• India
  • May 17
  • Remya Roshni

Free exchange of ideas is what matters

We often come across stories of honest civil servants who refuse to yield to political pressure. The district collector demolishing illegal constructions belonging to corrupt politicians is a scene worth appreciating in movies as well as in real life. Any civil servant who has to face political opposition is considered a role model.

So, when it comes to preparing for the Civil Services interview, this trait of honesty is important, right? One should uphold one’s opinion and take a clear stand during a personality test. But interestingly, many candidates find it difficult to do the same.

Recently, one candidate kept on asking us about which stand to take. He repeated this with every current issue. This happens mainly because people believe that there are right and wrong answers for every question asked in a personality test, even if it is opinion based. They think that even though they are being asked for their opinion, one should answer as per the expectation of the board member who asked the question in order to get good marks. So, they are in search of that perfect point of view that will fetch laurels.

Candidates even do elaborate background checks of UPSC members to find out their opinions. Some people believe that since civil servants are part of government, one should not criticise the government during a personality test. They always go for the pro-government stand in any issue.

I would like to add that there are a precious few aspirants who are exactly the opposite. They are the ones who take the above given picture of an upright officer a bit too seriously. They believe that if one agrees with a viewpoint stated by the interview board member, one will be perceived as someone who does not have an opinion of one’s own. So, they beg to differ with the interview board just for the sake of it.

The whole idea is to project an image of a person with original ideas. Some actually lose their cool during the personality test.

Once I asked a chemistry graduate to name the most useful chemical product, according to him. “Narcotic drugs,” he replied. When I suggested that why not something positive, he sarcastically retorted that in that case he may say “soap or paste”. The tone was too arrogant to be acceptable in a formal conversation.

In another situation, a very senior officer was asking about political developments and the candidate was having difficulty in answering the deep analytical questions. Instead of admitting her ignorance, she ended up saying: “What is the point of answering if you keep on asking counter questions?” The officer maintained his composure in spite of this and advised her to go and brush up the basics.

Once a student told me that he actually heard shouting inside the interview room while waiting for his turn.

Most of the people are nervous during the personality test and don’t want to make any mistakes. The academic system which emphasises on copybook answers makes them think about correct answers all the time. Many coaching institutes also capitalise on this anxiety by feeding them rumours about the process. They provide readymade answers to all possible questions too.

The dynamic process of personality test focus on one’s grasp of things as well as presentation skills. In any issue where a difference of opinion exists, one can opt for any of those with the support of facts. If one opts for an opinion that generally gels with one’s larger viewpoints, it will be easy to tackle counter questions. One can agree or disagree with the arguments put forward by the board members as per the situation without any preconceived notion. This free exchange of ideas with a clear stand is what matters in a personality test.

The interview board is there to help you cross the last obstacle. The board members are not cross-examining you and you don’t need to argue your case. Instead, have a lively conversation with proper give-and-take so that the experience is both enriching and rewarding.

(Remya Roshni is a former IPS officer and a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal)

This article originally appeared on OnManorama.

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