S Jaishankar Recalls His UPSC Interview on the Day Emergency Was Lifted: "Learned to Communicate Under Pressure"

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a nostalgic trip down memory lane on Sunday as he recalled the day he appeared for his UPSC civil services interview—March 21, 1977—the same day the Emergency was officially lifted in India.

Speaking to a fresh batch of civil service entrants at an event in Delhi, Jaishankar shared that the timing of his interview turned out to be both historic and deeply influential in shaping his career. “That day, the mood in the country was shifting. The election results were coming in, and the sense of the Emergency’s defeat was sinking in. In a way, that moment is what got me through the interview,” he said, according to news agency PTI.

Jaishankar noted that while the written exams for UPSC are tough, the real challenge lies in the interview. Recalling his own experience from 48 years ago, he described it as a true ‘Agni Pariksha’—a trial by fire. “I was the first candidate to be interviewed that morning at Shahjahan Road,” he said.

The Emergency, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in June 1975, had just ended. The general elections, held between March 16 and 20, 1977, had resulted in a historic upset: the Janata Party swept to power, ending Congress rule, and Morarji Desai became the new Prime Minister.

Jaishankar said the panel asked him about the just-concluded elections. As a political science student at JNU who had actively participated in the campaign opposing the Emergency, he felt well-prepared. “I was lucky. I had worked for the defeat of the Emergency. So when I was asked about it, I didn’t even feel like I was in an interview—I just spoke,” he said. “At that moment, my communication skills came together.”

He said the interview also exposed him to an important insight: that even influential people can be out of touch with the ground reality. “The interviewers were shocked by the election results. They couldn’t believe what had happened. But for us students, it was clear that there was a wave against the Emergency,” he recalled. “That day taught me two things: how to communicate under pressure, and that important people can live in a bubble.”

Addressing the new batch of civil servants, Jaishankar reminded them of the significance of their roles. “You are entering into a service. This Amrit Kaal of 25 years is your era—you will work, deliver, and lead during this time,” he said, referring to the run-up to India’s centenary of independence in 2047. “Think ahead—what will your contribution be in building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India)? What mindset will you bring to make that dream a reality?”