IAS interview of tirumala taken by the second member of the panel

M2: Do you know anything about inflatable solar collector?
Tiru: I am sorry sir, I don't know.
M2: It's OK. Do you know about C A D and C A M. Can you tell me what is the advantages by using it?
Tiru: Sir, CAD stands for computer aided design and CAM stands for computer aided manufacturing but the latest buzz is CIM which stands for computer integrated manufacturing. It utilizes the synergies of CAD and CAM with an automated manufacturing setup. One can make a model using a CAD tool like Unigraphics and can readily export it after converting it to NC codes which is an inbuilt feature of the regular CAD tools and it goes to manufacturing....X
M2: You are explaining the process. I know it, can you tell me the advantages?
Tiru: yes sir, the errors comes down as the NC programming is automatic, that's number one. Number two, the total time from design to manufacturing comes down in such a setup and number three, because of these two the turnover time decreases and customer satisfaction increases.
M2: Good.
Tiru: thank you sir.
(when i was answering i was looking at all the members one by one and when i looked at the chairman, he indicated by hand to look at the member who asked the question and i devoted more time to M2 while answering his question)
M2: Tirumala, Rajiv Gandhi once said that out of every rupee allotted for the schemes, only 17 paise reaches the intended and remaining is wasted. What is your take on this sentence?
Tiru: Sir, When Raviv Gandhi said that, he was talking about our system. What he meant was that the system is so huge that the inertia and friction itself takes up so much money. He was not talking of corruption here but about the size of the system, the salaries to be given to people in it, the money that goes in maintaining files etc...X
M2: Don't call it system, call it delivery mechanism...and yes you are correct there but do you have any suggestions to bypass this mechanism so that this wastage is not there?
(I took a moment to think...around 2 seconds)
M2: Don't worry, you can take your own time...write it down if you wish..
Tiru: Thank you sir, I think decentralization is one answer. Sir, the funds can be directly allotted to grass root level panchayats. They can directly work on the schemes. That's one solution. Apart from that, one can also think of funding the NGOs who are working directly with people.
M2: Good.
Tiru: thank you sir.
M2: How can you apply IT in governance or in administration. And tell me very specifically how can it reduce wastage, time and corruption?
Tiru: Sir, IT as a process can be an integral part of administration. To answer corruption, in India corruption is basically what one calls speed money. The files goes into the system, one doesn't know where the file is, or how to move it and hence pays money to move the file or to know the status. Once the process is computerised, the whole process can be tracked online e.g. our passport system where a number is given and the status can be tracked online. That might weed out corruption. Coming to wastage, as the complete data is online it saves a lot of paperwork and trees and also the manual labor of calculations. Due to these two, the efficiency increases and will certainly lead to decrease in total turnover time for customers.
M2: How can you improve the process?
Tiru: Sir, if the process is already established one like our administrative setup, then one can use tools like DMAIC from six sigma which stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. The process has to be studied in detail, to start with customers have to be identified which in this case might be the citizens using the services....X
M2: The customers are well known here.
Tiru: That's good sir. Now the Critical to quality issues for customers have to identified which....X
M2: Ok, how much time do you think will take to improve the whole system....is two or three years sufficient?
Tiru...mmmmmm in fact sir, I believe the system is too huge to change in one go, in say two or three years, it would take time.
M2: Look at your whole career or say 30 to 35 years...would that the enough?
Tiru: Certainly sir, that's quite enough time to completely overhaul the system but it has to be a joint effort by all.
M2: Good
Tiru: thank you sir.
(Till this point the interview was dominated by me...or so I felt, as i was talking aloud, in clear tone and the board members were very supportive. From this point onwards, they tested my composure in adverse conditions. My voice didn't change and i didn't waver. But yes, it was really tough to maintain my poise as situation took a turn for worse)