TOPERS STORY – MY UPSC INTERVIEW
My Advice To The Future Aspirants Is To
Have Targeted Approach, Work Hard
With Dedication And Patience
- Patel Rajendrakumar Mahendrabhai, IAS Topper2015 (70th Rank)
Patel R. Mahendrabhai: Hello, good morning Sir; good morning Ma’m; good morning Sirs.
All : Good morning.
Chairperson : Please be seated.
Patel R. Mahendrabhai: Thank you Sir.
Chairperson : So you are a dentist (hmm). Good. Then why do want to become an IAS ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : (I clarified that I wanted to give my interview in Hindi, though I had mentioned in the DAF Form the medium Gujarati. Chairperson granted my request).
Sir, IAS gives me the platform where I can work for poor and needy people, I can work at grass-roots level and can give my best in the service of nation and society.
Chairperson ; Being a doctor, you can also work for poor and needy people and thus serve the society. Can’t you ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai: Yes Sir, you are right, but being a dentist my field becomes narrow, e.g. only in health sector particularly in dental segment only and my working area also will be restricted. Being an IAS I can work in all the fields and in a larger area.
Chairperson : OK, OK. You are working in Rajkot district, so tell me the main problem of Rajkot district.
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, water scarcity is.the major problem for Rajkot, both of drinking water and agriculture irrigation.
Chairperson : So, if you are the D.M. of Rajkot, then what will you do for this problem ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, firstly I will focus on drinking water’ supply; wherever urgently needed I will supply through water tankers. ItT other areas, I will implement the’ government water supply scheme faster with personal interest, i.e. under Narmada Yojana pipeline programme. Thus I will ensure
every person of my district that he will get safe drinking water at his doorstep regularly.
For Irrigation I will take personal interest and get faster implementation of Narmada Yojana so that the farmers of my district can get water for irrigation as early as possible. At the same time, I would like to suggest them microirrigation technique to save, water.
Chairperson ; OK, tell me the various types of irrigation.
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir
1) Flood irrigation
2) Drip irrigation
3) Sprinkle irrigation.
Chairperson : When will you use drip
irrigation and sprinkle irrigation ?
Nowadays, the nature
of the questions asked
has changed, hence the
bookish knowledge is
not enough. CSR covers
all the aspects (in detail)
of current affairs which
help in all the sections
of General Studies. So it
is extremely helpful.
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, when there are small or medium-size crops in which plants are numerous and placed closely then I will use sprinkle irrigation and for medium to large-size crop in which plants are kept at .fixed distance, I will use drip irrigation.
Chairperson : So, the farmers of your district are using this technique or not ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Very few farmers are using this technique.
Chairperson : Why ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Though this technique saves water and is very useful for crops as well as soil, all farmers cannot use this technique for a few reasons :
★ High cost that requires huge investment
★ Special knowledge (technical)
★ High maintenance cost.
So poor and illiterate farmers cannot use it properly.
Chairperson : Which are the crops that are grown in your district ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Cotton (mostly BT cotton), Groundnut, Wheat, Jawar, Castor, etc.
Chairperson : OK (seems happy).
Member 1 : OK, Mr. Rajendra Patel. It is said that China is using anti-India strategy By strings of pearls theory, by helping Pakistan, through silk routes, etc. So, what do you think India should do, counter China or co-operate with China ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai: Sir, I think the major problem with Indo-China relation is trust deficit. So I think that India should make efforts to reduce this trust deficit. India should co-operate with China, establish close relationship, avoid any misunderstanding, reducing conflict at borders. In my opinion, countering China should be the last option.
Member 1 : OK, what are the major issues between India and Sri Lanka ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, after Eelam War, the rehabilitation of Tamils, devolution of powers to Tamil provinces, 13th Amendment are the major issues where India wants Sri Lanka to implement 13 th Amendment and give Tamil people more autonomy and scope for development.
Another major issue between India and Sri Lanka is in relation to fishermen.
The fishermen of both countries enter each other’s territory for more marine resources and are caught by both countries’ marine police. The conflict between marine police and fishermen has become a major issue between India and Sri Lanka.
Member 1 : OK, nowadays in the media, there are some news regarding hundreds of migrants coming to Indonesia and Malaysia. What do you know about those migrants ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, I do not know in detail, but I think they are Rohingyas of Myanmar.
Member 1 : Who are Rohingyas ? What are their problems ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, Rohingyas are Muslims (minority) of Myantnar who basically came from Bangladesh. So majority Buddhists of Myanmar did not give citizenship to them and still harass them. They do not get any right or facility provided by the’ government, so they are migrating to other countries.
(Chairperson directed the other member to ask questions.)
Member 2 (Lady)
Mr. Rajendrakumar. You are from Gujarat and Gujarat is famous for co-operative movement. Do you know which is the major co-operative movement of Gujarat which became famous all over the world for which we can take pride ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Yes Ma’m. It is AMUL Milk Co-operative movement.
Member 2 : So why AMUL Cooperative movement became so successful ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai: Ma’m, first of all, the management of AMUL is divided into two parts. The policymaking and decision-making are done by elected representatives of farmers. So they can make decisions which are beneficial to farmers; then, the implementation and execution part is done by experts, so AMUL can compete in the market successfully. The profit mostly around 70%-80% is given to farmers. AMUL movement started in those areas where surplus milk could be easily available. These are few reasons that I think make AMUL so successful in the world.
Member 2 : Which are the other sectors where co-operative movements have taken place ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Fertiliser sector—IFFCO
Banking Sector—District Co-operative Banks
Sugar Sector, etc.
Member 2 : OK, you have mentioned cricket as your hobby, right ? Then
IPL-8 has been over just recently. In that IPL context, tell me the recent steps which have been taken to promote other games in India ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai: Yes Ma’m. From last year, some other games like badminton, hockey, football, kabaddi, etc. had also started League matches just like IPL formats.
Member 2 : So, do you think that this initiative works for these games also ? Why ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Yes Ma’m. Definitely. I am very confident about these league format games that will surely become popular. In this type of format, first of all city-base approach has been taken. So all the teams will be known after that city name that will attach people emotionally to that team. Secondly, this league format invites franchises to buy the team that will ensure commercialisation of these games that will ensure enough funds to promote games. Professionalism will be improved, proper advertisement and telecast can be done, so by this way, other games will also become popular just like cricket.
Member 3 : Mr. Rajendra, our Prime Minister is promoting “Make In India” everywhere nowadays and on the other hand, he also tries to bring FDI in India. So, don’t you think that FDI will harm our “Make In India” initiative ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : No Sir, I beg to differ with you in this regard. I think that FDI will boost “Make In India” initiative. If FDI comes to India, then it will establish manufacturing units in India, that will generate more employment, boost our GDP, fulfil our capital requirement and most importantly the clause of 30% compulsory purchasing from local MSME will also boost our small industries. So overall, I think that FDI will promote our Make In India initiative.
Member 3 : Recently, our inflation rate has come down sharply, so what do you think about its reasons ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, I think there are multiple factors that bring the inflation down. First of all, global crude oil price cut that makes petrol-diesel cheaper in India so manufacturing cost comes down. That also reduces our CAD which in turn also helps in reducing inflation. Our RBI’s recent steps also help in reducing inflation. Global economic slowdown help to reduce our inflation as well.
Member 3 : You have recently mentioned about Myanmar and Bangladesh, so which Indian States border these countries ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, for Myanmar from north to south direction, first Arunachal Pradesh, then Nagaland, then Manipur and in the south Mizoram.
For Bangladesh on the west side— West Bengal in the north, Gorkhaland of West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya on the east side, Tripura & Assam and on the south-east side Mizoram.
Member 3 : OK (Chairperson directed other member to ask questions. I think he was very hungry ….)
Member 4 : Why farmers across India are committing suicide P
Patel R. Mahendrabhai : Sir, medium and small farmers are committing suicide who had been trapped into debt cycle. Nowadays in agriculture, input cost becomes higher and remuneration becomes lower in addition to global warming’s harmful effects on agriculture. Big farmers grab government subsidies and other advantage, so small to medium-sized farmers have to suffer so they are caught into debt cycle and are finally committing suicide. •>
Member 4 : Why Gujarat is showing approx. 10% growth in agriculture sector while India’s growth in agriculture is hard to reach 4% only ?
Patel R. Mahendrabhai: Sir, Gujarat is semi-arid region and mostly rain-fed agriculture had been practised earlier, for few years. Narmada Project had increased State irrigation area that raised single-crop cultivation to 2 to 3 crops’ cultivation per year. In addition to that, better seeds, fertilisers’ availability enhance productivity. The State government’s efforts like soil-health card initiative, krishi-rath, etc. make the State’s farmers aware of agriculture details. So I think since last decade, Gujarat has reached 10% growth in agriculture sector.
Chairperson : Thank you
Mr. Rajendra Patel, your Interview is over here. You may leave now. (Seems satisfied with my answers.)