UPSC Interview 2024] – Transcript #87: Dr Dinesh Dasa Board, English literature Optional, Uttar Pradesh Home State

Date of Interview: 7/4/2025
Board: Dr Dinesh Dasa
Home State: Uttar Pradesh
Optional: English literature
Relevant DAF keywords: English literature, Anthropology, Gorakhpur, Book club

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Chairman

How are you?
Congratulations for earning a seat here!
How long have you been waiting to be here?
What is romantic revival in English literary history?
You must have read Untouchable by Mulkraj Anand… how will you use the learnings of the text as an administrator?
Do you know what is parallel cinema? (I did not… so he explained… then asked about it in indian context… i tried to opinionate based on his explanation but admitted that i would need time to consolidate my thoughts on it.. he said it’s fine we will leave it there… then next question)
What is Nath Sampraday associated with gorakhpur?
Suppose you are in Vande Bharat train and indira nooyi, priyanka chopra, nirmala sitaraman, p v sindhu are your fellow passengers.. you have to choose only one of them as someone you will sit next to. (I chose nirmala sitaraman)
Which 3 questions you would ask her? (My first question was how different it is to handle a household’s budget and a country’s budget.. at which everyone chuckled)
Now answer those three questions?

Member 1

What can we learn from ancient civilization about urban planning in india?
Have you faced any bad experience with any govt dept in your district?
If you are district administrator, how will you resolve it?

Member 2

International relations related questions and counters
Mainly tariffs and indo pacific region

He was asking many questions at once… it needed some effort to remember all that he was clubbing into one question to answer every part of it.

Member 3

Why certain problem i had mentioned before continues to persist despite bureaucracy being permanent executive unlike political representation which changes every election cycle.

As an administrator,  tell us a plan and its challenges related to solving that problem.

Member 4

What is Project Varsha ? (I did not know.. he says its okay we will talk about something else)

You have mentioned organizing book club meets for children. Which book you have last read?

Tell me 2 things you liked in it?

Tell me 2 things you disliked?

Then a long question on Rohingya issue and security threat for india.

Chairman was constantly looking at the clock… every member had to be interrupted for exceeding time limit.

Okay, thank you. Your interview is over.

Overall experience: Very cordial board. Administrative solution oriented questions. Normal friendly conversation. Members were responsive, everyone listening very carefully. It was an  experience to cherish but passed by very swiftly! One or two answers could have been better… but i guess that is a perpetual regret.

Time: 35-40 minutes

Mocks: 8-10 mocks.. utility: to refine speaking skills.
Special thanks to Shubham Agrawal sir (Vidyapeeth ias)… his inputs on framing answers helped me in areas i was finding difficult. His advise for the interview hall: “Be like Zelensky in the Oval House debacle… when it comes to national interest- na sammaan ka moh ho… na apmaan ka bhay” helped me keep my confidence intact throughout!

Thank you to the transcript sharing community!