A UPSC candidate encountered a puzzle during his interview that has since sparked lively discussion in online groups. It isn’t about policy or governance; instead, it’s a lateral-thinking riddle involving JP Morgan and a diamond necktie.
New Delhi: As hundreds of UPSC hopefuls face the interview panel, one question that a candidate faced has circulated online and ignited debate. A note-worthy aside: the prompt isn’t about governance topics but presents a brain teaser connected to JP Morgan.
Ketan, who cleared the UPSC in 2018 and now mentors aspiring candidates, shared the question on X. Many aspirants were taken aback.
“A jeweller sent a diamond-encrusted necktie to J.P. Morgan with a card that read, ‘If you like this necktie, send $500. If not, send the box back.’ Morgan returned the box with a cheque for $400. The jeweller sent the cheque back. When he opened the box, he found a note inside. What did the note say?” The post, which has since been removed, asked readers to solve this.
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Rationale Behind UPSC Interview Riddles
Many observers questioned why such puzzles appear in UPSC interviews. For some aspirants, the riddle feels distant from traditional policy prompts; it resembles a lateral-thinking challenge designed to gauge one’s reasoning under pressure.
“It was a smart test of presence of mind — a crucial trait for a civil servant. People criticize it online, but it isn’t unusual. A UPSC interview probes many facets of a candidate,” Ketan told ThePrint.
Sharing interview questions online is a common practice among aspirants to help future candidates learn from each other.
Initially, some doubted the question’s authenticity. Others viewed it as evidence of a shift in the interview board’s approach, focusing more on decision-making, interpretation, and on-the-spot reasoning.
“It’s a familiar term in finance. I suspect the candidate worked at an investment bank. Senior VPs at Goldman often use such scenarios in orientation to test logic,” commented Jerin Bose on X.
The JP Morgan anecdote is widely discussed online. “It’s a famous story. Morgan used the $400 cheque to gauge price fixation. By returning the cheque, the jeweller demonstrated that the price was indeed fixed,” remarked a responder to Ketan’s post.
Some view the riddle as signaling evolving expectations for public service. Today’s civil servants are anticipated to grasp not only rules and procedures but also human behavior, negotiation, and the ambiguities of real-world contexts. For many aspirants, the viral question underscores that UPSC interviews are less about a single correct answer and more about illustrating one’s thought process.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
