Here's the link to a comprehensive document on how to prepare for this exam (with the new pattern). It has been created by my batch-mates. This would be helpful for new aspirants in gaining a perspective :

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bx0MqOfev7dnajR3RWxDczc0UjQ/edit?pli=1

For nine silly ideas, who once were knights
For gold, stretched with crystal ice
For blots of ink, and swings of sword
For black lettered pages, for wine coloured nights
For hope, for laughter, for the greener side
For the hunger still unsatisfied
For smoke filled dungeons, and tamed green dragons
For hills, for rivers, for the surging tide.
The division bell rings and it's time to sing
Requiem for a dream that'd never suffice.



- That's how I remember the FC at LBSNAA...and the gang of nine who made it unforgettable.

My notes - Sociology Paper-1

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0BzmFK6P4KuNAXzh4RHN6YzQxaDQ/edit

My Pubad notes

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0BzmFK6P4KuNAODlNYlNoTmxHd2c/edit

Note -
1. These notes do not cover the entire syllabus and are very synoptic. They may as well be useless to you.
2. Under the questions in PA-2, the points jotted down are not necessarily meant to be included in the answer - related and relevant info has also been scribbled there in case such a question is asked.
3. Please ignore the occasional doodles / gibberish / unparliamentary matter that you may come across - Such a journey does play tricks on one's mind sometimes :)
4. The handwriting varies from illegible to not so bad, depending upon the writer's mood. Kindly bear.
5. If someone can help me consolidate this into a single pdf, please volunteer. I do not have Adobe Professional on my system.

GS

1. History of Modern India and Indian

Culture : I had read Bipin Chandra and Spectrum – Repetitive reading of Spectrum’s book is enough for this topic in my opinion. Beyond that, the law of diminishing returns comes into play and reduces your RoI (return on investment)

2. Geography of India : NCERTs

I read TMH manual and NCERTs of standard XI and XII for this portion. I had scanned through Goh cheng leong before prelims for conceptual clarity, but considering the paucity of time after pre, it isn’t prudent to delve into it now

3. Constitution of India and Indian Polity:

DD Basu is a fantastic source for this portion. I made notes of polity from this book before pre and kept updating and revising these notes. This book does require some patience but once you get a hang of what the author is saying, you’ll gain immense conceptual clarity. Other than this, I did a single reading from TMH manual. Also, latest amendments and bills are to be kept in view. Abridged version of IYB and internet catered to this requirement. I always kept a copy of the constitution handy while reading this topic. If done well, this takes care of a major portion of PA-2 as well.

4. Current National Issues and Topics of

Social Relevance : - I’ve mentioned the sources in a previous post. The newspaper is the key. I’ve also stated my strategy for making notes from the newspaper in a previous post.

PAPER - II

1. India and the World :

I’ve dealt with this in detail in an earlier post (note making strategy). The sources are – newspapers for the dynamic part, books by reetika Sharma, vn khanna etc. for the static part

2. India’s Economic Interaction with the

World :

Again, newspaper for the dynamic part

Internet for the static part (WTO, WIPO, IMF, etc.)

3. Developments in the Field of Science

& Technology, IT and space :

News papers, chronicle (relevant sections), Internet (search under broad categories – developments in robotics, space tech, biotech, nanotech, etc. – wiki has dedicated pages for them and they are useful)

4. International Affairs and Institutions :

Wikipedia  - first download a list of international orgs of which india is a member – then create a collection of wikipages for orgs you feel are important or are in news….revise this repository before exam

5. Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams

:The book by spectrum is enough – read the theory part as well

Other than this, I forgot to mention a source that I feel would be useful. Vajiram’s yellow books which are released just before mains are quite useful. There were three booklets and I read them once – cover to cover. 

topic-wise sources for PA-2

Indian Administration

1. Evolution of Indian Administration:----- both arora goyal and fadia

2. Philosophical and Constitutional framework

of government:------------------------------------------------------ DD Basu

Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism;-------DD Basu

Political culture; -----------------Internet

Bureaucracy

and democracy; --------------------------Super50

Bureaucracy and

development.--------------------------------------Fadia

3. Public Sector Undertakings:-----------------------------Fadia

4. Union Government and Administration:--------------------Fadia, few portions from Sadana

5. Plans and Priorities:-----------------------Fadia

6. State Government and Administration:----------------Fadia

7. District Administration since Independence:---------------Fadia, Arora goyal

8. Civil Services:---------------Fadia

9. Financial Management:---------Fadia (can be supplemented with IGNOU BA if you have time - i didn't)

10. Administrative Reforms since Independence:--------Fadia

11. Rural Development:----------------Fadia, I had a scan (pdf) for this portion taken from the Book Governance in India by Laxmikanth (for governance and rights issues)

12. Urban Local Government:---------------Fadia, Super50, pdf mentioned above

13. Law and Order Administration:------------------Fadia

14. Significant issues in Indian Administration:-----Fadia, Super50

ARC reports - I read some reports in full and read extracts from others. I would recommend reading these reports as they provide you with both content and quality, not only for PA-2 but also GS and Essay.

I’ve already described my strategy for making notes in a previous post. I started with previous 10 years’ questions as the nucleus and expanded outwards, creating a thought framework for each question and jotting down pointers for related topics. Value addition is important in PA-2 answers and can be easily done by invoking (1) Thinkers from PA-1; (2) Personalities who have shaped the particular aspect of administration that the question deals with; (3) Examples from current affairs – I extracted these from newspapers and placed in the relevant portion of my notes regularly. I made sure that I had revised my notes many times before the D-day.

GS strategy

Since I ended up getting much less than expected in GS, I would suggest the following link for GS strategy (Mr. Kannan Gopinathan, Rank 59 - He has scored 272 in GS)

http://mysecretofsuccess.blogspot.in/2012/05/my-gs-preparation.html

more resources for sociology

I found the following blogs helpful for zeroing in on resources for sociology -

http://intellection-rajiv.blogspot.in/2010/08/booklist-for-sociology.html

http://thecivilservicesdream.blogspot.in/search/label/Sociology-

My approach for paper-2 was similar to the one adopted in the second link. For paper-1, I've already described my methods in a previous post. The key is to pick and chose as per one's own convenience, keeping in mind the individual capabilities and constraints. The bottomline is that the syllabus has to be kept in mind and no stone is to be left unturned while covering it.

I wrote the following in response to one of the queries I received with respect to Pubad preparations. These are some general guidelines which I think may be useful for other aspirants as well - 


 1. Restrict your sources and study them repeatedly 2.Use thinkers and their quotes - especially the shorter and catchy ones (the quotes I mean, not the thinkers :p), but don't overdo it 3. Begin your answers well - attract the examiner's attention 4. stick to what is asked, do not go astray 5. do not shy away from using examples from your study of current affairs 6. I made a diagram only in one question (media is parliament of citizens), I wrote in paragraphs and underlined whatever I wanted the examiner to see 7. Write intelligent and mature answers - let them be lucid and readable   8. Take care of the language you are using in your answers - This comes automatically from the humongous amount of reading you are going to do for this exam 9. Longer answers do not necessarily fetch better marks, smarter ones do

My Marksheet

MARKS OBTAINED

SUBJECTS MARKS ESSAY (PAPER-III) 118 GENRAL STUDIES (PAPER-IV) 118 GENRAL STUDIES (PAPER-V) 086 OPTIONAL-I(SOCIOLOGY) (PAPER-VI) 146 OPTIONAL-I(SOCIOLOGY) (PAPER-VII) 147 OPTIONAL-II(PUBLIC ADMIN.) (PAPER-VIII) 187 OPTIONAL-II(PUBLIC ADMIN.) (PAPER-IX) 156 WRITTEN TOTAL 958 PERSONALITY TEST 210 FINAL TOTAL 1168

Remarks :-RECOMMENDED

Topic-wise sources for PA-1

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

PAPER – I

Administrative Theory

1. Introduction:

Meaning, scope and significance of Public

Administration; ------------------------------------------IGNOU-MA Booklet

Wilson’s vision of Public

Administration;------------------------------------------Prasad & Prasad

Evolution of the discipline

and its present status; ----------------------------------IGNOU, Super 50, Fadia

New Public Administration;----------------------------IGNOU Booklet

Public Choice approach; --------------------------------- Fadia, IGNOU Booklet

Challenges

of liberalization, Privatisation,

Globalisation; ---------------------------------------------IGNOU, Fadia

Good Governance: concept

and application; ------------------------------------------IGNOU, Fadia

New Public Management.--------------------------------IGNOU, Fadia

2. Administrative Thought:-----------------------------------------------------Prasad & Prasad

3. Administrative Behaviour:------------------------------------------------Stephen Robbins, Fadia

4. Organisations:----------------------------------------------------Fadia, , Super50, Sadana

5. Accountability and control:-------------------------------------,Fadia, Super50, Laxmikanth

6. Administrative Law:----------------------------------- Fadia,  Sharma Sadana(for Dicey’s critique),

7. Comparative Public Administration:-----------------------Fadia, Prasad(for Riggs), Laxmikanth

8. Development Dynamics:-----------------------------------------------Fadia, Super50

9. Personnel Administration:---------------------------------------Fadia

10. Public Policy:----------------------------------------------------IGNOU MA (cursory reading), Mohit Bhattacharya & Fadia for models of policy making, Prasad for thoughts of Dror, IGNOU BA notes probably have this in detail but I skipped them

11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement:----------Fadia, Super50

12. Financial Administration:---------------------------------Fadia

I used a combination of direct revision from the book and making notes for some topics in PA-1. I read and re-read Prasad & Prasad for thinkers; I treated Papers 1 and 2 as an integrated whole and supplemented a lot of topics from PA-1 with PA-2 aspects and vice-versa. (e.g. Fadia for Paper-2 has many topics which are indispensable for paper-1 as well). As with other subjects, I kept a copy of the syllabus and previous years' questions handy for focused study. Also, at the fag end of my prep, I read Super-50 by Shubhra Saxena from cover to cover as a revision aid along with my notes and topics marked in books.

My Essay

TOPIC - In the Indian context, both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism



This was my introduction

Men and women often take great pride in having been able to forge the sword of technological evolution in their quest to rule nature. Little did they realise that in the process, they would end up gashing their own hands, and hearts. The wounds run deep and the only cure is the ever so elusive admixture of peace, harmony and cooperation. One such wound is the emergence of the hydra-headed demon called terrorism.

This was my conclusion
Pablo Picasso once remarked - "Unless you destroy, you cannot create." What we need in this ominous hour are not correction slips but transformative changes in our security architecture and social, economic and political outlook. The objective is to enable harmonious interplay of human and technical intelligence to effectively curb this menace. With a youthful population and a demographic dividend in the offing, one can certainly be hopeful that vox populi would rise to the occasion and drive the shining diamond that is India, into a realm where winds of peace and prosperity blow about freely and the dark clouds of terrorism, in absence of any raisons-d'etre, are dissipated forever.



This is how i approached the topic


1. emergence of terrorism as a hydra headed demon
2. glimpse of forms and bases of terrorism and the role of human and tech intelligence in both controlling or exacerbating it
3. human intelligence and various perspectives on it----international, national, community - civil society and media----with failures and lessons learnt for india
4. technological intelligence perspectives ---lacunaes and suggestions drawn from national and international experience to be applied in india
5. need for harmonious interplay between human and tech intelligence to curb the menace
6. vision for future

wrote about 1200 words

Here is an example from my notes -

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjmFK6P4KuNAdGxKQU9pUmNfbEs0ZXlwbF9UMm1UMlE#gid=1

Please bear in mind that these are ultra-shortened versions - notes made from notes! after multiple readings - meant solely for the purpose of glancing through before the exam. 

Making notes

Following are the subject-wise strategies I followed for making notes (I didn’t make notes for any subject other than the ones mentioned below) –

1. India and the World – As posted earlier, I had a file of important facts and figures jotted down from the newspapers along with the cuttings that I would industriously collect every Sunday. At the fag end of my preparation (before mains) I prepared an excel sheet. Each worksheet of that excel file was dedicated to a different country (e.g. India – US, India – Myanmar, etc.) I divided each worksheet into two parts – background and foreground. The background listed out the important historical milestones that have shaped the progress of that country and its relations with India. This background was mostly summarized from books on IR that I have listed earlier. The foreground, summarized from the books as well as the newspaper cuttings and aforementioned facts, would concern itself with relatively contemporary events shaping our relations right up to the present day. This way, I had the entire IR matter summarized in a single excel file.  In a nutshell, this is what I did : (1) Read books on IR for background knowledge + Read newspapers and magazines for contemporary events, take cuttings and jot down points (2) Summarize it all in an excel file for revision before exam

2. International Affairs and Institutions, other current affairs, science and tech – I followed a strategy similar to what is given above : Read, take extracts and notes, summarize further for final revision

3. Polity – I had made notes from DD Basu, which I feel is a fantastic source for polity. I kept revising and updating these notes with information gathered from newspapers and internet. I repeatedly revised these notes and always kept a copy of bare act by Bakshi handy for quick reference.

4. Public Administration Paper 2 – I bought a compendium of previous ten years’ papers . I divided the questions topic-wise (as per syllabus). I then began preparing thought framework for each question – and on the next page I went beyond what was asked and jotted down other related points in a similar format. For example, in a question on the tussle between the cabinet secretariat and PMO, I created a TFW after having read the topic from the sources mentioned below. On the next page I made a flowchart of the evolution of PMO  (this was asked in the main exam!). Thus, I started with the previous years’ questions as the nucleus and then expanded outwards to cover the entire syllabus. After having completed the notes, I glanced through the textbooks to make sure I hadn’t left anything uncovered (while keeping in view the syllabus). Other than that, the newspaper articles relevant to the subject were placed in the notes for quick revision.

5. Public Administration Paper 1 – I started making notes for PA-1 quite late, much after prelims, which is why my notes weren’t as elaborate for this subject. I, however, did manage to jot down the core points of each subtopic which enabled a quick revision in the end. Thoughts of leaders, theorists etc. on various topics were especially stressed upon. The sources for this subject have been mentioned in a previous post.

6. Sociology Paper – 2 : The numerous booklets of IGNOU would be too tedious to be revised at the end and therefore, I made synoptic notes for this subject, taking special care that none of the case studies given in IGNOU booklets failed to find space in my notes. These case studies formed the skeletal structure of most of my answers in Socio-2 exam. I placed the relevant newspaper cuttings and 4-5 case studies from internet (couldn’t find time for more) in my notes.

7. Sociology Paper-1 : mentioned in a previous post
8. International organizations – I created a PDF from wikepedia pages that I found relevant for the exam

Sociology Paper - 1

Here is how I approached Sociology paper-1. I began with the old edition of Haralambos. It is a fantastic book for understanding the subject and its scope. I did not read the book from cover to cover and confined myself strictly to the syllabus. This initiated me into the realm of sociology. I then moved on to IGNOU’s BA notes which are an extremely useful compilation of sociological knowledge. I also scanned through a few chapters of Giddens to get a hang of the subject. Before Prelims, I had made some notes for the first 3 chapters of paper 1 and had read some of the thinkers. I had by then acclimatized myself with the subject and also understood that the old edition of Haralambos was necessary but insufficient. After prelims, I started filling the gaps and expanding my notes….I began referring to the new updated version of Haralambos, internet, etc. (The topic-wise sources are given below). Though my notes were pretty extensive, I remained alive to the problems associated with inclusion of every topic in the notes. Therefore, at certain places, I left “flags” -  page nos. or references in my notes so that the topics best read whole from the book could be referred in a logical and sequential manner during revision – (For example, Talcott Parson’s pattern variables – to be read from new Haralambos, pg.xxx). The end result was that by the end of my preparation, I had a bunch of notes that could be revised in a single day – It consisted of my notes of around 200 pages, old and new Haralambos (for referred pages), and a couple of booklets of IGNOU BA (out of many). I must have revised this bunch 4-5 times. I must also emphasize the importance of keeping a copy of previous 10 years’ questions handy, along with the syllabus. I made sure that there wasn’t a question asked in previous 10 years that I couldn’t answer.

Here is what I could manage for Sociology Paper-1

1. Sociology - The Discipline:-------IGNOU BA, old NCERT, old Haralambos, internet

2. Sociology as Science:------old & new Haralambos

3. Research Methods and Analysis:-----New Haralambos, dictionary of sociology by WP Scott / oxford dictionary of sociology

4. Sociological Thinkers:--------Old & New Haralambos, some comparative analyses and remaining topics from IGNOU BA (only what is not covered by Haralambos)

5. Stratification and Mobility: Old Haralambos, IGNOU BA

6. Works and Economic Life: IGNOU BA, Giddens, internet.

7. Politics and Society: Old Haralambos, Giddens, IGNOU BA

8. Religion and Society: Old Haralambos, IGNOU BA, internet

9. Systems of Kinship: IGNOU BA, dictionaries, (minor portions from Giddens and Haralambos)

10. Social Change in Modern Society: IGNOU BA, previous years’ questions, internet

Reading The Hindu

I followed "The Hindu" only. Some people may like to follow more than one newspaper but for me it would reduce the RoI (return on investment) since I was hard pressed for time. So instead of reading three papers once, I read one paper thrice! This is how I read the newspaper -

1. First Reading - I would mark the articles to be extracted in whole for their value either in terms of knowledge, language or other significant aspects. I would encircle facts important from the point of two markers.
2. Second Reading - Every Sunday, I would take the week's 7 papers, cut the marked articles and scan them quickly before filing them in a box-file. I would jot down the two markers on a sheet and file it.
3. Third Reading - I revised all the cuttings and two pointers just before the exam - both pre and mains

The advantage that this approach has is that 3 readings allow the filtered out info to settle down in memory. Also, the revision just before exam allowed me to use some excellent facts, figures, case studies, examples and cleverly worded sentences in the exam - be it GS, Essay, Socio or PubAd.

This is how I followed the newspaper.

More to follow....

My booklist

Sociology

Paper 1 - Haralambos - both old and new editions (the new edition has some additional topics and case studies presented in greater detail - referred to the syllabus to chalk out a suitable strategy; I didn't read either book from cover to cover)

Giddens - selected chapters

IGNOU BA notes - selected topics

oxford dictionary of sociology

Paper 2

IGNOU BA notes of Sociology

IGNOU political science notes for social movements in India (I had social movements by G.Shah but didn't find it very readable)

Newspaper

NCERT - old edition

 

I had other books by Yogendra Singh, Veena Das and MN Srinivas, which I didn't refer to due to paucity of time. I didn't find time for EPW either.

My preparation for Paper 2 was centered on IGNOU notes (BA) and newspapers

Pub Ad

Paper 1 - IGNOU MA notes (only two booklets out of eight- rest of the topics are covered well in Fadia)

Prasad and Prasad

Fadia and Fadia

Few topics from Sharma Sadana, laxmikanth and Stephen Robbins

Super 50 by Shubhra Saxena

Paper 2 - Fadia and Fadia

Newspaper

ARC reports 

Super 50 by Shubhra Saxena

 

I had a truckload of books like Rumki Basu, Mohit Bhattacharya, Maheshwari, Arora Goyal, Nicolas Henry, IIPA Journals, etc. - which I found were not in sync with the exam's requirements - and hence I wouldn't advise them

GS

 

History - Spectrum, Bipin Chandra, TMH manual, ncert

Geography - NCERT, TMH Manual

Economics - NCERT, Economic Survey and Newspaper

Polity - DD Basu, TMH Manual, copy of constitution, NCERT

Science and Tech - Newspapers, chronicle magazine, (I had the book by spectrum but it isn't in sync with the exam's requirements)

CA - newspaper (The Hindu), chronicle

India year book

Indian culture - spectrum

stats - spectrum

IR - other than Hindu, i referred to the book by ramvir goria and reetika sharma, and another by VN khanna

Govt websites, reports, PIB releases, etc.

I had subscribed to magazines like yojana and frontline but could read them only selectively due to paucity of time

It seems the three hours have finally paid off. The results have been declared today and I've secured 148th rank in CSE :). I shall update this blog in due course of time for the benefit of future aspirants - for it is blogs such as these that guided me through my preparation for this exam.

I never expect to lose. Even if I am the underdog, I prepare a victory speech.
- H. Jackson brown Jr.

Three Hours

It'll soon be almost a month since my CSE interview. I haven't been able to bring myself to begin studying for the next cycle yet. As much as I would like to blame the uncertainty inherent in this long painful wait before the final results, I cannot escape from the fact that the reason lies elsewhere and I am cognizant of it. I've given my best shot in this attempt, and I probably couldn't stretch more while staying in my current job. I am aware of the futility of trying to better what already is best. I haven't attended coaching for this exam. My interaction with other candidates in the fray has been sparse. I, therefore, am unaware of my competition. All I hold on to is a strong belief in myself and my destiny. I wait, anxious and silent, for what lies ahead.

I distinctly remember the sepia tinged evenings, when I would return home after the day's work, with drooping shoulders and a searing headache to match, and in spite of it all, I would push and cajole myself, to somehow snatch those ever so elusive three hours from the jaws of the evening that would otherwise vanish into the quicksands of time, almost brutally so. Those three hours have made all the difference. I'll never question their strength or sanctity; I'll never doubt if they were good enough to get me a good rank. All I know is that I gave it everything I had during those three hours.

As the result approaches, I continue to read books that have nothing to do with this exam, I continue to try my hand at calligraphy, aware of, yet unmoved by the renewed efforts of other candidates for the next cycle. I'll probably never live those three hours again, irrespective of what future holds for me.

My Civil Services Personality Test - 22/03/2012

It was PK Mishra Sir's Board.

My background - B.Tech, Mechanical Engineering, M.Tech - Thermal Energy and Environmental Engineering

Currently working as a Scientist in Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. 
The interview lasted for about half an hour. The board was extremely cordial and supportive. Here is a brief description. (I've only detailed the shorter answers that I remember with reasonable accuracy. It would neither be desirable nor useful to reproduce the answers given extempore, as there would be a significant room for bias to set in.) 

PKM - What is your name?

Sir, my name is Kshitij Tyagi

PKM - You are from Delhi?

Yes Sir

(PKM - sifting through the pages of my summary sheet, talking to himself…Delhi…..IIT….Kharagpur…..stops at my job description) Oh you are a scientist?

Yes Sir 

PKM - Ok tell me, What is Bernoulli's Theorem?

I fumbled a bit but in the end the words started coming out smoothly – Sir, Bernoulli’s theorem uses conservation of kinetic, potential and pressure heads of energy across an airfoil/object placed in a fluid flow. Using this equation we can calculate the lift and drag experienced by the airfoil. This is one of the applications of BT.

PKM - Ok, so you mean it has to do with conservation of energy (duh!)

Yes Sir

PKM - Hmm, where are you currently working?

Sir, I am working in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (board members looked surprised at the fact that an entire Ministry by that name existed :D)

PKM - Ok Kshitij, so what is "new" in new and renewable energy?

 Sir, the word new is used to differentiate it from traditional renewable energy which also has hydropower plants above 25 MW in its ambit. We on the other hand deal with hydropower projects below 25 MW and other sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind, etc.

(PKM repeats what I said…..thoughtfully….while his gaze is transfixed at me….)

PKM - What are the different parliamentary committees?

A minute of extempore – there are so many of them…named some standing committees….DRSCs….ad-hoc committees…..named a few and PKM himself pitched in with a few before I could finish

PKM - What are the different ways in which parliament can hold the executive responsible?

I talked about starred and unstarred questions, responsibility of Ministers…..in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t recall other methods and said so to the Chair…. He said there are other methods as well like adjournment motion ….etc. etc……I thanked him.

PKM - What is "cut motion"?

I talked about the three types of cut motions. They however were convinced that there are only two kinds of cut motions. PKM confirmed it with M1 and she nodded. I thanked them for correcting me (though I knew I was right)

M1 (who had an accent of a Londoner, with the proverbial tight upper lip of the british)- What is traditional medicine and what policy steps do you envisage so as to promote and strengthen this sector?

2 minutes of extempore – talked about AYUSH, TKDL, IPR related issues, accessibility, etc.

M1 - How can traditional medicine be of economic importance?

Talked about medical tourism and exports. M1 looked satisfied.

M1 - IP related issues with traditional medicine? What do you propose?

Talked about recent moves by India to preempt moves by foreign entities to get patents on certain traditional cures – gave example of the attempt by a company to patent the use of turmeric in curing vitiligo which we’ve known through ayurveda for ages. I concluded by saying that a policy architecture to enable such protection should be established….

M2 - Why has solar energy not picked up in India and Africa in all these years?

This was my territory – talked about the challenges we faced before National solar mission was initiated and how these challenges are universal when it comes to solar power (PKM nodded and repeated what I was saying), and how we’re now progressing exceedingly well after having overcome them. I concluded by saying that the future for solar is very bright (M2 smiled. I am sure he got the pun J)

M2 - What is the money required for setting up solar plants?

Answered

M2 - What is the area requirement for setting up solar plants?

Answered

M2 – What do you know about airline cess of EU?

Answered

M2 - what do you know about BRICS ?

Answered.

M2 - When and where is the BRICS summit scheduled to be held?

Answered.

At this juncture, PKM asked M3 to begin.

M3 - What interdependence do you see in the process of automobile and textile industry?

The question wasn’t framed properly and hence my answer wasn’t in line with what she wanted. PKM elaborated it but what they were looking for was sequential and parallel interdependence. I wasn’t able to crack this one since I am not very familiar with the working of textile industry. I thanked M3 for this information, after she described both the terms.

M3 - What do you understand by culture?

Answered (sociology qn.)

M3 - what is wider culture?

Sorry ma’am I do not know the answer. She explained it to me and I thanked her. (At this juncture I was a bit tense since I hadn’t answered two of her questions, and though I had been smiling all along, she looked like she meant business J )

M3 - What do you know about M.N. Srinivas?

Answered

M3 - What do you understand by westernization and sanskritization?

Answered

M4 - Which states have a high wind power potential?

My territory again

M4 - What are the problems faced while connecting wind power to grid?

Answered

M4 - Why are solar pumps not being used for pumping underground water in rural areas?

I had quite a discussion with him on this. He wanted to prove a point about solar pumps having not made sufficient inroads in rural areas. I sensed this and yielded, more so because I wasn’t too sure. Both of us smiled.

M4 - What is fuel cell technology? What are the by products?

Answered

M4 - What are the efficiencies of solar plants and how do you envisage the future scenario to be?

My territory again

PKM – Ok Kshitij, I’ll ask you one last question. It is a situational question - there is a sincere and erudite CEO who is very hard working but is unable to avoid the failure of the company. There is a cunning CEO who is corrupt and practical and brings success for the company and himself. The first is fired and second is rewarded - Do you agree with the management's decision? What would you do?

Sir, I am of the opinion that the management made a very shortsighted…a very myopic move by firing the first CEO. A business based on strong foundations is resilient and successful in the long term. I gave the example of Steve Jobs getting fired from Apple, going on to PIXAR and then coming back to Apple to take it to the zenith (PKM gave the best nod and smile of the interview at this juncture). I continued – a business based on skewed foundations never lasts.

PKM (interrupting me)– so what would you do with the second CEO?

Sir, I would constitute and inquiry and if he is found guilty, I’d fire him.

PKM - Thank you Kshitij, your interview is over.

Thank you Sir.