indian economy,
I believe sir there is stability in terms of the fundamentals of the economy. For instance if we look at the MVI -
Macroeconomic Vulnerability Index then India is doing decently well, where in the inflation rate is low and the CAD
- Current Account Deficit is within control. However sir, the major areas of concern are the rural distress and the
unemployment. Tapping of demographic dividend and catering to the farming scene are the two most pertinent
challenges facing the economy.
M1: Economics is about mathematics and modeling etc. Do you think there is scope of psychology and human
sciences in the field?
Me: Sir, economics is a mix of both - mathematics and psychology along with other fields like sociology. For
instance if we look at the nobel prizes in economic given in the last two years, then we see that last year it was
given for behavioural economics, nudge theory to be more specific. This year it is given for incorporation of
climate change and technological advancements in the growth and development. So we see the growing
significance of psychology and sociology in the field of economics.
M1: Palash tell me what is FDI and FII. Which one is more significant?
Me: Sir FDI stands for Foreign Direct Investment and FII stands for Foreign Institutional Investment. FDI is more
significant for nations growth and governmentʼs effort is also in boosting the same. The reason being that FDI is
more stable and contributes to overall economic growth due to it being long term investment, whereas FII is more
short term and hence much more driven by investment sentiments and thus is volatile.
M1: Has the FDI fallen in the last 2 years?
Me: Sir I am not sure about the exact FDI figures but as per my knowledge FDI has increased in the nation, with
India surpassing even China in FDI receipts in the current year.
M1: How does capital formation take place in a country like India?
Me: Sir capital formation takes place via various channels like household savings, profits of companies etc which
are subsequently deposited in the banks serving as a pool of resources which can then be invested into
productive activities.
M1: Do you know about the recent trends in Capital markets? (Absurd question!!)
Me: Sir I have not been following the capital markets on a day to day basis, but sir post the announcement of
budget the capital markets responded favourably and positively possibly due to different steps government has
taken like tax rebate etc.
M1: Do you know about how in the early years of Soviet Russia capital formation used to take place?
Me: Sir Soviet Russia in the initial years, since 1920s and especially during 1940s and 50s used to implement
forceful extraction of surplus like from agriculture. It was via the commune system. However sir, in a democratic
polity like India, such a system is not implementable as it goes against the fundamental rights and the philosophy
behind the Constitution.
M1: Have you heard about Sovereign Debt Fund?
Me: Sir I have read about it and have studied it in detail but as of now I am not able to recall about it fully. (Was
thinking about asking whether I should attempt a guess but by then M1 had passed on the baton to M2)

M2: Palash, since the last 2-3 days I have been reading this news but I have not been able to fully understand
what it is due to technical terms used in the articles. The news is related to flipkart and amazon and their intention
to quit Indiaʼs market. Can you explain to me in layman terms what it is all about?
Me: Yes sir. Sir the news is related to e-commerce industry and the recent steps government has taken to
regulate it. Sir e-commerce, like flipkart and amazon, is essentially a platform of marketplace where different
retailers sell their products. With growing trend of online shopping the sector has been growing immensely over
the recent years. Sir the recent rules presented by the government regulates the sector by disallowing these e-
commerce companies to have more than 25% stake in the companies selling their products on such e-platform.
Sir the intention behind such a move is to protect the small brick and mortar retail shops and ensure a free and
fair competition. However sir, this step has hurt the sentiments of these companies and hence there are
apprehensions about their future in India.
M2: But I personally find flipkart, amazon very convenient. Whenever I want to buy any product like mobile I see so
many different varieties. Where will I keep roaming around in brick and mortar shops to have so much variety?
Me: Sir, I agree that online shopping has many benefits in terms of making lives easy. However sir, the intention
behind governmentʼs measure also needs to be appreciated. In addition sir, the rules do not ban e-commerce, in
contrary it raises variety by disallowing concentration of ownership into some specific companies, thus ensuring
greater diversification of products. Simultaneously it will benefit small retail shops and also MSMEs.
M2: What else can be done to promote the MSME produce?
Me: Sir various measures have been taken to promote the sale of MSME produce. For example sir, government
has a policy that 20% of its procurement will be from the MSME sector. In addition to it sir, there are various steps
taken to promote the handicraft sector and traditional produce. In my opinion sir, proper channels need to be
made to promote the sale of such produce especially in the adjoining area via a zonal approach....

M3: Palash, you have worked in Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan. Tell me what did you do for agriculture of the
area?
Me: Sir we did not work per se in agriculture sector, rather for non-agriculture sector like implementation of
MGNREGA, women issues of the area etc. MKSS has played a commendable role in the introduction of RTI, Right
to food, and successful implementation of government schemes etc.....
M3: No no, I am asking of agriculture sector. When you were there, you must have seen a lot of problems that the
people there are facing. What are some of these problems?
Me: Yes sir, the organisation is located in one of the most poor districts of Rajasthan - Rajsamand. I witnessed
problems like lack of sanitation i.e. unavailability of toilets - although my stay there was before the introduction of
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. In addition sir, there were problems of lack of adequate water supply as wells were
located at distances close to 5-6 kms. Plus sir basic public amenities like primary schools and hospitals were also
absent.
M3: Arrey, sanitation and water are secondary issues. What will a person do when there is no food to eat. Didnʼt
you face problem of lack of food there?
Me: Sir to be true, as volunteers we did not face problem of lack of food, but there might be such problems in the
area which I may not be aware of.
M3: You must not have faced food shortage problem as the organisation would have taken care of it, but the
people must have faced this problem. Tell me, where do you belong to, urban or rural?
Me: Sir urban.
M3: Thats why you didnʼt notice food shortage as a problem.......hahahaha
M3: Anyway, a lot of my friends in bureaucracy in the state of Uttarakhand have complained that due to forest
area the scope of development is highly limited. 80% of the state is having forest cover. Plus hilly area. Only 2
districts are plain. So they demand government funding for development. What is your view on this?
Me: Sir I would like to make 2 observations with regard to this. Firstly sir, in my humble opinion, the whole debate
of environment vs development is misplaced. When we take a long term view then, the more the cohesion
between environment sustainability and development paradigm, more is the potential for growth. Thus, the need
is to focus on developing alongside environment rather than at the cost of environment. Secondly sir, the demand
for additional support is keeping in view the immediate concern of lack of resources. In my view sir, such
concerns are genuine and initiatives need to be taken keeping their concern into account. For instance sir, the
14th Finance Commission introduced 7.5% weightage for horizontal devolution of funds within states. Such steps
should be promoted and other steps for special assistance to states like UK, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and NE
states with high forest cover should be provided.

M4: Palash have you heard about Alexa?

Me: No Maʼam.
M4: How come? Donʼt you watch TV?
Me: No Maʼam.
M4: What!!! Hahahaha. How can your generation not be watching TV? Hahaha
Me: Maʼam I have been training at the National Police Academy since last 2 months and hence getting no time to
watch TV.
All members: Oh you are already in the police service. Thats very good. Blablablabla
M2: I thought that you are in the police service after looking at your haircut but it wasnʼt mentioned in my sheet so
thought otherwise.
C: You havent mentioned it in your DAF.....Oh yes its there......
M4: Okay so coming back to Alexa. Its like you give it commands like Alexa do this, Alexa do that and then it does
it for you.
Me: Okay thank you maʼam. So itʼs similar to Siri.
M4: Yes its like Siri. Tell me what impact does such technology have on humans? Should India allow such
technology?
Me: Maʼam technology has always been a double edged sword. On the one hand such technologies have eased
the lives of the people as we see via Internet of Things, but simultaneously it has had multiple adverse impacts.
Some of these impacts include diminishing physical work, reducing human contact and thus failing relationships.
M4: What other adverse impacts have such technologies had?
Me: Maʼam apart from Health impacts?
M4: No no including health impacts.
Me: Maʼam in health impacts one major concern is that of depression and psychological and psychiatric impacts
that lack of human contact is having on people. In addition maʼam, generation of e-waste is also a major concern
that increasing equipments is having. Another impact of technologies like Artificial Intelligence is having is that of
falling employment......
M4: There is a thing called human energy. These technologies have reduced the expenditure of this energy
blablabla....
Me: Yes maʼam, certainly the average energy spent by humans have reduced due to reduced movements. This
has lead to immense problem of obesity which is even a more potent threat than problems like diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases etc. US President has raised an alarm for the same stating that obesity is the most
pertinent health challenge in the country........
M4: Should the government take measures to deal with problems people are facing due to advent of these
technologies in the future?
Me: Definitely maʼam. I feel that the problem is not hypothetical and is no more a problem of the future. It is a very
huge reality even today. Maʼam in our academy there was a seminar conducted about these technologies and the
impact that these technologies are having especially on the vulnerable sections like children and old age people.
Thus bureaucracy should be proactive and make adequate infrastructure to cater to such vulnerabilities.
M4: Palash, you are so young, in some years you will get married and have children. Tell me how would you ensure
that your children do not get addicted to TV, mobiles and laptops .......
Me: Maʼam the responsibility lies on two fronts majorly. Firstly it lies at the family level whereby parents need to
nudge their children to play outdoor games and indulge in physical activities. They also have to ensure that these
equipments are not provided for at easy access. Secondly maʼam comes the role of institutions like schools and
colleges and also of government to provide for opportunities and infrastructure etc for various sports. Even in my
family maʼam, my brother is married and has a child who is addicted to these equipments and its a major
challenge we are trying to cater to.

C: Palash, so you are in police service. You have been allotted cadres?
Me: Yes maʼam.
C: Which cadre have you been allotted?
Me: Maʼam Uttar Pradesh.
C: Thatʼt like your home state virtually.
Me: Yes maʼam.
C: Then you are in such a good service and have been allotted the cadre of your choice. Why have you given the
exam again? Suppose you get Nagaland Cadre in IAS, then?
Me: Maʼam to be frank I am very fortunate to have been allotted the police service. It provides a very good
opportunity to work for the society. This feeling has only risen since I have joined the academy.....Also maʼam, I
have made a decision that I will not be giving another attempt after this one. Having said this maʼam there are two
reasons why I gave the attempt and have opted for IAS. Professionally maʼam IAS provides a more diverse
platform to work in different spheres like education, health, agriculture, rural development, urban development
etc. Police in contrast works majorly in one sphere - law and order, which undoubtedly is one of the most crucial
sphere, but such diversity is not possible.....Secondly......
C: Okay Palash, thank you......(little moment of awkwardness - she thought my answer is complete, the she
wanted me to continue and then again she decided that its done.)
Me: Sorry maʼam......
C: Thank you Palash, your interview is over.....
Me: Thank you maʼam, thank you sirs.......