Invisible and unheard: India’s women manual scavengers

 In India, even today, many women continue to be engaged in one of the most inhuman and undignified forms of manual scavenging, which involves cleaning of insanitary dry latrines with bare hands, carrying the basket or bucket containing the human faeces on their head, and disposing of it, on a daily basis, despite the practice being forbidden by law. Due to the deep-rooted societal and systemic challenges these women face, most of them are unaware about their entitlements and rights, let alone have the voice to demand them. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, as the world commits to “Choose to Challenge”, it is critical to acknowledge the historical neglect and apathy these women have faced, understand their harsh realities, and prioritise action to support them.

Despite the existence of legal frameworks which strictly prohibit the practice of manual scavenging and mandate respectful and lawful rehabilitation of these workers, and the Karnataka High Court having noted this practice as “most inhuman” and violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21, it still continues in pockets across the country. When one thinks of “manual scavenging”, the image that usually comes to mind is of men risking their lives while cleaning sewer lines, toilet tanks and drains. However, most of us don’t realise that women, too, work as manual scavengers, and while they may not face an imminent risk of death like men, the daily humiliation, health hazards, and lifelong neglect they are subjected to are no less excruciating.

There’s a lack of clear government estimates of the number of women engaged in manual scavenging, owing to which we have limited understanding on the extent of women’s engagement in this practice as well as their socio-economic vulnerabilities. However, estimates by several organisations suggest that more than 75 per cent of manual scavengers are women.

Such woman are usually from Dalit caste groups including those referred to as Bhangi, Valmiki, Mahar, Mehtar. A considerable number of women have started to leave this work in recent years, as a result of increasing awareness, as well as due to the success of large-scale sanitation drives under the Swachh Bharat Mission. However, in absence of a viable alternative income source, they struggle for the basic necessities. The double burden of discrimination they experience — as women and as members of the most marginalised social groups — adds to their woes. The pandemic has heightened their distress. In the absence of dedicated institutional arrangements to support these women, the question of who would take the lead in ensuring their empowerment and rehabilitation remains unanswered.

India has several legal mandates, government programmes and institutional structures to support manual scavengers. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation (PEMSR) Act, 2013 and the subsequent orders by the Supreme Court of India mandate justice, rights and freedom for manual scavengers. Institutions such as the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation, state-level counterparts of these bodies, and district level authorities have been set up for the implementation of these. Furthermore, though there are programmes like the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), the budget utilisation is far less than the allocation, indicating implementation gaps. Many recent national-level policy initiatives have shown commitment to this cause, including a proposed inter-ministerial action plan for the elimination of manual scavenging. The Ministry of Urban and Housing Affairs’ programmes such as the Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU) and the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, and the Odisha government’s recent scheme “Garima” for the safety and dignity of core sanitation workers, are other recent examples.

However, in practice, most of the government schemes focus on improving the safety of sewer and septic tank cleaners. While the significance of these programmes cannot be denied, there is a lack of focus on women workers.

Moreover, systemic apathy towards such marginalised communities among the local administration has resulted in implementation gaps in the initiatives for identification and supporting women engaged in manual scavenging. For example, a 2018 baseline survey, undertaken under WaterAid India’s project aimed at strengthening the rule of law to advance rights and freedom of manual scavengers, identified close to a thousand such women who are currently or till recently were engaged in manual scavenging in just 36 urban locations across four states. However, the local administrations were not ready to accept that manual scavenging existed in their jurisdictions. As a result, most of these women struggled to even get enrolled under the government programmes. More recent field insights suggest that while the number of women currently working as manual scavengers have gone down due to Swachh Bharat Mission and similar initiatives, the majority of these women struggle to make ends meet and are yet to be recognised under the law, in order to access rehabilitation support and related entitlements, and take up alternative sources of livelihood.

In their hurried bid to declare cities and towns manual scavenging-free, many urban administrators seem to have reported the non-existence of the practice of manual scavenging, leaving many of these workers uncounted, which could have led to the inability or reluctance of the current administrators to formally enrol and support these women further. This might also explain the incomplete status of several enrolment surveys initiated so far, as well as the discrepancies in the available data. Among the few who do manage to get enrolled, a very small number of women are able to access their entitlements.

A series of stringent measures is required to ensure empathy and support to persons engaged in manual scavenging, with a conscious focus on women.

First, the guidelines for the SRMS need to be revised to include specific schemes, plans, targets, budgets and indicators for all categories of work that come under the definition of manual scavenging. This might be the only way of ensuring that women engaged in manual cleaning of insanitary dry latrines are prioritised and covered by such schemes.
Second, all the affidavits, declarations and submissions made in the past by various urban and district authorities, which claim that their area is free of manual scavenging, should be declared as null and void, and a fresh identification of specific categories which have been left out should be mandated, with specific instructions for including women currently/ previously engaged in manual cleaning of insanitary dry latrines. In addition, a special mandate must be given to the urban and district administration to organise camps that ensure the enrolment of all these women and their families under schemes for supporting manual scavengers, as well as under other programmes around health, education, nutrition, social welfare, employment/livelihoods among others. Incentives need to be provided to officials who accelerate the identification, enrolment and provision of benefits for persons, including women, engaged in manual scavenging. Punitive measures need to be introduced for cases wherein the officials fail to enrol them and provide the mandated benefits.

Third, coverage of women currently or previously engaged in manual scavenging should be ensured under the National Urban and Rural Livelihood Missions. Inclusion of these women can be specifically recommended under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission’s existing mandate which ensures that at least 10 per cent of the persons covered under the SHGs and other initiatives are the vulnerable urban poor.

Fourth, the enrolment of children of persons engaged in manual scavenging in schools, educational institutions and skilling programmes must be mandated, while also ensuring access to scholarship and other support measures. This would be essential to break the inter-generational cycle of inhuman work and oppression.

Finally, special financial incentives must be provided to households with insanitary dry latrines, wherever present, for conversion to sanitary latrines.

Acknowledging the existence and challenges of these manual scavengers, especially the women who continue to remain unseen and unrecognised, is a necessary first step towards ensuring that their rights are recognised and guaranteeing their freedom from this inhuman practice. Only by “Choosing to Challenge” this situation, can we support them in their quest towards justice, dignity, and sustainable alternative livelihoods.

VR Raman is a systems and policy expert who has worked on large-scale programmes and policies across India and multiple development sectors, with a focus on the most marginalised sections of society. Currently, he is head of policy, WaterAid India

Kanika Singh is the lead for sanitation policy initiatives at WaterAid India. She works on policy research and advocacy on issues around sanitation, with a focus on equity and inclusion

Source: Indian Express, 9/03/21

How Covid-19 can transform health care

 The pandemic disrupted life, livelihoods, education and health like little else in recent history.The pandemic disrupted life, livelihoods, education and health like little else in recent history. The world found innovations and adaptations to minimise some of the disruptions for some people, but not all. Health care disruptions, less amenable to home-based solutions, ranged across a very broad continuum — a shift in health-seeking behaviour, limitations in health infrastructure, difficulties in outreach to community members, lack of availability of human resources and interruptions in supply chains. Not all of these were limited to the context of the pandemic — some have pre-existed but got magnified in the context of the pandemic.

Covid-19 saw health care workers diverted to the much-needed task of preventing and dealing with infections, taking them away from their regular tasks, and thus, further reducing the availability of health care workers. Health care facilities were deployed for testing and treating patients, but this made them unavailable for regular services. Supply chains were disrupted due to lockdowns. When health facilities were functioning, citizens were either fearful or unable to travel to them or were unaware that facilities were functioning. All this led to significant disruption in the provision of essential health services such as routine immunisation, testing and treating tuberculosis (TB) patients, maternal and child health care and nutrition-related interventions.

But India is no stranger to innovation. A few months into the pandemic, there were a variety of interventions, which sought to address some of these barriers related to health human resources, demand for and access to services, and provision to the last mile. Innovations were found in at least four categories — leveraging technology, leveraging community platforms, strengthening frontline workers and augmenting supply chains.

Extensive interventions leveraged the digital platform such as remote counselling and consultation in several states; a child growth-monitoring app for remote monitoring of severely acute malnourished children in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh; an Interactive Voice Response System-based solution in Uttar Pradesh for reminder calls to the community about immunisation sessions; digital surveillance applications for front-line workers for TB and Covid-vulnerability assessment in states such as Gujarat, Kerala and Punjab for simultaneous TB and Covid assessment; an artificial intelligence-based diagnostics solution to scan chest X-rays and detect abnormalities.

Various organisations leveraged digital platforms to conduct training and information sessions for frontline workers. The range of such services and their providers is vast including e-Sanjeevani, Swasth, Practo, Portea, TeCHO, Anmol, to name just a few.

The involvement of community-based organisations in the form of self-help groups (SHGs) and village organisations reinforced their potential for last-mile services. Active TB case finding by community health volunteers through outreach and awareness; demand generation for services and provision of timely information to pregnant women by volunteer groups through helpline numbers; support for essential health service delivery through panchayati raj institutions contributed to strengthening health services.

The Indian postal department was leveraged for its extensive postal network as an alternative logistics chain for delivery of family planning commodities. Social franchising model for TB diagnosis and drug dispensation via e-pharmacies to the doorsteps of patients was also utilised.

India saw many innovations rolled out, although not necessarily at scale and most not evaluated for impact. Based on rigorous impact evaluations, there is potential for scale and convergence. It is not that this potential is not recognised by the government. The introduction of telemedicine guidelines and the launch of the National Digital Health Mission provide a foundation for greater leverage of the digital platform. Admittedly, limited internet penetration in rural India, gender disparity in internet usage, data privacy and data-sharing ethics concerns limit the impact of digital platforms, but an increasing focus on health technology platforms can address, to some extent, the needs of information, triaging, counselling, consultation, scheduling visits, home delivery of drugs, and remote follow-up reducing some of the demand- and supply-side challenges.

Similarly, a stronger policy environment can enable the 70 million SHG women members to play an institutionalised role in health service functions, such as behaviour change interventions, demand for essential services, community-led accountability of health systems and services.

The pandemic saw multiple innovations surface, some deployed in small geographies, some by private organisations and others by the government, most not evaluated for impact. These innovations merit policy attention — in assessing their impact, in their geographic scale, in convergence of currently fragmented services, and in developing meaningful partnerships with private innovators for public adoption.

Scaling innovations requires attention to at least three aspects. One, assessment of innovation impact and certification, which, in turn, will require institutional mechanisms that can enable this. Second, a policy environment that encourages and facilitates public contracting of innovations, in a context where the benefits of purchasing existing, tried-and-tested products/services in the public system are large. Third, grant-and-loan mechanisms that enable innovators to address the needs of the health care system. The platforms on which these innovations are deployed are under-leveraged, with the pandemic demonstrating the opportunity to build on these innovations, leading to a stronger health systems response.

Sandhya Venkateswaran is fellow, Lancet Citizen’s Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System

Source: Hindustan Times, 10/03/21

Quote of the Day March 9, 2021

 

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
C S Lewis

“आप कभी भी नया लक्ष्य निर्धारित करने या नया सपना देखने के लिये बहुत बूढ़े नहीं होते।”
सी. एस. लुईस

Current Affairs – March 9, 2021

 

India

India-Uzbekistan exercise ‘Dustlik’ to be held in Uttarakhand from March 9 to 21

The armies of Indian and Uzbekistan will be part of a joint exercise recreating Kashmir-like counter-terror operations between March 9 and 21 in Chaubatia near Ranikhet in Uttarakhand. The second edition of exercise Dustlik is aimed at carrying out joint counter-terror operations in a mountainous rural and urban scenario. The first edition of the exercise took place in November 2019 near Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

Maharashtra: 1% concession in stamp duty on property transfer in woman’s name

The Maharashtra government’s budget for 2021-22, presented on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021, offered one per cent concession in stamp duty if property is transferred only in a woman’s or women’s name. Deputy Chief Minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar presented a budget with revenue deficit Rs 10,226 crore in the state Legislative Assembly.

1^st meeting of National Committee to commemorate 75 years of independence held

Chairing the first meeting of the National Committee to commemorate 75 years of independence, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav virtually on March 8, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed that 5 pillars have been decided for the celebration of the 75 years. These are Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolve at 75.

All Helpline numbers of Railways merged into single number 139

Indian Railway has integrated all railway helplines into single number 139 which is Rail Madad Helpline for quick grievance redressal and enquiry during the journey. As the new helpline number 139 will take over all the existing helpline numbers, it will be easy for the passengers to remember this number and connect with Railways for all their needs during the travel.

Batla House encounter: Court convicts Indian Mujahideen man for killing Inspector

A court in Delhi on March 8, 2021 convicted Ariz Khan, allegedly associated with the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, for the murder of Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and other offences in connection with the 2008 Batla House encounter in Jamia Nagar in south Delhi.

Economy & Corporate

Govt nets Rs 53,346 crore from Vivad Se Vishwas scheme till February 22

The government has realised Rs 53,346 crore through direct tax dispute resolution scheme Vivad Se Vishwas till February 22, Parliament was informed on March 8, 2021. The Vivad Se Vishwas scheme provides for settlement of disputed tax, disputed interest, disputed penalty or disputed fees in relation to an assessment or reassessment order. The dispute is settled on payment of 100 per cent of the disputed tax and 25 per cent of the disputed penalty or interest or fee.

Google lends support to one million female entrepreneurs in India

Google on March 8, 2021 announced that it will support 1 million rural women entrepreneurs in India during its virtual event called ‘Women Will’ held to celebrate the International Women’s Day. It also launched a global Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls, under which Google will provide $25 million in grants to non-profits and social enterprises in India and around the world that are doing important work to help women and girls reach their full potential.

World

International Women’s Day observed on March 8

The International Women’s Day was observed on March 8, 2021. This year’s theme for the International Day, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”, celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Switzerland: People voted in favour of banning full face coverings in public places

In Switzerland, people have voted in favour of banning full face coverings in public places in a referendum. Dubbed as ‘burqa ban’ by media and campaigners, the proposal was supported by 51.2 per cent of voters. The result means nobody in the country can cover their face completely in public whether in shops or in the open across the country except in places of worship or for health and safety reasons.

Singapore ranked first in Economic Freedom Index by The Heritage Foundation

Singapore topped the global ranking for the second year in a row while India was ranked 121^st in the latest Economic Freedom Index published by US conservative think-tank, The Heritage Foundation. The index ranks 12 indicators from property rights to financial freedom under four categories: rule of law, size of government, regulatory efficiency and open markets.

French billionaire MP Olivier Dassault (69) dies in helicopter crash

French billionaire Olivier Dassault (69), a politician and scion of the Dassault aircraft-making family, was killed in a helicopter crash on March 7, 2021. His helicopter crashed near the upmarket coastal resort of Deauville in northwest France. The Dassault Aviation group has been a leading French plane manufacturer for the last 70 years and is behind the Falcon private jet, the Mirage warplane, and most recently the state-of-the art Rafale fighter.

How Naga communities came together for each other during the pandemic

 

The close-knit society is falling back on the sense of community and kinship that has been passed down over generations in Nagaland

One evening in June, a group of young men and women gathered in Zhavame village in the foothills of the Kapamodzü peak, one of Nagaland’s highest mountains. The lockdown had not yet been completely lifted, and the group mused about the abandoned paddy fields in the village. Many young people from Zhavame had moved to cities to study or work, and almost half the fields had been left fallow. At the end of the meeting, the Christo Naga’s Club, whose members included students, farmers, government and private sector employees, reached a decision: they would begin cultivating the land again.

“Every member of the club comes from a farming background, but this was our first ever experience of farming independently without our parents. In the process, we learnt a lot,” says 34-year old Ngapunyi Albert Krocha, a social worker who lives in Kohima but visits his village often.

The lockdown had convinced the group about the importance of self-reliance. They hope to encourage other young people to grow their own food. “We can never know what the future holds, but if we are self-reliant, or have surplus cultivation, we can survive,” says Krocha.

Love your neighbour

This is just one of the ways in which communities in Nagaland have come together to support each other during the ill-planned lockdown, which pushed thousands of people into penury. The close-knit society is falling back on the sense of community and kinship that has been passed down over generations in Nagaland.

“If your house burns down, if your family member falls sick or dies, if you are suddenly diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, if your crops fail, your neighbours, kinsmen, clansmen, come to help you build a new house, help care for the sick,” says writer Easterine Kire about the Naga sense of community.

Churches too began serving meals to the underprivileged during the lockdown. “Then there were NGOs and individuals distributing packets of food to daily wage workers who had lost their source of income. This sense of community is ingrained in us,” she says in an email intervNagaland is a great example of how communities rise to the occasion, explains Rosemary Dzüvichü, professor at the Department of English, Nagaland University. “The commitment towards community is an integral part of Naga culture. Whether in death or celebration, we are taught to stand by each other. We have seen this in the outpouring of generosity from individuals and communities and organisations towards the less fortunate, returnees, daily wage workers who faced the brunt of the lockdown in the State,” says Dzüvichü, who is also advisor to the Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), the apex body of women’s organisations in the State.

During the worst phase of the pandemic, NMA helped the Rotary Club identify single mothers, HIV+ people and daily wage workers to provide food and essential items, apart from helping the district administration reach out to orphanages and institutes for special needs children. The NMA also helped raise money and other resources for quarantine centres. It also collaborated with the Salesian Province of Don Bosco and reached out with thousands of rupees’ worth of essential food items to the quarantine centres at Peren and Tuensang.

“To reach out to the community, no matter how distant, especially in times of trouble, has always been a part of our culture,” says Dzüvichü. It was with this spirit that NMA helped hundreds of women and children from Rengma families, who were forced to stay in relief camps at Bokajan and Silonijan during the 2013 conflict in Assam’s Rengma Hills.

What is behind the Nagas’ sense of community? In the words of Kohima-based author, former editor and journalist Charles Chasie, “Naga tribes were all head-hunters, but they were also very diverse and practised several systems such as pure democracy, different shades of republican systems, chiefships and absolute autocracy — this is why Naga society is an anthropological goldmine.”

Universal values

“Your life, under head-hunting conditions, depended on another person, and blood relationship was important. However, not just blood relationships, friendship also mattered a lot,” explains Chasie. “Different clans had their brother clans in every other village and even tribes where Tenyimia were concerned.” Tenyimia consists of 10 different Naga tribes: Angami, Chakhesang, Zeme, Liangmai, Rongmei, Poumai, Mao, Maram, Rengma, and Pochury.iew.

Along with head-hunting, the grand ‘Feast of Merit’ constitutes the basis of Naga social life. Traditionally considered the highest form of social honour, the ‘Feast of Merit’ includes rituals and involves giving a community feast to the whole village. Among the Chakhesang tribe, only those who have performed the ‘Feast of Merit’ are entitled to wear the prestigious shawls, Hapidasa and Saparadu. They can also adorn their homes with Hapiteh, a wood carving of the buffalo head, which is also symbolised in the Hapidasa shawl.

Seno Tsuhah, a community development worker, says that communities in Nagaland come together not only during times of crisis, but also to celebrate milestones or address important issues. “The value-based community life and sense of belonging have always been strong in our society — if we look at our forefathers’ generations, the community cohesiveness, the universal values of compassion, were always there, and that is still binding us,” she says. When vegetables couldn’t be transported into the State during lockdown, Tsuhah noticed how several villagers started visiting community forests to forage and collect wild edible plants so they could share it with urban dwellers in cities such as Kohima. She was also happy that young people were taking the lead in cultivating fallow fields. The greatest realisation of the community, she points out, has been the importance of growing their own food.

Joy of growing food

The members of the Christo Naga’s Club are sure that their new initiatives will not stop after the pandemic. “Now, we are all grown up, living in towns and cities, and we barely get the time to experience the joy of farming. So, it was a personal rediscovery, going back to nature, cultivating our own food,” says Rosou Pohena, a veterinarian who is also president of the club.

Around the same time, there have been conversations around local food in Chizami, a village perched in the hills of Phek district. Both at the church and community levels, the importance of growing one’s own food and making sure that the local food is strengthened, appreciated and acknowledged is emphasised.

A year since the pandemic, families cultivating small plots of land have begun expanding their farming. Seno Tshuhah is very hopeful that communities will continue to uphold this practice; during the pandemic, the first example of solidarity shown to one another was sharing food. “Food is at the core of our community life,” she says.

The pandemic has indeed brought people closer in Nagaland, says Dzüvichü. “It has taught me how important it is to help people in our own towns, both within our communities and beyond.”

Richard Belho, an architect who also does social work, says that the pandemic helped people realise their own vulnerabilities. “People chose to become strong and started helping each other; we started hearing a lot of stories of people coming out of their comfort zones. The pandemic did light up that spirit in people.”

Kire says there are several lessons to be learnt from the pandemic, including getting one’s priorities in order; creating awareness about the needs of low-income groups in our midst; and nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit among young people who carved out businesses and found new ways of earning an income. “I learned about the resilience of the human spirit even when it has received terrible blows, and also the abiding importance of family and finding new ways to care for each other,” she says.

Vish Rita Krocha

Source: The Hindu, 6/03/21

A revolution in online education

 

How skill-based trends are bringing a major shift in the edtech sector

The Indian education system has always been theoretically-driven, which has created a gap between imparted knowledge and skill expectations in industry. This has focused attention on the importance of skill-based education or vocational training from a young age. With this in mind, the edtech sector has begun introducing skill-based and vocational courses in their modules.

The government has introduced policies such as National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and the National Education Policy (NEP) to create a new world of innovation and creativity. The NSQF is meant develop an interlink between a child’s educational assessment and to his/her aptitude and skills.

Importance of Robotics and STEM

Robotics and other STEM disciplines have gained the interest of youth and can help catapult the next wave of entrepreneurs in India. as it is becoming increasingly common among the start-up culture. STEM education teaches children important skills such as analytical thinking, programming, teamwork, collaborative thinking, innovation, and more.

Robotics has also seen an upsurge in demand in multiple industries, from assembling machine parts and loading cargo to humanoid robots and delivery bots and drones. According to a report by the International Federation(IFR), the sales of industrial robots in India reached a record-breaking 4,771 new units in 2018. This is largely due to the fact that technology will be ubiquitous in the next-generation work culture.

What’s in store

Currently, edtech is cluttered with big players who are all similar to one another but consumers are also beginning to realise the need for diversity. This provides a ray of hope for upcoming start-ups. The platforms are also seeing a shift from over-dependence on online preparation forums for competitive tests and K-12 teaching to a more STEM-based approach, which will lead to a drastic shift in the future.

Source: The Hindu, 2/03/21

Demystifying UPSC Personality Test

 UPSC Personality Test (PT) which is commonly called as IAS Interview is the final stage of a yearlong civil services exam (CSE) process. The competition gets stiffer at this stage as aspirant who have cleared Mains contest vigorously to make their place in the final merit. A good score in interview can create a substantial difference of marks with the fellow candidates in just under half an hour and can give an aspirant unassailable lead in the final merit. Usually PT gets attention of an aspirant at a very later stage, once Mains results are declared. Whereas, the personality attributes which are being assessed during PT necessitate that preparation for PT should also start along with Prelims and Mains. The time period available to a candidate, roughly three weeks, after the declaration of results and commencement of PT is grossly insufficient to work upon on some of the attributes which need a longer time to be refined and honed.

Before we unravel finer nuances of PT, the most important point which needs to be kept in mind by aspirants is that PT is not an interview. In fact, the word “Interview” is a misnomer. PT is much more than an interview. The main purpose of conducting PT is to uncover true personality and to assess if the candidate has the traits and qualities to be a good civil servant.

Another important thing to remember is that it is not the test of your knowledge. Your knowledge has already been tested in the preceding two stages of selection. So, if you are unable to answer few questions here and there, it really doesn’t reflect adversely on your performance. Nevertheless, it is important for a candidate to keep abreast with the happenings of national and global importance and to be awBoard conducting PT thus focuses on some specific attributes/qualities. Some of these attributes can be categorized as non-negotiable and uncompromising from the UPSC’s perspective. The attributes a candidate is expected to possess can be broadly divided into six categories, i.e. personality related, motivational aspects, interpersonal skills, intellectual abilities, specific administrative skills and values. Here are some of the attributes which are assessed: –

• Integrity
• Ability to grasp essentials of the problem quickly
• Ability to utilise conceptual knowledge to general situation
• Planning and utilisation of resources
• Communication skills
• Tactfulness
• Team spirit
• Sense of Empathy/ Compassion
• Ability for behavioural adjustment
• Commitment to goals
• Ability to rise above one’s own personal benefits
• Secular attitude
• Sensibility to the needs of the people
• Patriotic attitude (National Pride)
• Openness
• Sacrifice/ Compassion
• Initiative
• Accessibility
• Innovativeness
• Ability to guide
• Decision making
• Emotional stability
• Courage
• Commitment to rules/law

A logical question which comes to mind is, how does UPSC board assess the personality attributes through questions based on Current affairs? How does Board assess whether candidate is consistent in thought, whether the candidate was accountable as a child, his/her adaptability in the school/hostel, whether the candidate will succumb to pressure or temptation? This does sound a bit intriguing however, it is not a complex thing! Let us understand this through examples.

Attribute of “Emotional Stability” can be assessed by asking a series of difficult questions where a candidate is made to accept that he doesn’t know the answer to those questions. This is then followed by a relatively normal question. A candidate who has the ability to keep emotional balance even under stress, will not be effected and will be able to respond to the next questions. While the one who is unable to hold nerve will succumb and would lose focus. “Secular Attitude” could be assessed by asking your opinion on any contentious issue, “Integrity” could be assessed by throwing situational questions. Your “Patriotic Attitude and National Pride” can be assessed by asking your views on issues like functioning of government machinery, issues plaguing our society, corruption etc.

One must remember that the board taking PT is not there to deride a candidate by asking direct questions or cross examining, or emphasising about something a candidate doesn’t know. Rather, their aim is to put a candidate at ease so that candidate is not guarded while responding. The questions asked therefore will be open ended to energise a candidate to speak spontaneously.

By virtue of their experience and also having been trained to take PT, the board members will ask questions which will make a candidate reveal both favourable and unfavourable information. The board members are equipped to segregate descriptive and evaluative information. They can identify truthfulness/reliability by watching contradictions and inconsistencies.  Board members watch for flow of positive information, the reactions and handling of situations by the candidates. By asking questions and from DAF the Board creates a profile of the candidate by considering candidates’ background, school, family, college, friend-circle, areas of interest, books read, sports, social service, ethical dilemmas, parental aspirations, significant persons and events, socio-economic background, academic achievements, leadership activities, candidates strengths and weaknesses, things they strongly like/dislike, reasons for choosing civil services, previous work experience etc. Based on this, his suitability for civil services is checked.

How and What to prepare for PT?

Those candidates who clear Mains exams are required to fill up “Detailed Application Form” (DAF). Personality Test requires first and foremost self-introspection. The same is a much desirable exercise before filling up DAF. A candidate should be sure of and should have a firm sense of conviction of what he/she writes in the DAF. This application form contains information about candidate’s educational back ground; work experience, native place, extra-curricular activities; optional papers etc. In fact, this detailed form serves as a sort of CV of the candidate for the panel members. Hence, it is imperative that many questions in the interview will be based on the details filled up by the candidate in the form.

Broadly, the type of questions in PT can be grouped as; questions based on DAF and questions which are out of DAF. However, it is not necessary that PT board has to stick to a norm of asking questions from DAF and out of DAF as well. Board could decide anything. Board might ask a candidate all questions from the DAF or choose to just not to touch DAF at all. Therefore, an aspirant has to prepare well for all possibilities, so to say.

It is extremely important that candidate has in depth knowledge about all the details mentioned in the DAF. There is a good method to prepare DAF questions. Pick up a question and answer it. Then, based on your answer, think what all you can be asked further by the board. Write down all those questions. Answer them one by one. Each time repeat this exercise of framing more questions form your answers. This would be like a branching tree of questions and answers. DAF Analysis is an obligatory exercise for all candidates.

Although it is difficult to summarise or quantify the questions which can be asked in PT however, some of the most commonly asked questions in the UPSC Interview are: –

(a) Questions pertaining to Civil Services

• Why do you want to be a civil servant?
• Why do you want to switch the job to IAS / civil services, if already employed?
• Having done engineering/ medical – reasons for switching over to an administrative / generalist role
• How your technical /professional qualifications will be helpful in your job in Civil Services
• Reason/Justification for your preferences in Civil Service categories and among Cadre/Zones
• How you will adjust if allotted a State other than your native State: language / cultural adjustment etc.

(b) Questions pertaining to your Native City / City of Education / City of work/ State / Region

• Geography & History of State / Region
• Historical information on role of State in freedom movement
• Eminent personalities from State and their achievements, their contribution to State and Nation E.g. Scientist, Researcher, Sports, Arts, Academicians etc
• Places of tourist interest, their history, any heritage site
• Places of historical and cultural importance
• Population, gender ratio, gender inequality if any, demographic profile, Human development Index of State vis-a Vis Nation
• Education (Literacy/ illiteracy rate)
• Agriculture, crops, crops pattern, farming issues, Soil, Biodiversity, Forestry
• Climate
• Welfare schemes launched by the State Govt in recent past
• Effectiveness of welfare schemes; if not, in your opinion what is to be done
• List the evils plaguing the state
• List the things you are proud of about your State
• You belong to____ state. Tell us three things which you would like to address in next ten years.
• Contribution of State in National GDP
• Geographical advantages/ disadvantages of State, mineral resources, water resources
• Borders shared by the State with the other States
• Any dispute with the neighbouring States
• Info about Rail Heads, Highways, Ports, Expressways
• Economic & Industrial Scenario
• Information about Govt and Private Industries/ manufacturing units in State
• State Language and its historical Significance
• Information about State Legislature
• Which are the backward areas in your State?
• What are the good administrative steps taken by the State govt?

(c) Questions pertaining to Educational Background

• About College / University
• Questions on choice of subjects in College
• Question on joining civil service despite having a professional qualification
• Stream in graduation/ post-graduation and reason for choosing
• Subjects Studied: adequate knowledge would be expected
• Any current developments/ news on the subjects studied by you, which are current
• Application / utility of the subjects studied in the proposed job / civil services.
• Our education policy, flaws, strengths, teaching as a profession

(d) Questions on Optional Subject

• Reasons for choosing the Optional Subject, especially if the chosen subject is different from what has been studied by the candidate in UG/PG
• Questions based on your understanding of optional subjects (Concepts, important topics etc.)

(e) Questions on work experience

• Nature of work; functions and responsibilities
• Knowledge about Organization

(f) Questions pertaining to Extracurricular activities/ hobbies

• What are your Hobbies? Reason for pursuing such a hobby- one needs to be careful in filling up details about hobbies. Do not bluff or exaggerate, you will have to ensure that you have good knowledge about the chosen hobby
• What exactly is your role in the NGO / voluntary organization where you contribute
• Details of the prizes / certificates won in Extracurricular activities, if any

(g) Situational questions:
Now this is something for which there are no boundaries. Anything can be asked from a candidate by giving him a situation. Most commonly asked situational question starts with something like…….…you are a DM/DC/SP of a district, how will you implement ABCD government scheme………how will you handle law and order situation………how will you handle problem of terrorism/ Naxalism …..what actions will you take to address the environmental degradation being caused by ….and so on and so forth.

(h) Miscellaneous questions (which appear to be simple but are most difficult to answer)

• Give your strengths and weaknesses
• What is the meaning of your name?
• Describe yourself
• Name five attributes of your Sun Sign

The personality test requires the candidates to exhibit not only the art of balanced and precise thoughts and knowledge but also the art of communicating it effectively. In other words, two most distinct attributes of a candidate who is well prepared for PT are his knowledge and communication skills. And none of these two can be achieved overnight or in a short time. Both these attributes need to be cultivated with perseverance. Since overall personality development is a continuous process, it requires nurturing for sustained time.  It will be thus prudent to start preparing for PT right away.are of current socio-economic problems.

Source: Indian Express, 6/03/21