Sri Sathya Sai tells a story on: Reward for Honesty in Job Selection Interview

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore

Dr. Suri Bhagavantam

There was a poor boy who applied for the post of a clerk at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc, also known as Tata Institute of Science), Bangalore. At that time, Baba was at Dr. Bhagavantam’s house (Dr. Suri Bhagavantam, then Director of IISc, later Chief Scientific Advisor, Government of India). Interviews were held on the upper floor of his residence. Baba was sitting on the veranda when the boy (candidate who applied for a post in IISc) came. He saw the boy who was poor and nervous. Baba asked him, “Why have you come?” The boy replied, “I came here as a candidate for a clerical post”. Baba said, “Be brave. Whatever they may ask, if you know, answer them; otherwise, you say honestly, you do not know. ‘Satyam Eva Jayate’ (Truth alone triumphs). Truth will make you triumph. So speak the truth.” 

He offered his respects to Baba and proceeded for the interview. Sir C.V. Raman (Indian Nobel Laureate in Physics) who was on the interview board told this candidate after the interview, “You are ineffective. You can go.” After the interview, the boy returned and stood near the pillar. He said, “Baba, I became very nervous and I could not answer their questions in the interview properly. I was not selected.” Then Baba asked the boy, “When you came for the interview, did they give you any travel allowance?” He said, “Yes”. He had come from a nearby village and they had given him fifteen rupees. Baba asked him, “How much did you spend?” He said, “I came from the next village and incurred an expenditure of ten rupees for travelling, a balance of five rupees remains.” Baba said, “You wait here. When they come here, return the remaining balance of five rupees to them.” He agreed to follow Baba’s advice.

Sir Chandrasekhar
Venkata Raman

When the interviews got over, the interviewers came down for lunch. Dr. Bhagavantam said that Baba was waiting and the panel should join for lunch with them (Baba and Dr. Bhagavantam). C. V. Raman saw this boy. He asked him, “Why are you still here?” The boy said, “I have a small issue to present before you. You had given me fifteen rupees as TA (Travel Allowance). But five rupees remain, as I have spent only ten rupees.” Saying so, he returned the remaining amount of rupees five to Raman. Raman commented, “Good Boy!  Good Boy!  Good Boy!” He called an official and instructed him to give the appointment order to the boy. “Keep these five rupees also with you and have food.” The moment Raman left, this boy fell at Baba’s feet in gratitude because Baba had guided him to speak the truth. As a result of the compliance of this guideline, the boy had been successful in gaining the job.

(This Story was narrated by Sri Sathya Sai to the students of the Management Programme at Sri Sathya Sai University.)

Source: Personality and Influencing Factors, Chapter 13, Man Management: A Values-Based Management Perspective – Based on theDiscourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba