UPSC Chairman Tells Interview Boards: Test Public Service Mindset, Not Just Qualifications - Key Takeaways For Every Aspirant

UPSC Interview Assessment: The Union Public Service Commission Chairman, Dr Ajay Kumar, said that the interview boards must take into consideration the candidates' mindset regarding their commitment to serving the country and its people. Speaking to DD News, he said, 'This has been our consistent approach, and we advise our interview boards to take into consideration whether those candidates have the mindset to go into public service'.

"This is a very important subject matter," Dr Ajay Kumar said. "We advise our interview boards in this regard that among the various parameters of assessment, there is one particular parameter that should be considered: whether the young candidate has the mindset to serve the country

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Why Must Interview Boards Assess Public Service Mindset?

"Our experts have been doing this remarkably well. And I feel we must continuously give importance to this, because it is not necessary that every highly qualified person also wants to do public service; some might not want to. So we need to select people who are prepared to come into public service and dedicate their entire life's time to it.

We must continuously keep this in mind," he added. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also stressed the need to select candidates not for "public office" but for "public service," highlighting the importance of serving the nation and its people.

How Is UPSC Using Technology In Examinations?

Responding to a question on technological evolution, changing skill requirements, and the need for civil servants to adapt to new technologies, Dr Kumar said technology has affected everyone, including the UPSC. "In today's era, the impact of technology is on everyone.

Absolutely no one is untouched. And UPSC is not untouched either," he said. He added that the commission uses technology in several ways to make its systems more efficient, reduce the time taken for various processes, and improve security. "We have made this system further... like deduplication, so that two admit cards are not issued to the same person. We have tried to make this process safer and more secure.

We are doing face authentication so that we can prevent people from making any kind of fake attempt," he said. Dr Kumar noted that UPSC also performs functions beyond conducting examinations, including matters related to civil servants' promotions, deputations, and disciplinary proceedings, where technology is similarly being used to reduce time and improve efficiency.

How Has Technology Changed Social Dynamics?

The UPSC chairman said the biggest change brought about by technology is in social dynamics, with both positive and negative effects. He said digital technology has increased access to information for candidates preparing for competitive examinations, including those in remote and rural areas. "Today, due to digital technology, when a candidate in remote areas or rural regions prepares, they have access to information, which was not possible before. Information can be shared in minutes. You can gain knowledge through many things on the internet," he said.

However, he cautioned that the rapid spread of information through social media also means misinformation can spread just as quickly. "Social media has increased so much, because of which many, many things spread very rapidly. Information spreads rapidly, and misinformation spreads rapidly as well. We have to make adjustments from time to time according to every kind of impact," he said.

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How Does UPSC Balance Transparency And Confidentiality?

Dr Kumar said transparency remains a key objective of the UPSC and referred to the commission's recent initiative of releasing provisional answer keys immediately after examinations. "Transparency is a main objective of ours. Recently, we started releasing the provisional answer key immediately after the exam. Our digital process is toward transparency," he said.

At the same time, he stressed that information requiring confidentiality must continue to be protected. "Because in UPSC, the most important thing is that we have maintained our confidentiality, due to which today there is people's trust in UPSC. No other external people can exert any influence over UPSC," he said, adding that the commission must maintain transparency where required while preserving confidentiality where necessary.