UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission . Before independence it was known as Federal Public Service Commission. UPSC is located in the Dholpur House, at Sahajahan Road. The architecture of the UPSC building is very impressive. It is one of the talked about buildings in Delhi
UPSC has a Chairman, and five Members. It coopts subject-matter specialists as Members as and when required. Only for the IAS, IFS, IPS and other Allied Services, the Chairman presides over the Board, and for other posts, a member of the Commission acts as the Chairman of the Board. It conducts written examinations for the various services to which recruitments are done under its jurisdiction. On many occasions, Government makes ad hoc appointments and gets it them regularised by the Commission.
Two illustrious Oriya IAS Officers have been the Secretary of UPSC.
I have appeared before the UPSC many times during the period from 1954 to 1967. The posts for which I have ben interviewed by the Commission are : Technical Assistant, All India Radio; Professional Assistant, India Meteorological Department; Field Work Supervisor, National Fundamental Education Centre; Assistant Engineer, All India Radio; Aerodrome Officer, Department of Civil Aviation; Physicist, Naval Physical Laboratory; Instructor, Orientation Training Centre, Ministry of Community Development & Cooperation; Director (Social Education), Ministry of Community Development & Cooperation; Station Director (Special Grade), All India Radio and the like. I had kept detailed accounts of my interviews and interviewers, and thought of writing a book titled ’My Interviews and My Interviewers’, but lost interest in the project after joining UNESCO.
Let me describe here about a couple of my interviews. I was being interviewed for the post of Field Work Superviser at the National Fundamental Education Centre. A. R. Despande and P. D. Shukla were there from the Government side. The Chairman was Professor Menon, husband of Lakshmi Menon, then a Minister in Government of India. I was asked a few questions to which I replied. At one point I was asked if I know our National Anthem, and could I sing it. I said that I knew our National Anthem, and stood up. I had just started singing the first line, when I saw that the members on the other side of the table were sitting comfortably on that cold morning. I stopped singing. On being asked by Professor Menon, why did I stop, I said ’’ Excuse me Sir. When I started singing our National Anthem, you all did not stand up. How could I continue singing, and insult my National Anthem, my Government and my Country ?’’ Then they all stood up and I started the Anthem, singing it in the correct tune maintaining the prescribed time limit of 49 seconds. That was the end of my interview. Result ? As expected. I was not selected. N. A. Ansari, a friend of mine was selected for the post, and he rose only to become a Joint Director of the Directorate of Adult Education, before he retired. He is no more.
Another event worth describing. I was being interviewed for the post of Station Director (Special Grade), Al India Radio. Chanchal Sarkar, the veteran journalist was there. From the Government side was P. C. Chatterjee, Dirtector-General, Doordarshan. I had just returned from Indonesia after completing my UNESCO Mission, and was very up-to-date about Satellite Communication. India had just put a Satellite on the orbit for Television, Radio and Telecommunication. In my briefcase was a UNESCO Report on Satellite Communication. Dr. Sarup Singh was the Chairman of the Board. Another expert was Amita Malik. .
Chanchal Sarkar asked me to name the first country to have put a Satellite for educational communication. I said Colombia in Latin America. Everyone in the Board was astonished at my reply. P. C. Chaterjee said, no it was India. I said no Sir, I beg to differ. I opened my briefcase, took out the UNESCO document and gave it to Chanchal Sarkar. The Board remained silent after Chanchal read out the appropriate paragraph. It was an intellectual defeat for the Board. The result ? I was not in. The Board did not get a suitable candidate for the post. No one was selected.
When Dr. Sarup Singh was the Governor of Gujarat, I met him at an at-home given by him at the Raj Bhavan. After I was introduced to him, I told him about the UPSC episode and thanked him for not selecting me. He laughed and then became grave in the customary style of a Raja in the Raj Bhavan.
I have ben taken by UPSC as a subject-matter specialist in Adult Education and Communication. Once I was there in the Board to select the officers of the Indian Information Service.
I have learnt since my childhood to accept truth as the final thing, and at the interview, I was full of confidence as a former UNESCO Adviser. I continue that spirit even today. I was told during our briefing in Paris that once with UNESCO, always with UNESCO. With this note I would like to close. My signal is loud and clear for the thousands of young men and women who would face the UPSC one day or the other.