Before proceeding, I need to mention that my interview experience is limited -- whatever prescription or suggestion follows must be recalibrated to suit an individual's personal needs and situation, and this is at best a complement to the extensive feedback an aspirant will receive from his/her mock interviews.
While there is a certain degree of subjectivity in the evaluation process, bolstering the fundamental aspects of the preparatory process will diminish the arbitrage between various boards.
To that end, it becomes necessary to reiterate the hackneyed recommendation to "prepare your DAF thoroughly". Specifically, apropos your home state ( and your city/town/village ), to gain an edge over your fellow aspirants, one wouldn't go amiss in acquiring granular knowledge of local issues. For instance, in addition to acquiring knowledge on the general state of economy or industry in your place of domicile, being seized of the state of the cooperative sector ( along with case-studies of one or two specific cooperatives ), and complementing an answer with this titbit, will be helpful in establishing yourself as a detail-oriented person who takes an intelligent interest in their milieu.
This feeds into a larger point on data: substantiating your answers with constitutional provisions, case-laws, statistics, etc., leaves the impression of a bureaucrat/ policy-maker, as opposed to a philosopher. Also, it helps you out of a tough spot. In the UPSC interview, I was asked how India might bridge the gap in critical technologies; whilst I was open in admitting "that I was not entirely sure", I did follow it up with a suggestion that India's present spending on R&D ( 0.65% of GDP ) needs to be increased to at least 2-3% -- contrast this answer with "we need to increase funding".
Maintaining organized notes for your interview -- while of course not necessary -- assists one in periodically revising the supplementary statistics that help you stand out.
A lack of specificity, i.e., an excess of padding will hurt your score. In my first mock interview -- at JHRCA incidentally -- I was advised to be brief and precise. My lengthy answers were borderline tiresome, and this honest feedback helped me course-correct.
Whilst the preceding prescriptions repeatedly emphasise precision, it must not be at the cost of natural speech: do not sound like a robot, weave in your data as part of the answer.
Perhaps an important instantaneous choice in the interview is the decision vis-a-vis questions on which you have partial knowledge. It is important you preface any answer on the same with an acknowledgement to the panel that you are not entirely certain, followed up by your thoughts on the matter.
You can always choose to respond honestly, i.e., admit you don't know -- such an admission costs you no marks. Do bear in mind however that you should never bluff; it's fine if you inadvertently did so in the mock interviews, but control any such impulse in the main interview.
Interview preparation also involves a cursory review of your static portion notes. Do not spend much time on this, as you would have covered the same comprehensively during your mains preparation.
Current affairs on the other hand -- especially those items in the news -- must be prepared thoroughly: analyse the issue before arriving at an editorial statement. Polish this editorial statement ( as it is only this that you will present to the panel), practise it multiple times, conveying a sense of balance ( due weightage to all sides of an issue ) and an administrator/policy maker's perspective.
Most of us will be hard-pressed to find time to cover our graduation subjects. It is advisable to cover the same from compilations of probable questions published by various coaching institutes -- for engineers, there is no dearth of such material.
Your optional subject, on the other hand, requires your full devotion but only the basics. Focus on the topical issues and be thorough with "mainstream" thinkers, theories, and terms. It is recommended not to invest your time in relatively unknown ( to the general public ) and obscure concepts.
The same applies to your hobbies. Be thorough but restrict yourselves to mainstream topics of interest: know about the important prizes, exponents, institutions, etc., of your hobby, but avoid those relatively obscure areas. Also, ask yourself how your hobby is likely to be of utility to a public servant -- if nothing apparent emerges, focus on the intangible benefits, i.e., communication, team-building, etc. In addition, do look at prospective case studies. For instance, if your hobby is Bharatanatyam, a possible question could be " if you are appointed the culture secretary, enumerate the steps you would take to promote said performing art".
Many coaching centres provide customized questionnaires based on your DAF -- generally, free of cost. These are very helpful in plugging gaps in your preparation; multiple eyes on an issue is always a good thing.
For questions which are in your estimation bound to be asked or those that have been a constant in your mock interviews, prepare model answers, practise them in front of a mirror or better still, have a friend give you feedback. This also applies to certain "uncomfortable" questions -- only you know what they are.
Controversial questions require level-headed dispassionate answers. When they involve vulnerable or marginalized sections of society, your answers must also communicate empathy. While there are different approaches to this category of questions, it is best to take the "constitutional stand". In other words, the constitution ( based on the prevailing judicial doctrines, not your interpretation ) and established administrative precedent are supposed to be your lodestar in dealing with these matters. Also take a balanced stand, initially, unless pressed. A balanced stand however does not mean an evasive position; it is one that communicates due weightage to both sides of an issue.
While the content of the answer is important, the tone, tenor, manner must also receive due attention. Appear democratic in your decision making ( use terms like consultative approach ) and empathetic in your handling of affairs ( address any person/group's vulnerabilities), display a sense of propriety ( use appropriate honorifics like " the honourable" supreme court) and cognizance of your role and limitations ( you are a civil servant, not a CM, accordingly prescribe solutions). Never appear arrogant; it is the surest way to doom your interview. Value the panellist's opinion on an issue, never dismiss it outright. Present contrary opinions respectfully. If your head -- not your emotions --steers the interview, the job's already half done. Use your heart to communicate empathy; don't let your passion on an issue rub a panellist the wrong way. Keep smiling throughout; display a positive attitude.
Also, maintain adequate eye contact: most of the time, with the questioner, but also with the other panellists. Needless to say, groom yourself properly. For male candidates, bear in mind coat etiquette as well, i.e., how many buttons need to be unbuttoned, removing the buttons before being seated, etc.
Finally, listen to what is unsaid in a question: the judicious handling of the subtext is one of the biggest determinants of your interview score. Know what aspect is exactly being tested/expected in that question, and answer accordingly.
Practice makes perfect. Attend mock interviews and make use of interview transcripts ( Telegram has many great groups for the same ).
In the end, be confident, and give it your best, leave to God, the rest. As the Gita puts it so well, "do your duty without expectations". And if you've done your best and the time is right, your reward will outstrip your expectations.
[Mohammad Javed broke the record by scoring 215 marks out of 275 in the Personality test/ Interview which is highest in the country amongst the selected candidates. He has secured 493 Rank in UPSC CSE 2020 exam.
JHRCA is proud of his accomplishment that may give inspirations to other JHRCA students.]