What is the Importance of Detailed Application Form (DAF) for Interview?

The interview is the last stage of the Civil Services Examination. Even if you are a beginner, you should mould your mental outlook from the very beginning. If you get the fundamentals of interview right, it will help you develop the art of thinking, understanding, and analysing things in a better way. Also it will augur well for the development of an all-rounded personality.

Going through the Detailed Application Form (DAF): How important?

Rationale of DAF

• The personality test (interview) aims at assessing whether a candidate’s personality is suitable for a career in civil services. The candidate is tested for intelligence, attentiveness, balance of judgement and human qualities like honesty, integrity and leadership.
• The Kothari Committee constituted by the UPSC has listed the qualities that should be rated in personality test. They are as follows:
  • Clarity of expression
  • Reasoning ability
  • Appreciation of different points of views
  • Awareness and concern for socio-economic problems
  • Range and depth of interests and personal attributes relevant to interaction with people.
• The DAF contains all relevant information related to a candidate and is used by the interview board for an overall assessment to determine the candidate’s suitability.

Important Details in DAF

Personal Details

• This may lead to a variety of queries. For instance, the origin of your name, the significance of your birthdate historically, the city or town where you were born, the state you call home, etc.
• If you choose an exam location that is uncommon, you might need to defend your decision. If you indicate in your DAF that you are from Mumbai and attended school there but have picked Delhi as your centre, they will be intrigued about your decision and will want you to provide a solid justification.
• You should be ready to respond to questions about your optional, particularly if it is not the field in which you have a degree. If you have changed your optional subject, you should be ready for questions as to why you did that.
• They may ask the importance of your optional subject for civil services.

Educational Qualifications

• The interview panel may ask you a number of questions about your academic accomplishments and the colleges you have attended. If you have excelled academically, they will quiz you about your motivation for joining the civil service.
• Additionally, if your academic achievement is poor, they will search for explanations. Such queries should always be answered fairly and honestly. If you try to influence them, you can find yourself before the board in a hopeless scenario.
• How you plan to use your specialised knowledge in the public services can be questioned.

Employment Details: If you have been employed earlier, or, you continue to be employed at the time of the interview then you will be asked a lot on your job profile and your responsibilities.

Hobby Details

• You must persuade the board that you genuinely enjoy the activities and interests you've listed. If you attempt to manipulate a pastime without having real interest in it, your ultimate grade may suffer.
• For instance, in a real IAS interview, a candidate mentioned that he enjoyed teaching the locals in a Haryana village.
• The board chairman first praised it as a good hobby before beginning to fire questions. He said that he goes in the morning when asked what time he would go and teach the people.
• Then the chairman countered him by telling him that how can he meet farmers in the morning time when most of them will be away in the fields or rearing their cattle or doing other farming activities. Then he tried to make another bluff and he got into a real awkward situation. He was given exceptionally low marks.
• So, whatever your hobby may be, you need to make a mark on the board by defending it in a most genuine way.

Order of Preferences Details: If you make some unusual preferences for example- IPS over IAS or, IRS over IPS, then they will ask for a suitable reason. You should convince them with a proper explanation.

Guidelines to Defend DAF

• Gathering information on the information you have entered in the DAF takes a lot of time. So, don't hold it off till the mains results. Start early with your DAF preparation.
• Talk to competent people as you prepare for interviews. Therefore, pick a trustworthy mentor who can offer you genuine advice. Self-study will not be very effective in interview preparation.
• During the interview, be sincere. Honesty in your defence of your DAF will make your interview secure and commendable.