Marks, Biodata, Interview and Story of HAULIANLAL GUITE, 33rd AIR UPSC Civil Service Exam 2010

CURRICULAM VITAE

Name: Haulianlal Guite

All India Rank: 33

Father’s Name and Occupation: Dr. Thangchinkhup Guite (Physician)

Mother’s Name and occupation: Dr. Paozachiin Guite (Opthalmist)

Optionals: 1st – Philosophy; 2nd - Geography

Educational Qualificatons: B.A in Philosophy (St. Stephen’s College); 

Number of attempts: 2

Service Preferences: 1st – IAS; 2nd - IFS

Cadre Preferences: 1st – AGMUT; 2nd - MT

Games, Sports and Extra-curricular activities/achievements: 

Best Student Award, 2005 (for Class XII)

Ram Manohar Outstanding Student Award, 2007 (for B.A 2nd Year Philosophy)

Hobbies, Interests:  Reading academic literature; watching sci-fi movies, sitcoms n Star Trek series; Writing (particularly on issues from philosophical perspectives); problem-solving, especially logic puzzles. Interested in Hiking, trekking, camping, picnicking, cycling, driving, facebooking, swimming – depending on the time and place. 
MARK Sheet:

Subject - Marks Obtained/Maximum Marks 

Essay(Paper III)= 125/200
General Studies (Paper-IV)= 141/300
General Studies(Paper-V)= 110/300
Optional I, GEOGRAPHY Paper-VI= 171/300
Optional I, GEOGRAPHY Paper-VII = 101/300
Optional II, PHILOSOPHY Paper-VIII = 186/300
Optional II, PHILOSOPHY Paper-IX = 190/300
Written Total= 1024/2000
Interview Marks= 240/300
Final Total = 1264/2300

My story so far ~ Haulianlal Guite

My intellectual development began as a child like everyone else’s, but a new phase was initiated while I was still in Class VI when, at St. Joseph’s School, I was introduced to extracurricular and ancillary activities for the first time; for example, in the matter of public speaking and developing passion for accumulating new facts.

Family Photo: Sitting (L to R) 1. Haulianlal Guite, 2, Dr. Chiin Guite (mom), 3. Dr. Thangchinkhup Guite (dad), and 4. Lalgoumang Guite (brother), (Standing) Left - Jammanlian (sis) and Right - Lianching (sis)

Till Class X I sustained an interest in games and sports – in cricket above all. Not long afterwards, I diverted my attention to Philosophy and allied fields, becoming immersed in the subject by the time my college life began.

As a student in St. Stephen’s College, I was most active in a number of societies, often at the forefront. There are days when I would converse and discuss with my professors and peers from morning till dusk with no inkling of the passage of time, and on any topic of interest under the sun. These proved to be some of the most intellectually stimulating times in my life.

The result is a number of papers I wrote – in particular, on the metaphysical implications of Big Bang Theory, Cosmological Evolution and Metaethics. In consequence I received a most lucrative offer from an American University to study and work as a research student. Fortunately or otherwise, this offer I had to forego as dad has bigger, downon-earth plans for me.

As a firm believer, while many aspects of my life fail to reflect the ideal of a true Christian, my interests in its doctrines, values and beliefs always remain. The one thing which I am most concerned with is how the disarrayed churches can be re-integrated again into one ecumenical church, the way it once was in the early years of Christianity.

When it comes to mental habits, I love and enjoy free thought, letting loose the uninhibited play of imagination, often writing two or three novels in my head, formulating ideas that can (hopefully) change the world and winning laurels which never exist. Not a surprise then that I ended up really penning a philosophical novel, of sorts!

I have some bad habits I need to work on. I talk too much, often rattle. I’m most unconcerned about my dress, food habits or the way I look. Often I tend to be too idealistic, putting my heads in clouds. I can be quite short-tempered at times. I tend to dream big things and end up being overambitious. I have very few passions, but fail to moderate any. And it shows when I sulk.

Almost as soon as I started active preparation for Civil Services, I tried studying in my own way, refusing to be pigeonholed into the “do’s and don’t’s of study” many others advised me on.

Believing that I have a peculiar background with diverse interest, I consistently went for parallel studies instead: devoting a few hours exclusively to CS on the one hand, and doing general academic readings on the other. Just as I expected, turns out that when it matters, the two studies reinforce and supplement each other to my overall benefit. Another reason for my interest in IAS is that administrative officers directly interact with the people and are as involved in field work as in bureaucratic affairs. Decision-making and problem-solving being areas which rouses my heart and mind, I want to be in the eye of things – to be intimately involved in policy-making and implementation insofar as an IAS Officer in his capacity as an administrator, can. For this reason, and more, I would like to believe I am mentally prepared to face the onerous tasks lying ahead, hoping in all goodwill that the Lord will give me the strength, ability and competency to steadfastly answer my calling without giving ground to callousness or corruption. Finally, in this hour of triumph, I want to thank the Zo peoples for partaking in this great joy. I hope that when the dust settles and the trials begin, I shall serve with dignity and a noble heart the duties a civil servant is called on to do.

Civil Service '10 Rank 33, Haulianlal Guite toh houlimna

A paita May 11, 2011 in UPSC in Civil Service Examination 2010 Final Result puang khia a, candidate 920 in lohchinna ngah uhi. Huai ah, siamsin khangthu a ana om ngei nailou leh i lam-et phaklouh in Tv. Haulianlal Guite s/o Thangchinkhup Guite in All India Rank 33na ngah pha hi. Reserved Category tungtawn selou in direct IAS mupha chihna suak hi. Kum 18 bang IAS ngahzou i om nawnlouh nung a tua lal in sangtak a honzoh in mi kuapeuh mah kipak sak a, adiak in Siamsinpawlpi mi-le-sate omna peuh ah houlimna in pang hi. SSPP-JHQ, Delhi in leng kipahpih mahmah in houlimpihna leng nei uhi. Excerpts –

1. UPSC exam nang lunglutna ziak hilou a na pa hon deihsakna ziak a na piak ahi chih kana za ua, a diktak mah hia? Bangziak a nang lunglutna a ana pailou nahia? Tua na chin nung a kisikna na nei hia? 

Philosophy tungtawn a mihing teng (mankind) benefit theihnaang ideas thak develop aa thutak thak (new truths) zonkhiak diing chih ka lunglutna sawtkuamtak ahi –philosopher te pilna lam leh khovel (fundamental tak a) bawlhoih nalam aa amadawk pen ahihman un. Himahleh ka pa’n khatvei, “huaichu ahi lo nadia, tu’n professor a pang in America khoh omle chin, na sungkuan, saptuam, na mi na sa te’n hon bangchi phattuampih kha di ua”? honchi.

Thakhat thu in huai apat kuhkal tak in pangpah kei mahleng a thugen ka lungsim ah a om gige. 1st attempt ka fail tak in ka lungsim a na velvul a, “civil service mo kazohlouh tel di!” chi aa ki challenge thak nawn in naaktak in kon pangpih hi. Tunbel lohchintak in kisikna ka nei hetkei. Himahleh Mosi in Aigupta gam anutsiat bangsim in Philosophy khelah tak a nu se phot in imi-isa te naa semdiin kon kisakhe phot himhim hi.

2. Preparation for Prelims:

Prelims level a diing in “facts to remember” chi dandeuh points-type in subject tuamtuam ka baan gelhkhiat a, memorize tum hi het lou but ki familiarize tumzaw in avangkim in ka en thakthak. Exam dekkuan in Question Bank te aa ka baan solve a, kei sa theizo IDES Officer Stephen Lulun bang in honhilh mahbang in past question papers te ka solve thakthak a, Question Banks tuamtuam en in ka ki zilzil.

3. Preparation for Mains: 

Hiai a di notes ka bawlbawl. Laibu 4 or 5 khawng consult sek in…word khat leh nih khawng ka deihlouh a omleh “hiai word khawng vatel saktel!” chi in ka note ka paihzel. Asimlam bel 1 st Optional katheihsim ahihman in 2nd Optionals kahah beih zaw. Answer gelh ka kizil chiah overwriting neihlouh ka tum. Ban ah, ka handwriting dungzui in 2, 5, 15, 30, 60-marker questions te “para bangzah, pek bangzah devote diing” chih ka hisap chetchet a, paper gelhzoh chia minute 5 neihman lai na diing in gelhdan ka kizil.Exam hun hontung tak in Pathian panpihna toh hun kidaih saklouh chih kanei ngeikei hi. 

4. Preparation for interview: 

Mock Tests 4 ka tel a, avek in a phatuam. Siamlou lo di ka kisak leh (Interview hichidan face ngeilou himhim) a feedback uh ahoihthei hi. 200+ muthei didan aa hon gen veksim uleh ka confidence a boost mahmah. Huchilou ilut chia om didan, nuih khiat zuazua louhdi, khabe mul tan di, sam spyke louhdi leh board member te toh kiselgawp louhdi chihleh adangdang honhilh te uh elitist huai sasim mahleng, apoimoh tak in hon panpih lua hi. Interview ni inchu kumkhat sung aa analh theihtawp diing in ka ki dress aka! 

5. Books referred: 

Philosophy – Laibu chiah kazangkei. Hiaidi’n Wikipedia, Stanford Encyclopaedia, Mitras’ IAS notes te leh ken katheih sa te apat ka notes di ka reconstruct tawm. Geography – Savindra Singh’s Physical Geography, Geography Today, Geographical Thoughts, collected notes. General Studies – Pratiyogita Darpan Publications te (Indian Economy, Polity, Contemporary Issues), Spectrum Publications (Modern History, Science and Technology).

6. Newspaper, newsmagazine leh magazines bangbang na sim a? 

Newspapers – TOI pen Prelims a diin ahoihzaw a, The Hindu pen Mains a diin. Hilele anih in ka simkhawm. Magazines – Frontline leh India Today ka endeuh. News Magazines – Chronicle sim nop ka sa.

7 . Na optional subjects na telna ziak... 

Philosophy– 

i. kalunglut ; 

ii . subject ka theihoih 

[Philosophy theisiam mi nahih keh bel hiai subject ka recommend kei; na mat keileh subject dangteng saang a haksa zaw ahi. Namat leh bel naaktak in ka recommend)] 

Geography – 

i. ka lunglut; 

ii. a scoring chih ahi 

[hiai optional ka recommend. A vast mahmah na a, hoihtak a understanding naneih lebel anuam, aziak core ideas te branch tuamtuam in share khawmvek ahi ua huaite itheih nakleh adang hakdi omlou]

8. Preparation lai leh exam piaklai a hihkhial nakisakna om hia? 

Exam dekkuan a dengue fever ka veiziak in Science & Technology ka revise man takei a, improvise in answer awm taktak ka phuahtawm angai. Geography 2nd Optionals, Section – A pen ah 60-marker question khat ka dawngkha kei. Ka theih zenpi himahleh dawngkhin in ka ki ngai a, paper zoh in 30mins omlai ahihman in kenle mak ka sa. Dak agin ma minute 5 vel a om in ka dawnlouh lam theikhe mahleng ahaidek mah akibang ta aa, pen le ka lenthei nawnkei. Pasal toupi himahleng pai in ka kap! Tunbel apoi nawn hetkei – first 300 tan kinem lai top 50 a Pathian in honkoih man in. Himahleh, ka complain na bel hi hetlou in, huai dawngkha leng, all things equal, ka rank bangtan aki shoot up de aw chih ka speculate khazel. Mihing hihna zaar in maw.

9. Note na bawl hia? Note bawl poimoh nasa hia? Note bawl didan.. 

Note bawllou in IAS amuhtheih kei himhim diing. Note bawl daan bel practice det diing himai ahi. Ban ah, topic khat maimai adi le note ka bawl thakthak hi. Bangchituk in hoih sa mahle chin na lungkim ngeilouh a na bawl zihzeh poimoh ka sa.

10. Tukum apan CS Prelims pattern kikhengta ding chih ahi a..adiak in eilamte ading in advantage omzaw di’n na gingta hia or... 

Kathei saukei na a, Math, Science leh Engineering background neite a diing in CSAT pen nopzo maidiin ka gingta. Huaiban ah, Philosophy laa a omleh, Logic kichi Philosophy branch a poimoh mahmah khat ahihman in hiai subject la te adiing in noptuan lodiin ka ging. Aziakbel Reasoning questions CSAT ah atam diing agendan un. Also, speed and accuracy mah le a poimoh: CSAT ah question 60-70 khawng na dawndik man nakleh na through di achi uh (abang chitheih uh adiam ah!) 

11. Nikhat in dakkal bangzah lai na sim? Mi khenkhat in IAS chingna dia nikhat a dakkal 15/16 bang a lou theilou a sim ngai ahi a chi ua na ngaihdan? 

Seel diing bangmah ka neikei. Atangpi in adik thoudi agen uh. Kenbel CS adi 4/5 hours kaan ka simkei. Himahleh laisim nuam kasa a, CS adi saangmah inle laidang kahah simzaw. Hiaite’n indirect tak a hon panpih kha hi in kathei.

12. Textbooks, newspapers leh magazines ban ah laibu dang bangbang na sim sek a? 

Philosophy branch khenkhat , Evolutionary Science, Economic Theory, Cosmology leh Natural Theology te ka lunglut na pen ahihman in hiaite toh kisai non-technical popular works omte ka simsim. Huaitoh kisai in “the big scientific theories” te – Quantum and Relativity theories, Evolutionary Theory, the Big Bang Theory, Marxist-Smithian-Keynesian theories – ka study zel a, atam theipen theih katum. Ban ah, philosophical “isms” te toh kisai poimoh kasak deuhte hunneih bangzel in kasimzel: naturalism, theism/ atheism, structuralism and post, deconstruction, behaviourism leh adangdang. Ka author favourite deuhte ahihleh Will Durant, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking te ahi – alaigelh te uh educating kasa. Libertarian economists te (Hayek, Friedman, Nozick te lak) le theihtawp in ka simzel, free-market economy naktak a ka support man in. Philosophy toh kisai bel Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Adam Smith, Kant, Marx, Freud, Wittgenstein, Rawls, Kuhn, Amartya Sen chihte apat selections ka sim: kei a diing in hiaite khovel a mithupi pente lak ah atel uh. Novels tam ka simkei a, Alexander Dumas, Robert Ludlum, Agatha Christie, Paul Coelho, Aravind Adiga leh adangdang te story khenkhat ka simkha.

13. UPSC a chinna din bang poimoh pen nasa a? Sum-lepai neiloute adi’n chinzohlouh didan a i koih utoh kisai bang a na ngaihdan? 

Sum-le-pai apoimoh thou na a, exam dangte aa na sen baan sum seengnawn tuan angaikei a chi uh atheizo te’n. Girlfriend moderately expensive khat saang a le CS cheap zolai achi uh! IAS hihna ding in: 

a. Hardwork; 

b. Intelligence; 

c. Never-say-die spirit (at least till 5th attempt!); 

d. Ability to Improvise; 

e. Literary Skill te, in varying degrees, in a poimoh. 

Hiaite lak a khenkhat na weak deuh leh adangte ah focus lechin. Huai baan ah, honsubuai thei di a polam apat omkei theileh ahoih di – lawm, ngaihzawng hi in envi ronment hi taleh (supportive tak ineih lebel motivator in apangthei daih uh).

14. Civil Services a i success rate uh a hoihlouh luatziak bangziak hi’n na thei a? 

Innlam a education system a diklouh ziak hia ahihkeileh i kuhkal zohlouh ziak uhia? Education System le improve luat hoih ka sa, in many ways. Adiak in syllabus polam lai simpeih nadiing in student te encourage thei le. Huaidiin innlam skul te’n library hoihtak maintain le uh akipatna khat ahi.Chi ldren’s Stor ies te bang library anei sunsun te’n leeng akoih khollouh uh poi kasa. Nuleh-pa te’n le na tate uh aneu uapat hiai tangthu laibu te leisak unla simsak un (e.g. Grimm’s Fairy Tales; Christmas Carols). Ka nu- leh-pa’n skul ka kai lai in topper khawng pan saangmah in le wide, extensive reading kaneih apoimoh ngaih zotham uh. Hiai diing in laibu hon lei saksak ua, huai ka phattuam pih mahmah. I thilsim daan bangle interdisciplinary deuhleh (PhD zildek nahih ngalkeh specialized reading hihlouh hoih kasa). Ideas khenkhat experiment dia hoih kasak a om. Adiak in, high school level a Practical Philosophy ki introduce theileh ka chi – Logic bek. Elementary Logic beek i master zohleh competitive exams tuamtuam te ah aphatuam mahmah diing.

15. Coaching na la hia? Coaching lak leh laklouh toh kisai na ngaihdan. 

Coaching ka la. Vajiram & Ravi ah Geography Mains a di ka la a, waste of time ka sa. S & T crash course Rising Institute aa kalak aphatuam; huchimah bang in Mitras’ mun a Statistics ka lak. Coaching ilak theihleh apoikei, hilele class na va tel gige zezen leh simna hundi nanei diam maw ka chisim. Huaisang in guide leh mentor hoihtak naneih naktak in a poimoh zaw.

16. Na lohchinna dia na nu-le-pa panlak dan. Na lohchinna dia amau contribution.. 

Obvious te ah panle: 

i. Financial Support 

ii. Food and Shelter 

Less obvious te: 

i. CS adi simdia ki sawlsawl 

ii. News a coaching kisuah thak omteng bang contact dia kihilh; 

iii. “Tuni’n bangzah koilak nasim?” chih kikan deuh gige; 

iv. Ann nekzoh chia isim ki explain sakzel (amau chu igente mantuan khollou); 

v. “IAS hih anop didan” gen cheuhcheuh; “chingkei le ahak didan” niteng a kigenpih. 

Hiai indirect means te in ka focus hon lost sak ngeikei – amau chihlouh dankhawng in kei own style mah in sim toutou teitei leng le i sub-conscious mind ah CS a om gige. A vaal aa hon panpih na deuhte uh: 

i. I laibu na ngawn di literally aa hon leisak uh (kisuanglah huai petmah); 

ii. Advice niteng a piak hi gige; 

iii. Niteng a nihvei thumvei bang kitai!; 

iv. “CS adi lai nasim na hia?” chi a ki etkhiat deuh reng. Hiaite ahoihlam a ilak keileh a depressed gawptheih – pa te bang unconscious tak in ahuatloh phialtheih. Ahoihlam a ilak lehbel “hichibang a hon iit hon deihsak hon panpih nu-le-pa adang omdiam?” chih hon ngaihtuah sak den. Huaiziakin ka nu leh pa tung ah kipahthu ka gen thakthak hi.

17. As an administrator, na priority bang ahi dia? 

First things’ first: I-Card hon issue ni ua traffic va bohsiat himhim di hya chisim – akum aa sim i thiltup hi saam a! Serious tak in genle, ka duties te competent leh efficient tak aa hihkhiat – do what a civil servant is expected to do – hiaipen mahmah ahi ka ut. Huchileh other things will fall in place.

18. I gam(innlam) a siamsinna leh nektak zonna toh kisai na muh dan.. 

Innlam kum 5 pai lou kahih man in konkik lamchiah ka muhdan genzawk a insightful zo maithei. Siamsin na lamthu ah bel private school te ahoihthou a, hilele extra-curricular activities te bang tamdeuh leh ka chi, allround personality development omtheih naang in. Class X tan aa BSEM syllabus pen educational in kathei lokei – diverse readings in a supplement keileh insufficient lua ahi. 

19. Siamsinpawlpi leh siamsin mi te adi ’n maban ah bangchibang in panlak na sawm a? 

I Siamsin heutu te’n “hiailam in hon pang in” achih na te uh phun hetlou aa hun-leh-mun, sum-leh-pai neih bangzel aa kipaktak aa sepkhiat ka tum. Adiak in Education lam ah ka contribution nakdeuh thei diin ka gingta. Huaiban ah, cultural function te ka lunglut na lam ahi (tutan tel lo naikei mahleng). Hiailam pang a ka pantheih dandan aa pan katum. Leh, ahoupen in genle, sports khawng chiang a refreshment leitu kihithei ta di abang! 

20. Tunung a Civil Services hon petou dite lak a thukhah… 

Lungkelou in pang unla, ka 1st attempt bang in over confidence nei hetkei un, na chinlouh gah uh ahidiing. Light lak kei unla, simthei lou hial di’n serious lua inle lakei un. Lau leh liing a om diing (standing on toes), but sikha lauh a taisiat diing hilou. Na poimoh na uh a omleh in person hiam or phone ah honkan le chin man sa ka hi. Ka notes omlai te te SSPP kia om di ahihman in adeihte’n alak theihdi. Huai ban ah, “maitekhuak” chih kampau nei nawnkei mahmah ni…if we can find success in the world’s most competitive exam, we can rival the world’s best in many fields.

21. Aspirants te adi interview tips bangbang na pe ut a: 

Hiaite: 

1. Specific Questions ki prepare angai kholkei – most likely, honpai kha khollou diing ahi. 

2. Na omdan, tatdaan leh paudaan Interview Room na lutma akipan in check in, poimoh mahmah ahi. Board te na houpih chiah zahtakna toh houpih gige inla, hehhuai sim hongen uleh le kitheih mohbawl daan kizil in. 

3. Na answer te UPSC/IAS toh ki relate khakei mawngmawng lehle connect tum teitei in – example napiak te tungtawn bang in. 

4. Opinion-based question hondot uh na opinion napiak a object uleh defend ngeingei in – hi lehleng facts leh arguments te kia zang in (outlaw emotions and feelings). Himahleh, confrontational lam amanoh leh tawpdan siam in, huchih keh topic khat kia na interview sungteng hongenpih thei uhi. 

5. Keibang a Board members te sa theizo dia na kigin lehleng huaini in theilou zodaan a om kizil in. Chihbel, air of superiority nei tumken laa, naneih leh langsak hetken. Amau le mihing ahi ua, a ego uh na hurt hetlouh diing ahi by anymeans. Huchih keileh lecture pia in hun nazang bei dia, na fail ngeingei di. 

6. Nuihmai tak in om in. 

7. Thum inla, thum zelzel in. Na thum khitchiang in thumnawn in…thum nilouh in. Pathian in hon panpih keileh hon panpih didang a omkei ngal a. 

MY INTERVIEW

Khenkhat te paraphrase in kongelh di (verbatism a theihzoh vual ahikei):

Q. You are still so young; why not pursue further studies?

= The thought has occurred to me, but sir, its because I want to be an administrator as young as possible.

Q. Tell me in a nutshell the philosophies of Berkeley and Hume. Who do you think is right?

= (after giving an exposition) I believe Bishop Berkeley was right in many places, but where he made mistakes, Hume corrected them. Unfortunately both philosophies are too idealistic and too sceptical they cannot have any bearing on practical life. As Hume himself said, “reason is a slave of our passions”.

Q. “There is a huge gap between what we want and what we know”. Do you agree?

= I certainly do. I want to be a philosopher, physicist, mathematician, administrator and statesman all at the same time; but I know I can’t be all those, because time is limited, and my talents even more so! 

A follow-up question: “There is a huge gap between what we want and what we don’t know”. Do you agree just as well?

= I agree to that as well, sir, the same way I agree man is both beastly and noble; that’s only the flip side of the first question. I want to be selected as an IAS officer in this attempt itself, but I do not know how I fare so far, how examiners have evaluated me, nor of the performance of others. So therein lies the gap.

(one board member specially congratulated me for this answer)

Q. What makes you really proud to be an Indian?

= The fact that I am of Mongoloid descent, look like a Chinese and yet is fully and truly an Indian, demonstrates India’s rich cultural and political heritage, its unity in diversity – and this fact makes me very proud to be an Indian.

It will make me prouder still if I am selected as an administrator!

Q. Do you believe in re-incarnation?

= I can’t say I do, I can’t say I don’t; I am not sure. But I do wish I can be live another life again – may be this time as 21st century’s Oprah Winfrey!

Q. What is the controversy regarding the Principal’s office which concluded only recently? What side do you take? 

= Whether the present principal Valson Thampo (a priest and theologian) has the requisite educational qualifications…or if his appointment is misplaced and his predecessor be recalled.

Q. Who do you support?

Since Valson’s predecessor Anil Wilson had passed away, the controversy had died down, so there is no point in supporting one against another (in this manner I deflected a possibly controversial answer).

Q. The Indian philosophers tend to think that the world is an illusion. What do you say about that? 

= I don’t think the philosophers used the word “illusion” in a normal sense.

If someone comes along and say this is not the UPSC Office, or that there is a table here where there isn’t (pointing to my back), then we’d say he is deluded and his perception is illusory. This normal form of illusion the Indian philosophers call it “vyavharika”. But when they say ‘the world is an illusion’, it is used it in an esoteric, transcendental sense. This commonsense world is illusory because it is transitory, governed by causal laws and subject to karma; and this they call it “paramarthika”. I think there is an element of truth in this belief. However, I do not have the requisite expertise to evaluate such profound metaphysical speculations.

Q. Tell me something about North-East India.

= (Told them, at first, one state after another, mentioning one good and one bad thing in each state; then, secondly, I take of the NER in general, commenting on its climatic and physiographic unity inspite of its cultural and linguistic diversity; and the fact it has huge potential for energy and forest resources).

[Source: Siamsin Bulletin May 22, 2011]