[UPSC Interview 2025] – Transcript #95: Dinesh Dasa Board, Sociology Optional, Tamil Nadu Home State,

Date of Interview: 7TH JANUARY
Board: DINESH DASA BOARD
Optional: Sociology
Home State: Tamil Nadu
FORENOON (1ST PERSON TO GO)

*KEYWORDS*: Assistant commissioner of commercial tax, Public Works department, Tamil Nadu, Visually challenged, Chess, Adaptive cricket, MA English Literature, Sociology optional, Proficiency award, ULLAS scholarship

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Chairman

1. Kindly introduce yourself
2. Is this your 1st interview?
3. Why so many chess grandmasters from Tamil Nadu?
4. What is the GST collection of Tamil Nadu for December 2025?
5. What is the GSDP of Tamil Nadu?
6. What is the economic target of Tamil Nadu?
7. How is state government planning to achieve this target?
8. how is commercial tax department contributing to it?
9. How many goods were shifted in GST 2.0?
10. Should social change come from society or legislation? (related to Sabarimala issue)

Member 1

1. You have received proficiency award. What is it for?
2. What is this ULLAS scholarship?
3. What is adaptive cricket?

Member 2

1. Did you face any discrimination in your work? And how did you tackle it?
2. What are the qualities you give importance to as an administrator?
3. Why sociology as an optional?

Member 3

1. Do you view chess just as a board game or beyond?
2. Should chess be made mandatory for civil servants?
3. Who is your favourite author? (I said Shakespeare)
4. Why Shakespeare? Because of popularity or you had it in your curriculum?
5. Which is more tragedy? King lear or hamlet?
6. To be or not be. (From hamlet) What does it signify to you?
7. Does it signify only indecisiveness or also moral dilemma?

Member 4

1. What have been your key learnings working in public works department?
2. Why bridges are falling these days? How to address it?
3. Situation based- You are an administrator, you are being approached with a project proposal exceeding the actual cost of the project and there is time pressure to complete this project. What would you do?
4. How do you promote reading habit among youth?

Some questions I could not recollect.