1.

CONFIDENCE :
– Nobody is born confident. Everybody is born crying.
– A Reasonable confidence level needs to be maintained. Like an ECG of a living Person,
Confidence level during an interview should fluctuate within a permissible range.
-Confidence is a result of competence and motivated and sustained unidirectional efforts.
You have already proven your competence so far.
-Consistent practice makes it very easy to maintain, strengthen and nourish Confidence.
– Consistent Practice, improved performance and positive feed back by others enhances your
self-esteem, self satisfaction or self conviction.
– Self Satisfaction or Self Esteem is the most important part. Value and respect yourself
constantly and regularly. Your Weaknesses only glorify and compliment your strengths. Like
Roti main Namak. A little salt in Roti makes it tastier.
– Just set the Divine cycle in motion: Consistent Practice→ improved performance →
positive feed back by others→ self satisfaction→ self Esteem.
– Erect posture, eye contact, nodding and Smile boosts confidence.
2. COOLNESS :
– It means refined confidence. Being Calm And Composed. Not being casual or passive or
dull. A balanced and alert mind without inner stress or over-excitement.
– wearing a Smile instantly relaxes all facial muscles. Make a curve that makes many things
straight. Second best use of lips.
– Set a two-way Divine cycle into motion :
1. Confidence, coolness, charm and cheer boosts a smile.
2. A Smile boosts confidence, coolness, charm and cheer.
– best display of Coolness is LISTENING with patience and interest. Listening with a view
to learning and understanding. Do not listen just to speak. Gently nodding affirmatively
while listening displays coolness, interest and positivity.
– Listen and think well before speaking.
– Be open to correction and thereby refine your performance.
– Trust yourself in the discomfortable moments.
– Accept discomfort in the moment even if you do not like it.
– Let go: When stressed, do not fight or react to temporary stress but just be aware. See the
occasional feelings of anxiety or stress as a momentary part till it passes. Realize it as
momentary reality but not as an absolute truth or an incurable personal defect.
– miraculous improvement possible with a little regular practice.
3. COMMON SENSE :
– Everyone has Ability to walk. One who uses it by a daily morning walk gets fitness.
Common sense is common to all. But it is a highly under-utilised asset. Need to use this
ability regularly.
– For a Candidate qualified for interview, big words like mental alertness, rationality,
assimilative skills, clear and logical disposition simply mean pure common sense.
– An Example. There are three monkeys on a tree branch. One decides to jump. How many
monkeys are left on that tree branch?
Answer is not two but three. A monkey has decided to jump but has not actually jumped.
– Components of common sense answers :
– answer lies in the question itself.
– sense of humour.
– positive response to negative question.
– creative thinking
– unusual answer supported by logic.
– Regular Practices improve habit of using common sense optimally.
– A simple but impressive common sense answer is possible to most of the apparently
confusing questions.
4. COMMUNICATION PRACTICE :
– Interview involves a balance between four processes : Presence, Listening, Thinking and
Speaking.
– 1. Listening with Patience, interest, smile and gentle affirmative noddings displays
calmness, confidence, positivity and humility instantly. Mere proper listening practice = 70%
of communication.
– 2. Presence: Nonverbal Communication or Body Language. There is direct Cyclical
connection between Body Language and 5C+2H.
– 3. Thinking: A little thinking before verbally responding is calmness. Interview Panel likes
it. It also improves Verbal Communication.
– 4. Speaking well has following components :
– Listening with interest. Ask/clarify/confirm if not clear about question. Think and then
communicate. Maintain eye contact when speaking and listening.
– Value yourself and your opinions. They are as important as anyone else’s.
– Quality: Do not worry. Thankfully, more than ornamental Language or oratory, it is clarity
that impresses the Board.
– Choice of Language : Two Different Languages called formal and informal. Everybody
knows the difference. We have a practice of speaking an Informal Spoken Language
containing casual words, slangs and short forms and so on in daily life. So it has become a
Practiced habit. So you often speak informal or colloquial language during the interview.
You need Conscious and consistent practice of speaking Formal and Polite Language to
avoid such mistakes.
– Medium for Interview. Out of Hindi and English, choose one which you feel more
comfortable speaking and listening. English has no extra weightage as a medium. If you are
not comfortable with both, then only go for your Regional Language. In that case, an
interpreter sits in the Panel.
– Need polite language. E.g. ‘Please let me clarify.’ Is better than ‘you did not get me.’ Or ‘I
will tell you.’
– Smile adds to Confidence, politeness, charm and spoken language.
5. CHARM & CHEER :
– Smile more often.
– Happiness and optimism are matters of choice. Choose to be happy and optimistic.
– Cherish habits/qualities like enthusiasm, interest in listening, child like curiosity and sense
of humour within you. Appreciate and complement people with those qualities.
– Charm is infectious.
– Be full of interest and curiosity to understand and learn.
– Express gratitude when corrected or advised or even when criticised.
-Respond with optimism and positivity even to pessimistic or cynical
remarks/question/stimulus.
6. HONESTY :
– Besides a mental trait, use Honesty as The Best Policy to your benefit. Remember
childhood storey of an honest wood cutter who gets back his axe along with rewards of
golden and silver axes? Moral of the storey is more relevant for the UPSC Interview.
– Be yourself. Do not ape anyone. Present the best but actual version of yourself. Do not
lie/bluff.
– Nobody is expected to be a know-all. Frankly Say ‘I do not know’ or ‘I cannot recall now’
with a smile any time during the interview. It is honesty and it helps. It protects your
confidence and self value. Surprisingly, you get marks for confidently and honestly saying it.
On the other hand, giving some vague, wrong or irrelevant reply is fatal. You lose confidence
and self value and get negative marks.
– Use Honesty along with common sense and confidence.
Reply following question right now :
‘What is the sex ratio of your Home state? Reply assuming that you do not know the exact
sex ratio.
Did you say “I do not Know” as an honest answer? Now think using your common sense
about a more honest answer. E.g. “I do not Know the exact figure but the ratio is adverse to
Female in my state. However, it is less adverse than All India Figure and not as alarming as x
and y states.”
– Integrity means the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. ‘intellectual
and moral integrity’ means no compromise on moral integrity. But help of intellect needed.
Means moral integrity coupled with Common Sense so that Integrity helps you but does not
harm you.
7. HUMILITY :
– Smile instantly reflects humility.
– Self Correction : admitting any mistakes/errors/omissions at the earliest moment with a
Smile relieves your uneasiness and maintains your calmness and confidence.
– smile with openness and gratitude when corrected or advised or even when criticized.
– It is curiosity to learn what ‘I should have learnt’ but ‘I could not’.
– Humility is egoless confidence. Its equation:
Humility = (Confidence + Calmness) – (Ego & Over-excitement)
-1st Law of humility: criticism = helpful suggestion.
-2nd Law: Respect a person having a contradictory view while firmly expressing your own
view.
– Show faith in yourself and respect to others.
Let us shortly call above seven traits ‘5C+2H’ and understand and appreciate, through two
Analogies, how these seven traits i.e. 5C+2H help you immensely :
1. A lovely helpful family : Mr. Confidence and Mrs. Calmness are happily married.
Excellence is born out of the above wedlock, having two elder brothers named Mr.
Charm-cheer and Mr. Common Sense and three elder sisters named Ms. Honesty,
Humility and Language. This is a lovely cohesive family of 7. They help each other a lot,
individually and collectively and in multiple ways.
 2. Agriculture and Law of Harvest : An Agriculturist struggles through a series of timely
and regular laborious acts like getting quality seeds, planting and watering, protecting
them from pests and insects and so on. Thankfully, you have already done it and have
done it exceptionally well. Qualifying for the interview means the Plants are well grown
and well nourished. No more toil now. Harvest Time (interview) is nearing.
A proverb says: ‘what you sow so shall you reap. But The Law of Harvest: you reap much
more than what you sowed and nourished till now. So celebrate the Harvesting climax
after years of toil. Just a little more nourishment and protection of plants and you will reap a
harvest much richer than imagined.
SMILE is a common component of all the 5 C.s and 2 H.s : Smile is a habit, a positive
body language, a quality. All-in-one. Instantly nourishes and refines 5C+2H. Smile alone can
boost your interview marks beyond imagination.
BEST : Best, Enjoyable, Simulative Techniques :
Thankfully, each of these positive traits i.e. 5C+2H are accompanied by certain habits. So
you can nourish and strengthen 5C+2H and accompanying Habits. Let us do it on daily basis
through some Joyful useful, productive, interesting and easy games. Let us call them BEST
i.e. Best, Enjoyable, Simulative Techniques.

1. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
2. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build
it?
3. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in
the other hand, what would you have?
4. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
5. How can a man go eight days without sleep?
6. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
7. What looks like half apple ?
8. What can you never eat for breakfast ?
9. What happened when wheel was invented ?
10. Bay of Bengal is in which state?
11. Twin babies are born in May. Their Birthday is in June. Why?
Answers actually given by CSE, 2014 candidates:
1. Concrete floors are very hard to crack!
2. No time at all it is already built.
3. Very large hands.
4. It is not a problem, since you will never find an elephant with one hand.
5. No Probs , He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)
6. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)
7. The other half. (UPSC – IAS Topper)
8. Dinner.
9. It caused a revolution.
10. Liquid State.
11. May is the name of place of birth.
GAME OF FIVE: FIVE stands for Familiarization, Imagination & Visualisation
Experience.
Familiarize in advance with the Chairperson of Your Interview Panel.
As on 01-11-2015, UPSC is headed by Chairman, Shri Dipak Gupta and 10 Members.
Chairperson of your Interview Panel shall be one of the following 10 members :
1. Prof. David Syiemlieh : an educationist from the northeast. He has published a number
of books and papers on the history of the northeast. A graduate with history honours
from St.Edmund’s College, Shillong, and a Masters degree in History, MPhil and PhD
from the Hill University, Shillong. He taught undergraduates in St. Edmund’s College
before joining the Department of History, NEHU, in 1979. He rose in the profession to
become Professor in the Department of History.
He held numerous positions in the University, including Dean of Students’ Welfare; Head
Department of History; Controller of Examinations; Registrar and author of several books
and articles on the history of North East India.
2. Dr. (Mrs) P. Kilemsungla: She will retire in February, 2016 i.e. before the interview.
First Naga to be appointed as a Member of the UPSC. She has been awarded PadmaShri for
literature and education this year. She was a member of Nagaland Public Service
Commission (NPSC) till January 2013. She graduated from Lady Keane College, Shillong
and did her M.A (Education) from Guwahati University. She then did her Ph. D (Education)
from NEHU.
3. Mrs. Alka Sirohi : The Indian Administrative Service, 1974 Batch. A post graduate in
Western History, trained in management and issues related to sustainable development.
Retired Secretary, Department of Personnel and training.
4. Shri Chhatar Singh, : An IAS officer of Haryana cadre. Belongs to Dalit Community.
Held several key positions in the state government and retired in March, 2013 as the
Principal Secretary to C.M. of Haryana. Played a key role in executing various projects
of the state government of Haryana.

5. Shri Vinay Mittal : Former Railway Board chairman and 1975 batch retired Indian
Railway Traffic Service officer. Known as honest, soft-spoken and highly well-mannered.

6. Shri Manbir Singh : IFS of 1976 Batch. Former Secretary in Ministry of External
Affairs. Former Ambassador to some countries.

7. Shri D K Dewan : An NDA alumnus. Retired as Vice Admiral after 38 years of

service. Recipient of Param Vishishth Seva Medal (PVSM).

8. Prof Hem Chandra Gupta : Former Professor of IIT. Former Vice Chancellor of
Chaudhari Charansingh University, Meerut. Was Youngest Indian to be conferred PHD.
 9. Shri Arvind Saxena : First RAW officer appointed in UPSC. Formerly in-charge of
Aviation and Research Centre of external snooping agency RAW. After formation in
1983 of RAS service, all officers who were with Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
were given option of either going back to their service or joining the newly formed RAS
along with their seniority.

10. Shri Pradeep Kumar Joshi : A noted educationist. Former Chairman of

Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission from 2011 to 2015. Former Chairman of
Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission from 2006 to 2011.
(Former IAS officer Deepak Gupta is Chairman of UPSC since November 2014. He is the
first chairman of UPSC, appointed by breaking away from the tradition of appointing the top
post from the serving members of the Commission.)
Play The Game of FIVE : after above Familiarization comes an Imagination &
Visualization Experience.
Divide above 10 members in two groups of Five.
Collect photographs or Audio Visuals of above 10 members. See them often.
Part 1: Daily visualize one of them as if he/she is interviewing you personally. Visualise the
person in every detail and variety: impressed with your smile and confidence, motivating and
mentoring you, gently correcting your mistakes, occasionally grilling you and so on.
Visualize your best version interacting with him/her in every detail in an Audio-Visual Form.
Take one of them in 10 days.
PART 2 :
Repeat the game to Daily visualize Two of them in a pair interviewing you personally. Then
Three of them, Four and Five.
Visualise Yourself throughout the Game as the best version of yourself i.e. confident, calm,
charming and smiling person through out.
PART 3 :
Recall the sequence of that day’s CASPER Game. Creatively use any part of the sequence of
interaction. Creatively Re-visualize the sequence of that day’s actual Interview process with
yourself as an Interviewee as if performing before one or more of UPSC Board Members.
Visualize in every details like entry, listening, smiles, pauses, language, better answers etc.
GAME OF SAVE : SAVE stands for Systematic Advanced Visualisations of Enjoyment.
An Advanced Visualisation of Enjoyment is an audio-visual of any event logically following
your desired success where you see yourself actually enjoying sequence of events.
– E.g. 1. dancing/playing/singing/speaking at a seminar in LBSNAA,
2. enjoying trekking around LBSNAA,
3. celebrating a desired rank on the day of final Results by UPSC,
4. Speaking at a seminar of District Collectors… and so on.
– Visualisation of Enjoyment need to be as detailed, vivid and real as possible, involving
variety of voices and visions full of joy.
GAME OF CREAT : CREAT stands for Conscious Re-visualisation of Events,
Achievements and Thankfulness.
Recall, Revisualize, Enjoy and Cherish the actual events in an Audio-visual form. Like
parties after clearing Prelims or mains or other events and achievements in all details: fun
and enjoyment, compliments and appreciations received etc. It will give a regular booster
dose to your self esteem.
Recall and cherish the CAP Daily. CAP stands for Complements, Achievements & Positive
Feed Backs.
GAME OF RAAG : RAAG stands for Recalling, Achievements, Appreciations and
Gratitude. It is the next logical step after CREAT.
After Recalling and Cherishing the real Audio-visuals of events and achievements in all
details, feel grateful to the almighty or to those who helped or mentored you. Offer prayers of
Gratitude for all your strengths, qualities and achievements in every detail. It will give a
further regular booster dose to your self esteem.
GAME OF E & O E : To err is human. To err is to prove that we are alive and not dead.
Perfection is either an impossibility or a mirage, not a reality. So to expect and gracefully
accept own Errors and Omissions is wisdom and calmness. It helps you to improve. Daily
remind the words to your mind: ‘Errors and omissions expected.’
Like a Batsman failing to play a ball in Cricket, does not feel , ‘So nice’ about his
performance. But he cannot afford to feel ‘So sorry.’ He lets go and waits for an opportunity
in the next ball.
GAMES OF POLE & ROPE:
POLE stands for Personal Observations, Learnings and Experiences.
ROPE : stands for Recalling Observations and Personal Experiences.
Imagine when you say: ‘the morning Sun appears in the East.’ If someone contradicts you 10
times, will you agree? Why won’t you? Because you have personally observed, learnt and
experienced the Morning Sun in the East. That is the power of POLE. It makes you confident
and assertive without loosing calmness and humility. Observations are actual Visuals or
Audio-visuals. Think and connect your observations with important issues or topics and
enrich yourself with learnings and experiences full of your own conviction. Use them to your
advantage in the interview.
Game Of Daily Affirmations & Oaths :
A lot has been said about the Power Of Spoken Words. Your words and thoughts program
your mind like commands and scripts program a computer.
Repeated spoken statements in the form of ‘I am’ or ‘I do’ or ‘I have’ are affirmations.
Repeated spoken statements in the form of ‘I will’ are oaths. They program your
subconscious as per your will. This process is similar to the way creative visualization works.
You need to have focus, faith, passion and feelings in the self-spoken words.
Play Daily :
– Speak up one affirmation and oath aloud before a mirror in the form of ‘I am/have/do and
so I will…’. E.g. ‘ I have the ability to speak formal language needed for interview. So I will
speak only formal language for three days even while talking to family or child or a house
maid’
– Repeat it often and daily for three days before a mirror/person with focus, passion and faith
in the self-spoken words.
– Repeat it twice and daily for three days just before falling asleep in the night and before
getting up from bed – the time when you are in Alfa stage. This helps to positively program
your conscious and subconscious minds.
– Execute each Affirmation and Oath for three days in your Routine Daily human
Interactions with family, friends and others. Execute it as if you are an interview candidate.
Experience the benefits at the end of third day. Trust me. With almost zero time investment,
you will reap a rich harvest. Execute earnestly.
– Execute, review and Experience its impact for three days.
– 4th day : ‘ I am a good listener. So I will listen to all including children and servants for
three days. So I will Listen to them with nodding, patience, interest and smile.’
– Repeat daily for three days before a mirror/person.
– Execute, experience and review for three days.
– Take by rotation, one of the following for three days :
– mentally appreciate and verbally complement one and all for any positive quality (5C+2H)
– politely respond by words and body language and smile to one and all including house
maids
– calmly and positively respond even to cynics
– I am charming. smile more frequently to one and all
– I am calm. Will use LATE Technique in all conversations.
Frame your own Affirmations and Oaths in your own words. Repeat above cycle. Take
strictly one Affirmation & Oath at a time to experience its positive result clearly.
Game of Being a Better Listener : Children are the best listeners. Interact with them and
observe their interest, charm, inquisitiveness, smile and nodding. Mentally appreciate them
and verbally complement them for such qualities whenever you interact with them. Even
some adults are childlike having those qualities. So do it when you interact with them also.
You will automatically imbibe their qualities in you.
Game Of FAME : FAME stands for Facing A Mirror Experience. Mirror can be used as
your best mentor. Profitably use your daily routines before a mirror like brushing, combing
hair, shaving etc. Whenever facing a mirror during your daily routines:
 smile often. strike different positive poses alongwith a smile.
E.g. Cricketer’s victory pose, superman’s pose etc.
 As discussed earlier, speak up one affirmation and oath aloud before a mirror in the form
of ‘I am/have/do and so I will…’.
 Make it a habit.
Game Of POPE : POPE stands for Personal Observation of Performance Experience. Sit in
front of a mirror. Actually perform as an interviewee and watch the actual interview in the
mirror in detail. Keep a set of questions on a paper ready. Read out questions and answer
them before a mirror. Alternatively, a friend asks questions and you answer them before a
mirror. Record it. Re-play the Video. Watch it for a self-feedback.
Instant Coolers & Stress Bursters:
1. Belly Breathing:
Whenever you feel low or stressed during an interview, Belly Breathing for a minute is
very helpful. Sit erect but comfortably. Do a deep and rhythmic breathing for a minute in
three steps :
1. breathing-In deeply till the belly fully expands;
2. holding the breath till you comfortably can; and
iii. breathing-Out slowly till the chest’s contraction followed by belly’s fullest contraction.
This will instantly calm down your mind.
You may add imagination to it. While Breathing in, imagine that Confidence and composer
are being inhaled with fresh air and While Breathing out, imagine that Stress is being
exhaled.
Practice it as a routine so that you do not forget to use it during the interview.
2. Mind The LAW: LAW stands for Learning, Accepting & Witnessing. Whenever you
feel low or stressed during an interview:
 Learn: Just observe the physical symptoms. Be aware of sensations in your body that you
are experiencing like shallow breath, raised heart beats, tightness, sweating, tingling and
so on. This will break the chain of mental or emotional reactions.
 Accept: accept them as a law of nature. Accept it as purely momentary bodily symptoms
with a calm mind.
 Witness: just witness them as clouds passing fast. Witness the natural law. You will
quickly regain your calmness and confidence. Simply witnessing will break the chain of
mental fighting or reacting to temporary stress. Mental fighting and reacting prolongs
your otherwise momentary stress. Just be aware of bodily sensations. Let them pass. You
will soon realize that any stress is a momentary reality but not an absolute truth or an
incurable defect.
Do what you enjoy: spend at least 30 minutes daily to please yourself by following your
passion or hobby.
Physical Part: Do not ignore your health. Eat healthy. Sleep well. Avoid over-eating or
over-sleeping. Follow a daily routine of some physical exercises or morning walks. Such
habits nourish your mental qualities and physical fitness.
Managing last 10 minutes: Last ten minutes of waiting outside the Interview Room are
crucial. Many candidates experience sudden blankness, numbness, nervousness or stress
during ten minutes immediately preceding the actual interview. So decide how you will
manage those ten minutes. Do what comforts and pleases you the most.
 first attend to natural calls. Visit toilet. Face a mirror etc.
 while sitting and waiting, do what you enjoy like singing, reading, positive creative
visualizations about interview etc.
 if nothing at all pleases you or if feeling uneasy, do Belly Breathing and Play the game
of LAW Of Mindfulness.