Acharya Prashant recounts his experience with the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) interview. He begins by stating that during his preparation for the preliminary and main exams, he gained a deep understanding of the world, India, the constitution, and current affairs. For a long time, he was very determined to become an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer, believing it was the path through which he could bring about the change he wanted to see in the world. He was very clear that the world needed to be changed, and he saw the IAS as the means to achieve that. However, during the preparation process itself, he started to realize that bureaucracy was not a suitable path for the revolutionary work he envisioned. Although he did not have an alternative plan at the time, he became certain that a government job was not the way forward for him. By the time he received the interview call, he had grown indifferent towards the civil services. His mind was becoming clearer, and his intentions were taking a new shape. He felt no great enthusiasm for the interview but went nonetheless. He arrived at the UPSC building on his bike, wearing a white shirt and jeans. He explains this was not an act of rebellion, but rather a reflection of his feeling that the event was not so important as to require special attire. While waiting in the library, he noticed that the other formally dressed candidates did not even recognize him as a fellow interviewee. The interview panel was large, with about six to eight members. To his surprise, they did not question his casual dress. Instead, having noted from his application that he writes poetry, they asked him to recite some of his poems. The interview lasted for an unusually long hour, during which the panel engaged him in deep discussions on politics, economics, science, and history, encouraging him to speak more whenever he fell silent. He felt they were genuinely trying to understand him. He likens his journey with the UPSC to one of his poems about a boy who waits all night for a morning that, instead of bringing relief, brings more distress. For him, the entire process was an anti-climax; he had prepared for it his whole life, but when the moment came, his heart had changed. He was in a state of uncertainty but was firm in his resolve not to be dishonest with himself and not to pursue a path his heart was not in. Ultimately, the panel awarded him 210 out of 300 marks, an exceptionally high score, which he interpreted as their way of showing they wanted him to become an IAS officer. This experience, he says, increased his respect for the UPSC, as it revealed that there were understanding and mature individuals within the system, contrary to his prior image of it being merely a hub of corruption. He reflects that his interviews have often been unusual because he enjoys the "power play" of facing those in positions of authority.
