[UPSC Interview 2025] – Transcript #79: Dinesh Dasa Board, Sociology Optional, Rajasthan Home State

Date of Interview: 19/12/25 , Afternoon(4th to Go)
Board: Hon’ble Dinesh Dasa Sir
Optional: Sociology
Home State: Rajasthan
Afternoon, First to Go
DAF Keywords– Zoology, Botany, History, Sociology, Solo Travelling, Weight Training, Rajasthan University, Jaipur.

Entered, Wished Good Afternoon only to chair, took seat.

Chairperson Sir (Reading from some page and speaking Hindi)- Aapne Zoology – Botany se Graduation kiya, fir History se MA kiya ha aur aapka Optional Sociology ha. Abhi aap XYZ mein work kar rahe ho, Jaipur se ho (I was nodding)

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Chairman

1. Pehle ye rule tha ki aapko same subject mein PG karni padegi jisse aapne graduation ki ha. (I was not sure if it was a question but I added flexibility offered by NEP and increasing interdisciplinarity).
2. UGC ke naye rules ke according, teaching ke liye sirf PG subject matter karta ha, baaki qualifications matter nhi karti. Ispe kya opinion ha aapka? (I said PG offers a lot of depth but gave somewhat inconclusive reply)
3. Tell me about Maratha empire, kisne establish kiya tha? (He was probably checking the depth I mentioned above but I couldn’t answer
4. Inke major leaders kon thei? I couldn’t recall much except Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj)
5. Mainly Marathas Maharashtra mein thei. Fir unmein se kuchh Indore, Gwalior aur baaki jagah kaise chale gye? (Couldn’t Answer)
6. Let me give you a statement- The downfall of Mughal empire led to the downfall of Maratha Empire. Can you explain? (I said- Unable to connect the dots)
7. He repeated the same question… (I said- As far as I could understand, initially the Britishers were able to subjugate the Mughals and later on they were able to subdue Marathas. Sir added- Pehle Britishers ke saamne 2 groups thei, Mughals and Britishers. Ek baar Mughals ko hara diya fir sirf Marathas bache. I acknowledged.
8. Which three events from Indian history were watershed events according to you? (I mentioned 1857 Revolt, Formation of INC and Arrival of Gandhi Ji to the national movement. Sir added- Battle of Plassey, he further said, Jab unka jhanda neeche aaya aur apna Tiranga upar gaya uski bhi importance hogi? I acknowledged both the additions.
Sir asked the next member to continue.

Member 1

1. These days, drugs are readily available in India. Even children are easily able to access it. Have you seen this? Why do you think this is happening? (Peer group and supply side but since confined to particular pockets, easy to tackle)
2. Do you think, this “Chalta ha” attitude is one of the reasons behind it? (Yes, it could be, in fact, it is one major reason behind many other issues like traffic problem)
3. Picking form my answer- Why do you think people are always in a hurry? They don’t follow rules, try to get ahead of others, they occupy the other side also despite knowing that this will cause unnecessary delays? (Ma’am I travel a lot and I have seen examples where one lane was completely empty but people were patiently waiting in queue, so this could be mainly a cultural phenomenon. But with sustained efforts, this can be tackled as we have been able to do with Swachh Bharat Mission)

Member 2

1. You have mentioned Weight Training as your hobby. Should we make it mandatory in Schools? (Not necessarily Weight Training but main goal should be fitness be it through Yoga, Weight Traning or any other form of exercise. NEP already makes provision wrt to physical fitness.)
2. You had Zoology and Botany in Graduation. How can we ensure protection of natural biodiversity while promoting tourism? (JFM, Involving local communities like Nagas in case of Hornbill, Green Mobility and sustainable infra)
3. Are you aware of any such initiative being implemented on Delhi-Uttarakhand highway? (No).
4. Did Gandhi Ji establish any educational institution? (Probably picked because I mentioned Gandhi Ji to Dasa Sir -I mentioned Nai Taleem and Wardah Scheme of education but not aware about any institution as such).
Continued

Member 3

1. The Covid pandemic lasted for around 2 years. What social changes did you observe because of it? (In migration and consequent increased solidarity, adoption of digital media, increased interactions through virtual means due to distancing and better awareness related to health and hygiene)
2. Are these behavioral changes or Social changes? (We can put them in both categories)
3. Providing piped water connection and building toilet in every household has been priority of the government. What social changes have you observed because of this? (This was picked as I dropped SBM earlier- I said, Dignity of Women, Basic human rights, increasing acceptance and adoption of toilets in rural areas)
4. But what major social change it brought? (I mentioned elimination of manual scavenging from household level though still prevalent in at the institutional level- He nodded).

Member 4

1. Jab Gandhi Ji Britain se aaye to western clothing chhorke Dhoti adopt ki. Aisa kyun kiya? (Picked Gandhi Ji from previous answers: I said- Swadeshi, Dignity of Labour, Emphasis on Minimalism, Means of Mass Mobilization through Charkha and I also mentioned Salt as a symbol).
2. Since you are from Jaipur and studied in Rajasthan University (RU), are you aware of any or any congress session associated with it? (No). Sir explained- Jab Jaipur ke Maharaja se Rajasthan University ko land transfer hui tab ye session hua tha. (That’s very interesting sir, this is the first thing I will read after getting out. Thank you for mentioning this)
3. National development ke liye youth bahut hi important lekin ab tak youth ka potential tap karne ke liye kuchh khaas nhi kiya gaya ha. What’s your opinion on it? (65% population below 35 years, Acknowledgment of Youth as priority by PM, Draft National Youth Policy released a week ago, Creation of MY Bharat as dedicated organization for youth).

Chaiperson Sir– Your interview is over (He didn’t say you can leave but I said thank you and left).

Experience–
1. It lasted around 25-30 minutes. It was more like a two-sided conversation.
2. Chairperson and M4 were speaking in Hindi. I tried to answer their questions in Hindi only but I had to resort to English in some questions where I was struggling with Hindi.
3. The members were supportive and adding details where I lacked. Very cordial experience. I hope it translates into better marks.

I feel, Disciplined peer group discussion over long run is much more helpful than any mock.

All the best everyone 🙂