My Third Interview

Skill Test and Interview for the Post of Academic Associate for the Project in Centre for Post Graduation and Distance Education at NIRD&PR, Hyderabad.

22 Application shortlisted for Certificate Verification and Skill Test, 11 Candidates turned up for the Computer Skill Test and finally 5 People shortlisted for Interview.

(From the Memory) Transcript of my Interview with Three Member Select Committee

Chairperson: Ms. Radhika Rastogi, IAS, Deputy Director General, NIRD&PR.

Venue: NIRD&PR (National Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj),  Hyderabad

Date: 20/11/2019

Me: Excuse me mam!!

(Gestured like please come in)

Me: Namaste mam.... Namaste sir!!

Chairperson: Be seated.

Me: Thank you mam.

Member 1: Tell me about yourself... Like your Under graduation, Post graduation, your skills and experience.

Me: Yes sir, I have completed my Graduation in Engineering.

Member 1: B.E. or B.Tech?

Me: Yes sir, B.E. Electrical Electronics Engineering.... Then i shifted to Arts in my Post Graduation... I did my Masters in Public Administration.

Chairperson: You have Part-Time Experience in Teaching right?

Me: Yes mam.

Chairperson: Even now you have applied for the Contract Position. Why don't you try for some Full-Time job?

Me: Actually i was preparing for UPSC Exam these many years. But it doesn't work for me.

Chairperson: You couldn't crack it!?

Me; Yes mam, Thrice i have cleared prelims but Mains i haven't. So, I reoriented my path. Past one year i was trying to enter into some Academic Stream or Think Tank type of jobs. I have interest in Teaching and Recently i have developed interest in Research. I was independently working through some Research Papers and i like to do something on those lines.

Chairperson: The position of Academic Associate which you have applied will not give you any scope for Teaching or Research. Instead of trying this, why don't you join any full-time course offered by NIRD?? Hope you know, we have 100% Placement... Even some of our Alumni has been placed in United Nations, we will help you reach there...

Member 1: Are you aware of course offered by NIRD? You know it already or Gone through the Website?

Me: Yes sir, I know about it... I have checked with the Website too.... There is Post Graduation Diploma courses especially on Rural Development...

Member 1: To whom we offer it? I mean who can join? what type of Academic Curriculum or Training is provided? Do you aware of it?

Me: Yes sir, Person with any under graduation could apply for it...

Member 1: And as a part of Academic Curriculum there is Field Visit, Village Visit... Do you know? As a Academic Associate, you have to go for Field Inspection, arrange for those visit? Do you have any experience in it?

Me: Yes sir, I have mentioned about my experience in Yuva Shakthi. I have organized such visit to Village, Organic Farm for UPSC Aspirants and College Students. We have arranged for a visit to Kuthambakkam Village.

Member 1: Kuthambakkam Village... We know about it... Can you share some experience of that?

Me: Yes sir, It was Mr. Elangovan sir who have established Panchayat Training Institute in Kuthambakkam.

Chairperson: What is it all about?

Me: It impart knowledge of Rural Economy, Rural Development to the young aspiring leaders before they contest for Panchayat Election. Be it Ward Member, or any Elected position in Gram Sabha, Panchayat Raj....

Chairperson: How it will help?

Me: Yes mam, It gives a fine balance.... They are educated with Basic of Administration and Rural Development and other side they get people support through election. With this they could do their works effectively.

Member 1: What else you have experienced?

Me; He was showing us some Cottage Industries and Small scale Industries which provide employment to the local communities. Like these industries supply small spare parts to big Industries nearby... like Nut, Bolt and Gas Stove Burner etc...

Chairperson: How important, you think.. these type of works are?

Me: Yes mam, as envisaged by Mahatma Gandhiji, Progress of Rural Economy and Rural Societies lies in Employing the Masses. At large it would contribute to the GDP of the Nation.

Member 1: Then Do you have any idea.... Could we see you doing such things in future?

Me: Yes sir, I have some Future Plans... would try it.... after sometimes....

Chairperson: Ultimately what i can understand is... You want a job now.... Right?

Me: Yes mam ( I Smiled)

Member 1: Apart from Yuva Shakthi, do you have any experience of this kind?

Me: No sir

Member 1: This is a Voluntary Organization and you had Part-time experience... Right?

Me: Yes sir, i have mentioned it as Part-Time Experience....

Member 1: Hope you have seen our Notification... we have mentioned it as 3 years of Experience in Academic Activities as Coordinator or Associate... But you have experience only in Teaching.... That too it is Part-Time Experience....

Chairperson: The Position of Academic Associate is nothing to do with Teaching... You will not get any such opportunity.... We want to recruit a person who is well versed in these Academic Activities, Just to Assist us... Help in Academic works...

Me: Yes mam, I understood that....

Chairperson: Better you should continue as a student for one more year and get in to some better career... You have to work on certain aspects.... There are certain things to be changed...

Me: (I was just nodding my head)

Member 2: You have applied for the position of Academic Associate... Instead of that, if you offer some other position... will you accept it?

Me: (I was blinking like something)

Member 1: Simple, If we offer you the position of Project Assistant... Will you accept it?

Me: (I was blank.... Chairperson noticed it)

Chairperson: You couldn't decide... No problem... Take your time.. Think about it....

But let us know before all these Interview process get completed.....

Now you can go... Thank you.

Me: Thank you mam.... Thank you sir....

- End -

My Second Interview

For the Position of Lecturer (Public Administration) in the Department of Political Science.

Three member select committee at University of Kerala

Chairperson: Dr.P.P. Ajay Kumar

Venue: Pro-Vice Chancellor Chamber, Senate house, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram

Date: 19/Nov/2019

Time: 3:10pm

Me: Good afternoon sir!!

Chairman: Take your seat.
What is your domain of Post Graduation?
Public Administration or Political Science.

Me: Public Administration.

Chairman: Public Administration!! Ok fine... where you did your PG?

Me: IGNOU, Indira Gandhi  National Open University.

Chairman: What you have done after PG? Have you Published any paper?? Or Ph.d??

Me: No sir, I have not published any paper. I am doing my Masters in Economics. And am working for a Private Institution.

Chairman: What kind of Institution?

Me: It is a coaching Academy for Competitive exams like UPSC and other Public Service exams. Kamaraj IAS Academy, in Chennai.

Chairman: what you do there?

Me: I work as a part-time teaching faculty for Public Administration and Indian Economy.

Member 1: Can you explain the aspects of Indian Administrative Setup as envisaged by Kautilya.

Me: Yes sir,..

Member 1: You know about Chanakya, his role & contribution in Ancient History!??

Me: Yes sir, though our present Indian Administration has evolved by adopting ideas from Mughal Administration and Modern Western philosophies, it rooted in the Ancient past.

Many ideas of Kautilya's Arthasastra are deep rooted in our Administrative System.

1. Be it Intelligence Bureau, RAW (I couldn't recall the verbatim "Espionage")
2. Chanakya have enlisted the required quality and characters of a Government Servant. He also prescribed "Recruitment procedures" for them.
3. Be it Financial Management, be it emphasis of "Welfare of People" as primary objective.

Present day Administrative system still deep rooted in it.

Member 1: ok fine. Then there is a problem of "Corruption" in India. How you see it?

Me: I view it as Riggs description of Prismatic Sala Society. Any society for that matter in a "Transition Stage" would face this kind of issue.

Member 1: So, You say it is an inevitable, harsh reality?

Member 1: Indian Society in transition, people are in dilemma whether to hold on to old value system or switch over the modern western philosophical value system. There is a crisis of identity. (Yes, My choice of terminology has mis-communicated my opinion)

Member 1: I am asking about "Corruption"

Me: Yes sir, I mean the Value System or Poor Value Education which pave way for all miseries. Menace of Corruption becomes a harsh reality.

Member 1: How should the Human Resource in India be managed for growth and progress?

Me: By inculcating proper Education, Good Health care system and then by imparting training, skill enhancement so they can be employed in better way and this way it turn to be a Effective Capital "Human Capital"

Member 1: In your own state of Tamil Nadu, what are the problems of Administration.

Me: (I just smiled and said)
Primary problem is poor Public Participation. Administrator lack connection with Ground Reality and People lack awareness. Be it Government schemes or Policy, if people are not well informed, then Administration of the same become ineffective.

Member 1: Then How effective is e-Governance in India?

Me: Yes sir, there are many initiatives by Central and State Governments.

Member 1: Do you know about "e-Governance" What is that?

Me: Yes sir, It is the delivery of Government services through Online Platform.

(He nodded his head, gesturing me to proceed)

Now a days people have got wide access to internet even the Smart phone in everyone's hand has Internet connection. Apart from that we have "Bharat Net" initiatives providing Broadband access across Panchayats. Still people lack awareness about Government Initiatives, Schemes and Penetration of DIGIT LITERACY need more improvement.

The  responsibilities lies with the Educated communities and Educational institutions to spread awareness among People.

Chairman: (Pointing to the third member)
Sir, do you have any questions to ask?

Member 3: No, No!!! (Gestured like let him go)

Chairman: Thank you, you can leave now.