Anupam- The Dreamer

As a school-kid studying in India, National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is often considered the epitome of the test of knowledge, analytical skills, reasoning skills, and aptitude that is held at the 10^th standard level across the country. I heard of it when I came in 9^th standard in 2004, though accidentally. Many of my ambitious and aspiring classmates, who were already exposed to the coaching environment of the mecca of coaching industry i.e. Kota, were joining a particular coaching class, specifically catering to the need of NTSE exam. I accidentally happened to join the same coaching, unmindful of the NTSE exam. But, as fate would have it, once I got there, qualifying NTSE in the 10^th class was the sole aim for the next 2 years. This exam was held at the national level, with the merit list made separately for each state.

Over the course of 2 years in 9^th and 10^th class, we studied much beyond the traditional NCERT’s for the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Social Science, Mental Ability & reasoning. Infact, “Mental Ability & reasoning” as a subject was not even taught at the school level, so that was pretty interesting to learn. The exam had 3 stages (held during 10^th standard):

1. Level 1
2. Level 2
3. Interview

I cleared Level 1 pretty easily. About, a few hundred were selected from the whole state of Rajasthan. Then I cleared Level 2, which was way tougher than Level 1, wherein about 250 odd students got selected across the state. For the interview stage, the CBSE calls the candidates to its regional headquarters at Ajmer in the month of April/May.

It was my first interview in such a formal setting where a candidate is grilled by very experienced professors and eminent personalities for about half an hour. Looking back, I think I was at ease to appear before the panel even without any prior experience or training at mock interviews. I took a folder of my previous accomplishments with me. As it went, there was a volley of unexpected questions that I remember till date, which were less to test my aptitude as a NTSE candidate and more about the knowledge which I feel would be even difficult for even an adult or a well-experienced person to answer. The panel consisted of 4 gentlemen and 1 lady interviewer. Here it went, with questions and my answers in brief:

First interviewer:

• When is the National Science Day celebrated?
  • I frankly didn’t know. How many of us can answer this even now? I am afraid, not even 0.000001 % science students. (Google and find out the answer :P)
• Have you heard of Albert Einstein?
  • I told- Yes, Sir.
• Who is he?
  • Answered.
• Einstein was a citizen of which country?
  • Went above my head. Wikipedia answer:

• Why is he famous?
  • His theory of relativity.
• Tell me the famous equation and what does it represent?
  • Answered. E=mc²
• Give an example where this equation is applicable in reality.
  • Told a bookish example at first (which I read in HC Verma book). He told to tell a better example. Fortunately, I remembered the nuclear physics example. I told “Nuclear fission reaction”.
• Have you been to Rawatbhata (the site of nuclear power plant)?
  • No Sir.
• How, far is it from Kota?
  • Told it is 80 km approx. (I knew it was nearby, but not the exact distance. It is actually 52 Km).
• Then, a volley of questions over the process of nuclear fission.
  • Answered all, as it was well-read.

Second interviewer:

• You are from Kota. Have you heard of “Jhala House”?
  • I don’t know even after 20 years of that interview where the hell that is. When I asked a number of elderly people who had lived in the old Kota city, even they didn’t know. Basically, a classic example of an arrogant and shrewd bureaucrat bashing the school-kid to brandish his own knowledge in front of other interviewers. Happens, in UPSC too sometimes.  
• Is there any “Tal” in Talwandi?
  • Sir, there is none as of now. I cannot say whether it was there in older times or not.
• What is the title of the titular King of Kota?
  • Didn’t know. I told the name of current titular King, but his ego wasn’t satisfied. How the hell, a 10^th class kid would know of such “adult elderly” questions? I think about 99% of Kota’s population wouldn’t even know the name of the “forgotten king”. Are we living in a monarchy or a democracy :D.  (पूछना है तो PM, CM पूछो, बेशक बताएँगे)
  • He arrogantly told me to go and read that it is “Maharajadhiraaj”.
• Next salvo of questions related to the history of Kota- which even a UPSC candidate couldn’t answer.
  • Finally, his ego was satisfied that his knowledge overshadowed that of a 15-year old kid.

Third interviewer (my favourite One):

• Which subject do you like in school?
  • I told Civics.
• Whether the PM should be from Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha?
  • I told the PM can be from either House of Parliament. For example, the current PM (interview happening in 2006) is Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is from Rajya Sabha, and the former PM Shri AB Vajpayee was from Lok Sabha.
• Some questions about politics of Rajasthan and elections.
  • I answered satisfactorily. When I look back, I think it was more than enough for a school-kid, who wasn’t otherwise politically exposed and neither had maturity at that stage.

Fourth interviewer (I think Madam was a Chemistry lecturer):

• What is Le Chatelier’s principle?
  • That I knew verbatim.
• Give an example?
  • Answered.
• Give an example of an exothermic reaction and what impact would increase the temperature would have on that reaction?
  • I knew that perfectly.
•  A few more chemistry questions which I don’t remember now, to which I answered with ease.

Fifth interviewer:

• How many oceans are there in the world and name them.
  • That was an easy one.
• How many continents are there in the world and name them.
  • Again, an easy one.
• Some more lollipop questions related to geography and in general.
  • Answered them all.

The final result- I could not make it to the final list of about 125 candidates selected from Rajasthan! When the competition is cut-throat among the brightest minds studying in Kota since class 9^th, some of whom came from all over the country, you cannot afford to not answer many questions, which happened with me with the first 2 interviewers, who grilled me to the best of their ability. In addition, I had a beginner’s bad-luck as my interview was scheduled on the very first day, so I couldn’t benefit like some of my classmates who had interviews scheduled in later days, who came to know about the kind of questions asked from other earlier candidates and were fore-prepared (one of my friend who was later selected told in the interview that he knew only “Harappan civilization”, and happily answered all questions that followed). Anyways, I hoped the better candidates were selected and already the seats were very few.

All in all, it was a great experience, facing the questions like “nuclear missiles” with some of them crossing my “air defence system” and hitting me in any which way at my body and mind. And, even after being rendered defenceless by the first 2 interviewers (even though I answered the “answerable” questions, I was happy that I could cover some ground while answering the next 3 interviewers. When I look back, I think what an unexpected interview it was at the 10^th standard level. If that interview was taken by the UPSC when I gave Civil Services interview, I don’t think I could have performed any different even after a decade. Some questions were even above the UPSC level. Maybe, the interviewers forgot the age of the student sitting in front of them. Or maybe, some had lofty egos which got satisfied only after crushing the candidate with the toughest questions they could think of at that time. Nevertheless, every experience teaches us something and to march ahead with positive spirit and so did I, a feeling captured in the words of Allama Iqbal beautifully:

“सितारों से आगे जहाँ और भी हैं,

तू शाहीं है परवाज़ है काम तेरा,

तिरे सामने आसमाँ और भी हैं”