[UPSC Interview 2022] – Transcript #137 : Manoj Soni Board, Sociology Optional, Cycling, Rubics Cube Hobby

Date of interview: 21 February 2022
Board: Manoj Soni
Time: Morning, first one to go
Optional: Sociology
Background: Geology, Hansraj college
Hobbies: Cycling, Rubics Cube, Traffic Management, Science fiction movies, 

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Chairman

1. Which day it is today?
2. Why people don’t keep clean shave now a days? = saw mine
3. About Hansraj?
4. Name 4 social reforms of present time
5. Sociology of LASER (I think it is what was asked)
6. Cycle race in the world and India’s position

Member 1

1. How will you manage traffic of your district if you are the DM?
2. Issues of traffic in Delhi, solution.
3. J&K issue for India and Pakistan – how both perceive it differently?
4. Some thinker’s name of sociology and his book, I forgot the name

Member 2

1. Intersteller Movie – about it
2. Again some questions on traffic
3. Cycling issue in our country.

Member 3

1. Why high number of death on roads, issues.
2. How to make people follow traffic laws.

Member 4

1. Why people don’t wear helmet while cycling?
2. Why cycles in India are costly?
3. Aravalli’s, Delhi ridge, fault lines near Delhi
4. Digital conent like movies and webseries – show sexual content and other stuff – should they be regulated?

Chairman again

1. Why corruption in India?
2. Did you face corruption (here i was caught and I think it this question may cause me dearly)

These are 50-60% questions what I could recall. Sirs and maams, please pardon me for this.

Remarks: Overall 80% question from DAF. Soni sir was smiling and all the member’s were very cordial. Fear in real interview was only 20% of mocks. Real interview is all together a different game. I am not sure what my marks would be but I enjoyed the entire interview. Initially I was little nervous but by 10 min later, only i was speaking and rest were listening and observing me very closely. Just go and enjoy the process. What I felt was not knowledge but what you really are would come to your rescue in the final interview. I was not able to revise so much content which I scrambled during interview preparation. But what helped me answering was what I really felt. I am done with this years cycle. I want to say to all BEST OF LUCK. Don’t run after so much content – only 2 things needed = your DAF and your BROAD UNDERSTANDING. Rest you can deny if you really don’t know. That way you can manage 60-70% of your interview nicely.

My mocks: Vision IAS, NEXTIAS, Vajirao and Reddy, RaoIAS and one to one with many including Ravindran sir
Observation of mocks: you can give mocks but don’t run after many. Choose few and focus on your own core strength. All institutes are equally good and equally bad. They on the one hand help you in giving simulator environment but on the other hand break your own confidence like RaosIAS did with me. Give 4,5,6 mocks and I think you can develop your confidence within this much feeding.
That’s all from my interview. Best of luck to all.