[UPSC Interview 2025] – Transcript #101: Sheel Vardhan Sir Board, Sociology Optional,

Date of Interview: 08/01/2026
Board: Sheel Vardhan Sir
Optional: Sociology
Forenoon (1st to go)
DAF – Writing Letters/Infosys/Hindi Short Stories/Sociology/B.sc Physics(H)

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Chairman

Welcome to the conversation.
So you write letters. When was the last time you received a letter?
After I answered, he said – “I asked my daughter the same question too and she said the last letter I got was for you in 1998”(all started laughing)

Do you see any ideology in Premchand’s writings?
What is Chayyavaad?
Name the pillars of Chayyavaad.
What comes after Chaayaavad?
Have you read Aashadh ka ek din? What’s so special about it?

Member 1

Do you think you’re an empowered woman?
As a District Collector, if a woman comes to you with a complain of sexual harassment, what steps will you take ?

Member 2

What work does Infosys do?
What did you do in Infosys?
Do you think the demand for software employees from India is decreasing in the West?
How does AI impact this demand?

Member 3

So you mentioned ‘Shatranj ke Khiladi’. What is that story about ?
What is doctrine of lapse? (Related to the above story)
Which states were annexed by this doctrine?
Do you know who Epstein is?
What did he do?
Who all are named in those files ?

Member 4

There’s a movie made on this story ‘shataranj ke Khiladi’. Do you know who the director is ?
(Chairman sir laughed and said “Arey ye toh bohot choti hai abhi, ye film toh hamare zamane ki hai” and all started laughing)
Have you read ‘Usne Kaha tha’? Who wrote it?
Why the prices of gold and silver increasing ?
(I told them about silver price increase but faltered a bit wrt gold prices, so member 3 helped me with it)

Chairman sir again-
Which new technology do youngsters talk about the most these days? (I said AI)
Young people are excited about AI but we older folks are anxious. Can you give a sociological reason for this?

Member 5

Youngsters are more intelligent these days that’s why they’re more adaptable. To which I replied that the wisdom and experience of older generation is much more valuable.
Sir said – “oh you made me happy” and all started laughing again.

Chairman Sir –
Your interview is over. It was nice talking with you.