Video summary

IIT Gold Medalist with 9.9 CGPA đź’€ in Electrical Engineering.. And Still Unemployed? | UPSC Interview

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News and Commentary

Overview

The video features an UPSC interview with an IIT gold medalist (9.9 CGPA in Electrical Engineering) who is appearing with Political Science and International Relations as the UPSC optional subject instead of Electrical Engineering. The interviewer challenges this switch, suggesting a possible mismatch between the candidate’s academic background and the chosen optional.

Key Points & Discussion

1) Choice of Optional: Questioned by the Interviewer

  • The candidate explains that they selected Political Science/International Relations earlier (around 2017).
  • They cite influences such as:
    • Guidance from seniors and friends
    • The belief that it could support performance across other General Studies papers
  • The interviewer criticizes the justification as “mediocre” and highlights the time investment (around 5 years), questioning why the reasoning was not stronger or more consistent with that commitment.

2) Electrical Engineering Concept: DC vs AC Traction

When asked about why traction systems shifted from DC to AC, the candidate argues that the change was largely driven by issues with DC traction, specifically:

  • Starting torque problems in DC motors
  • Power supply compatibility, since most available power supply is AC

They conclude that using AC-driven induction motors helps address these shortcomings.

3) “Politics and Electrical GTD” (Generation, Transmission, Distribution)

The candidate describes three key areas where politics influences GTD (Generation, Transmission, Distribution):

  1. Generation

    • Power purchase agreements can be canceled by governments when political administrations change their commitments.

  2. Distribution

    • Electricity subsidies—especially for agriculture—can distort outcomes and harm environmental and food production outcomes.
    • Despite drawbacks, subsidies continue because a large farming base relies on them.

  3. Transmission

    • Political support can shape priorities, such as:
      • Whether thermal power interests get precedence (via better access to grids and higher plant load factors)
      • Whether renewable energy gets priority (e.g., “green corridor” and grid linkage)

4) Politics Can Also Have Positive Effects

When pressed to view politics in a constructive way, the candidate adds that politics can help by:

  • Encouraging energy security, supporting increased installed capacity
  • Promoting schemes like free electricity connections for BPL/poor households (referenced in subtitles as the “Saga scheme”)
  • Strengthening focus on renewable energy, improving clean power access and supply

Presenters/Contributors

  • Interviewer (Host/Questioner)
  • Candidate
    • IIT gold medalist, 9.9 CGPA in Electrical Engineering
    • Using Political Science and International Relations as UPSC optional

Original video