New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took a nostalgic trip down memory lane as he addressed a fresh batch of civil services entrants in Delhi on Sunday. Sharing a pivotal moment from his life, he revealed that his UPSC interview took place on March 21, 1977 — the very day Emergency was lifted in India.
Jaishankar called the UPSC interview a true ‘Agni Pariksha’, or trial by fire. Recalling the experience, he said, “My interview was on March 21, 1977. That was the day the Emergency was revoked. So, I go in for an interview at Shahjahan Road… First person that morning.”
The Emergency, imposed in June 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had ended that very morning. The Janata Party’s election victory was being counted and reported as Jaishankar sat for his interview.
As a JNU political science student, Jaishankar had closely followed the events leading up to the elections. “We had taken part in the 1977 election campaign. We had all gone there and worked for the defeat of the Emergency,” he shared.
This firsthand political experience helped him during the interview. “They asked me about the election results. I forgot I was in an interview. My communication somehow came together.”
Jaishankar said he learned two big lessons from that moment: how to communicate under pressure without offending anyone, and that even powerful people may live in a bubble, unaware of ground realities.
He remembered the panel’s shock at the election outcome, saying, “They couldn’t believe the result. But we, as students, could feel the public wave against the Emergency.”
He urged the new recruits to view their careers as a service, not a job. Jaishankar said that the coming 25 years — India’s Amrit Kaal — belong to them.
“You will have to work, deliver, and lead. Think 20 years ahead. What will be your role in building a Viksit Bharat by 2047?”
In summary, Jaishankar’s recollection offered both an inspiring glimpse into a historic moment and timeless advice for the next generation of civil servants.
