Viva Voce - Group C to Group B

  

Viva Voce - Group C to Group B 

Disclaimer: The author expressly disclaims all liability concerning actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this write-up. 

Master Circular 68 

• Source: Click for Master Circular 68 - Railway Board Letter No. E (GP) 2007/2/25 dated 30.03.2007  

• Consolidated instructions governing promotion from Group C to Group B.  

• At present - orders relating to the above subject - are contained in Recruitment Rules for the concerned Departments in Chapter 2 of Section of A of IREM - Indian Railways Establishment Manual Volume 1 and in a number of orders/circulars issued by the Railway Board from time to time. 

•  Master Circular 68 - an attempt to consolidate the instructions - for information and guidance of all concerned. 

• While referring to this Master Circular 68, the original letter referred to therein should be read for proper appreciation and in case of doubt, the original letter referred should be relied upon as authority.  

• Covered only the important instructions on the Subject 

• Some instructions might not have found a place herein. It should not be deemed to have been superseded simply because of their non-inclusion. 

Viva Voce: 

• A Latin word meaning  - the living voice. - an oral examination, typically for an academic qualification

• DPC - Departmental Promotion Committee - 3 PHODs (1 - of concerned Dept, 2 - Personnel Dept & 3. Nominated by the GM) 

 

•  SDGM or CVO - should not be nominated in DPC 

 

•  If none of them (of DPC) belongs to either SC or ST, a fourth officer belonging to SC or ST holding a rank not lower than JAG - Junior Administrative Grade may be nominated from the Zonal Railway or nearby Zonal Railway or Production Unit or from Department other than Railway)  - Para 202.1 of IREM  

 

• If in any case, it is not possible to include SC or ST officer in the DPC, the reasons should be recorded in writing.  

• Marks - 50 (for Selections and LDCE) - Letter No. E(GP)88/2/111 dated 20.8.1991

	Record of Service (APAR)	Viva Voce
Maximum Marks	25 Marks	25 Marks
Qualifying	15 Marks
Qualifying - overall	30 Marks

Record of Service - 25 Marks   

• On the basis of APARs - Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (Confidential Reports) and relevant service records.  The integrity of character - Special consideration.  Para 204.7 of IREM 

• Last 5 years APARs 

 

• Points for APARs

Classification	Points
Outstanding	5
Very Good	4
Good	3
Good/Not Fit	2.5
Average	2
Below Average	1

Calculation of Marks in APAR  - Model example of Mr. X of FY 2021-22

Part I		Part II - Special Attributes (Last page of APAR)
Overall Rating  (Remarks by the Reviewing Officer - DRM or Dy.HOD)		A	B	C	D	E
		Qualities of Leadership	Capacity to take decisions on matters of competence	Willingness to take shoulder higher responsibility	Ability to inspire confidence, guide, motivate and obtain the best out of the staff	Ability to enforce discipline
Very Good		Good	Outstanding	Below Average	Average	Very Good
4		3	5	1	2	4
4		{  3+5+1+2+4 = 15 }   15/5  =  3
Average of Part I and Part II =  4 + 3 = 7     7/2  = 3.5 Marks
The Marks of APAR for the year 2021-22 of Mr X is 3.5 Marks
The other four years of APAR were also calculated.

• First 2 APARs -  Not Fit  - earn 2.5 Points each  

• Last 3 APARs = Not Fit - earn 3 Points each

 

• Part 2 of APAR - 5 Attributes  - Average of Marks -  As follows 

 

• Fit for Promotion - Minimum of 15 Marks from the last 5 APARs  and should have been rated as “Fit for Promotion in the last APAR. 

 

• Average or Not Fit rating in the last APAR - treated as Grey Area irrespective of the points obtained.  

 

• The overall grading of APAR is considered, not the final gradings given.  

• APARs of equal number of years in respect of all employees considered for promotion. 

 

• More than One APAR - in any year - all APARs for the relevant year shall be considered together as the APAR for one year. 

 

• If one or more APARs have not been written or are not available - the APARs of the earlier years including those earned in the lower grades may be taken into account to complete the requisite number of APARs required for assessment. 

 

• No extra weightage - where the employees are working in the next higher grades on the officiating basis and have earned APARs in that Grade. 

Viva Voce - 25 Marks

• What is to be assessed? -   Personality, Address, and Qualities of Leadership.  But not professional ability.  (Professional ability through questions with a practical basis is assessed in case a Written test is not held for adjudging the professional ability only)  - Para 204.6 of IREM 

 

• Also called a Personal Interview

Tips for Viva Voce 

• 80/20 thumb rule:  80 percent - Focus on yourself and 20 percent - Focus on the subject. 

•  Relax, relax, relax, relax.  Nothing to lose, if you are not secured the requisite marks to land up in gazetted post.  Because you are sure about your current job.  So it's not a life and death question.  

 

• Don't revise your studies between the result of the written examination and viva voce. Because your knowledge is already tested in a Written examination. 

•  Have fun on the day of Viva Voce.  If possible go to a movie or an interesting vacation the day before viva voce. 

•  Discuss burning topics with friends or colleagues.  

 

• Showcase / Describe your strengths if any without hesitation to the Interview Board members in terms of the post/department to which you are going to be selected or work. Because it is the right place to showcase the same.  But it should be genuine, not boasting.  

 

•  The dress should be formal. If possible with light colors. Go as you feel comfortable. Some are comfortable with tuck and some are not.  Don’t try the new one, just because Board members may feel it. 

 

• Don’t bluff, if you know half knowledge of any question you may face in the interview.  Just say “I don’t know please”.  Because it's not possible to know everything like an encyclopedia.  

 

• Don’t apologize for not knowing the answer. 

 

• Be polite.  

 

• Maintain eye contact with the Members of the Interview Board. Don't stare down.  

• Take a deep breath before entering the room. 

• Telling the interviewer more than he needs to know could be a fatal mistake. 

• Don’t talk too much 

• Not exhaustive. 

• Remember to maintain eye contact (which does not mean a stare-down). 

 

•  Focus on your attributes. 

Fixed Cost and its importance in BEP

Fixed Cost & its importance in BEP

• Meaning of Fixed Cost :  A cost does not change with an increase or decrease in the Goods produced.

• In General, companies can have two types of costs, i.e., Fixed Costs and Variable Costs.

• Also called as Indirect cost or Overhead costs.

• Examples:  Lease Rentals, Salaries, Insurance, Taxes, Interest expense, Depreciation etc. 

• All Sunk costs are Fixed Costs.  But, all fixed costs are not sunk costs. 

• Sunk cost: Money that has already been spent and which cannot be recovered.  Examples are Machinery Cost, Lease expense, etc.

• A fixed cost per unit is always variable; Whereas Variable cost per unit is always fixed.

• Segregation of Total Costs into fixed Costs and Variable costs helps the Management to decide the scale of Production and Breakeven analysis.  

• Example: A company Produces Pens.  Their fixed costs are Rs. 10000 and Variable costs are Rs. 10 per Pen. Selling price per pen is Rs. 120.  Find the Total cost for 100 Pens and 200 Pens and Profit on two options. 

100 Units

Costs	No of Pens	Rate per Unit	Total
Fixed	100	100	10000
Variable Costs	100	10	1000
Total costs	100	110	11000
Selling Price	100	120	12000
Profit	100	10	1000

200 Units:

Costs	No of Pens	Rate per Unit
Fixed	200	50	10000
Variable Costs	200	10	2000
Total	200	60	12000
Selling price	200	120	24000
Profit	200	60	12000

• From the above, the Fixed Cost per Unit is changed from Rs. 100 to Rs.50 when Production was increased from 100 units to 200 Units.  Whereas, Variable cost remained fixed though production was increased from 100 units to 200 units. 

So, when change in the Production:

• Fixed cost per unit is variable  (though Total Fixed cost is fixed)

• Variable cost per unit is fixed. (though Total Variable cost is variable)

• The segregation of Total costs into Fixed Costs and Variable costs helps the firms to analyze the breakeven analysis. (Where there is no profit, no loss) and increase their profit capacity.

BEP –Break Even Point = Fixed Costs / Sales Price per Unit – Variable Cost per unit 

• In the above example 100 units production level, BEP is 10000/120 – 10 = 91 Units.   

• That means at the point of 91 units, there is no profit or no loss.

At 91 units

Costs	No of Pens	Rate per Unit
Fixed	91	109.90	10000
Variable Costs	91	10	910
Total	91	119.90	10911
Selling price	91	120	10920
Profit	91	0.10	9

Profit Rs.9 is almost negligible.  Hence at the production of 91 units, there is no profit, and there is no loss.   So Break Even Point (BEP) is 91 units 

Key Points for MCQ 

1. BEP stands for Break Even Point 

 

2. Fixed cost - other names are Overhead cost or Indirect Cost 

 

3. All Sunk costs are Fixed Costs.  But, all fixed costs are not sunk costs. 

 

4. Sunk cost: Money that has already been spent and which cannot be recovered.  Examples are Machinery Cost, Lease expense, etc.

 

5. A fixed cost per unit is always variable; 

6. Whereas Variable cost per unit is always fixed. 

 

7. BEP formula = Fixed Costs / Sales Price per Unit – Variable Cost per unit

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