[UPSC Interview 2025] – Transcript #61: Sheel Vardhan Board, History Optional, Uttar Pradesh Home State

Date of Interview: 16/12/2025 forenoon 2nd to go.
Board: Sheel Vardhan sir’s
Optional: History
Home State: Uttar Pradesh

DAF: history, research, asiatic society, Kanpur

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Chairman

Good afternoon, welcome to the conversation, please take your seat.
*Started questioning*
1) 2 events you could change, one from modern one from world
2) tell me the conversation that Oppenheimer had with Us President. You should read it it’s interesting
3) relate history and geography for me
4) what is subaltern history
5) is there a social dynamic in jungles? Can I write the history of marginalized animals ?
6) who was lachit borphukan?
(Follow ups)
Which battle, year, against whom, land or sea

Member 1

you’re from kanpur, what was its original name. I mean it was part of which kingdom
– why it has been in the news
– tell me about namami gange progress in kanpur and which ministry
– leather ? Why it has declined
– (one or two history questions I can’t recall)

Member 2

are you on social media ? Instagram or Facebook? WhatsApp or telegram?
– how to counter the history narratives on whatsapp?
– your views on this happening?
– okay tell me about one nation one election (the chairperson helped me in the negative part although the member seemed satisfied)
– one more ques, I can’t recall

Member 3

tell me about yoginis ?
– what was their origin story ?
– so you’ve done a course with asiatic society
– tell me about its purpose for being established and all the verticals working at present
– recent history book you read ? Have you read romila thappar’s early india ? AL basham ?

Member 4

(lady member, grilling mode, poker face)
– what were your papers in history ? (I told) Okay, then I will not ask you from this
– tell me about (named 3 random battles) – i said sorry
– why were Indians fighting for the Britishers in the WW1 ? Okay leave it, tell me would you have fought for the INA or for the Britishers ? In WW 2
– okay so, you are saying germany did holocaust and you’re favouring INA? Because INA belived Germany would win ? I said I’m for the cause of independence, there was no guaranteed promise as such by the British Raj to grant immediate powers after the war, moreover the Germans help was limited – explained how, japan was a threat etc etc
– okay now tell me, you are in a district and then I give funds which you can either invest in social indicators or infrastructure. Which one you’ll pick
( Asked if the allocation could be 50-50, she said there’s always a cost benefit, it’s up to you)
– so you’re saying infra is more important? People are sick and you’ll invest in infrastructure
( Explained to her that infrastructure includes hospitals, accessibility, better facilities even in the PHC and if not then would increase the refferal rate and by that automatically the health indicators would go up, in building the infra, employment would be generated for the skilled as well as the unskilled would translate into wage increase would lead to better standard of living, digitise the public school classrooms etc etc – would lead to holistic development)
– she said are you sure you will stick to your decision ?
– I said, yes ma’am, I will.
– she finally smiled and said thank you

Chairperson: thank you, your interview is over. It was very nice interacting with you.

(Said thank you, walked out, while closing the door, the chairperson kept looking, peripheral vision se I could see)

– felt the time pass by very quickl, but checked and realised that it went on for 30-32 minutes.
– i did say sorry, 2 times to lady member, once to chairperson and once to member 1.
– chairperson was giving a lot of expressions – cannot decode them, he did try to help me twice in answering.
– it was an average interview for me, more like ques ans and viva, board was asking back to back ques without giving a lot of time to answer as compared to mocks.
– *lastly, my only source of preparation was with UTKARSH SHUKLA SIR- MentorAID, and the daily discussion group of 4 people at the end, learned a lot from selected candidates and seniors*.

All in God’s hand now.