{"id":354178,"date":"2026-01-16T18:16:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T12:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=354178"},"modified":"2026-01-16T18:16:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T12:46:09","slug":"upsc-interview-2025-transcript-97-sanjay-verma-board-zoology-optional-maharashtra-home-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/upsc-interview-2025-transcript-97-sanjay-verma-board-zoology-optional-maharashtra-home-state\/","title":{"rendered":"[UPSC Interview 2025] \u2013 Transcript #97: Sanjay Verma Board, Zoology Optional, Maharashtra Home State"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Date of Interview:<\/strong> 07\/01\/2026<br \/>\n<strong>Board:<\/strong> Sanjay Verma Sir<br \/>\n<strong>Optional:<\/strong> Zoology<br \/>\n<strong>Home State:<\/strong> Maharashtra<br \/>\n<strong>DAF:<\/strong> Hobbies: Watching Air Crash Investigation, listening to happiness psychology podcasts, reading English fiction (children\u2019s classics)<br \/>\n<strong>Place:<\/strong> Pune, Maharashtra<br \/>\n<strong>Session:<\/strong> Forenoon<br \/>\n<strong>Order:<\/strong> Last candidate<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>To view all IAS Interview Transcripts 2025,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/interview-transcript\/#it2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit this page<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Chairman<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>1. You read children\u2019s classics? Is there a child inside you? (asked with a smile)<br \/>\nAnswer: I smiled and said yes, sir.<br \/>\n2. Which Indian English authors do you like, except Ruskin Bond?<br \/>\nAnswer: Sir, I primarily read Western authors, and among Indian authors I have only read Ruskin Bond.<br \/>\nSir raised his eyebrows and asked:<br \/>\n3. Is this honesty or confidence?<br \/>\nAnswer: Sir, honesty.<br \/>\n4. Okay, tell me about Ruskin Bond.<br \/>\n5. Name contemporary English authors.<br \/>\nAnswer: I named Kelly Barnhill, Ross Welford, I said that Roald Dahl is my favourite.<br \/>\n6. What will you suggest to promote children\u2019s classics in schools?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said teachers must encourage students,the primary reason my hobby developed was that my teacher was good.<br \/>\n7. Name three traits of public speaking.<br \/>\nAnswer: Clarity, Confidence, Composure.<br \/>\n8. If someone is giving a public speech, what three tips will you give?<br \/>\nAnswer: Breathing, cold water face dip, and paced walk.<br \/>\n9. Who is the best and the worst public speaker in India?<br \/>\nAnswer: For best, I said Shashi Tharoor. For worst, I said I cannot point to any specific person.<br \/>\n10. Don\u2019t worry, we won\u2019t tell anyone. Name one.<br \/>\n11. Who is the best public speaker in Marathi?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said my father.<br \/>\nThey all laughed and smiled.<br \/>\nThey said they understand, but asked me to name someone else.<br \/>\nI thought carefully and said Shripal Sabnis, former Chairperson of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Member 1<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>1. Why did you spend so much time preparing for the civil services? How have you contributed to this country in these youthful years?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said that I am pursuing my goal with all my effort, and by being on the right path and not straying, that is how I am contributing.<br \/>\n2. What are your career goals?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said I wish to work in the field of education.<br \/>\n3. Why?<br \/>\nAnswer: Education is a very potent tool for socio-economic upliftment.<br \/>\n4. Then why didn\u2019t you choose teaching?<br \/>\nAnswer: Sir, here I can work at a larger scale.<br \/>\n5. Tell me your views about SIR.<br \/>\nAnswer: Gave a balanced answer.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Member 2<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>1. Why do you enjoy watching air crash investigations?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said it is intellectually stimulating, and the remedies applied after each crash are wonderful to watch.<br \/>\n2. Why not train crashes?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said no other industry conducts research as intensive as the airline industry. Also, they publish videos on YouTube, whereas such material is not available for trains.<br \/>\n3. What is demographic dividend?<br \/>\n4. Compare the demographic dividend of Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.<br \/>\nI did not understand and asked again. Ma\u2019am clarified that she wanted to know about TFR.<br \/>\n5. Are you aware of these technical aspects?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said yes.<br \/>\nI explained that the TFR of Uttar Pradesh is above the replacement level, so more people are in the working-age group. For Maharashtra and Kerala, TFR is below the replacement level, so the number of dependents is on the rise.<br \/>\n6. What should be the solution? What should these states do?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said gainful employment and health education.<br \/>\n7. Ma\u2019am wanted another answer.<br \/>\nThey were all pushing me towards the ananswer and giving me hints but I did not understand.<br \/>\nThen they themselves told me that the answer was migration.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Member 3<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>1. Do you know the fertility rate required to maintain a stable population?<br \/>\nAnswer: Yes sir, it is 2.1.<br \/>\n2. What is essential for demographic dividend to actually become a dividend? What is needed? Give one example from our neighbours about what happens when it is absent.<br \/>\nAnswer: I said gainful employment, health, and education to improve the quality of the workforce.<\/p>\n<p>I said it is absent in Afghanistan (I deliberately avoided Pakistan as I did not have knowledge about its demographic dividend). I said that due to constant instability, Afghanistan was never able to utilise the potential of its youth.<br \/>\n3. What about Pakistan?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said I do not know about their demographic situation.<br \/>\nHe said that due to the decline of educational institutions, youth become jihadists there.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Member 4<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>1. Recently a prominent person from Pune passed away. Do you know who?<br \/>\nAnswer: Yes sir, former MP Suresh Kalmadi.<br \/>\n2. He was associated with some scam.<br \/>\nAnswer: 2010 Commonwealth Games scam.<br \/>\n3. Many scams happened in 2010, but no major convictions have happened. What do you think is the reason?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said delayed trials.<br \/>\nSir did not look happy.<br \/>\nHe said: Don\u2019t worry, we won\u2019t tell anyone. Speak confidently.<br \/>\nI then said political influence over the judiciary.<br \/>\n4. If you are the District Magistrate of Pune, how will you apply Chanakya Niti to collect intelligence?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said sir, I do not remember specific Chanakya Nitis.<br \/>\nHe smiled and said it\u2019s okay and asked me to tell about intelligence.<br \/>\nI said I would take the police into confidence and involve the local people.<br \/>\n5. If you are supposed to create a new town and are given no funds, what will you do?<br \/>\nAnswer: I said for funds\u2014CSR and NGOs.<br \/>\nHe said no, that was not the answer.<br \/>\nHe asked what one does when forming a town.<br \/>\nI said demarcate boundaries.<br \/>\nThen he explained.<br \/>\nI said sorry sir, I misunderstood the question.<br \/>\nHe smiled and said okay.<br \/>\nChairperson interrupted and said your interview is over. Thank you.<br \/>\nI stood up and thanked everyone.<br \/>\nMa\u2019am and other members smiled.<br \/>\nTip: Prepare why and how questions.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>To view all IAS Interview Transcripts,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/interview-transcript\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit this page<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>For full Interview Preparation Guide:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Click Here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Current Affairs For UPSC Exam 2026:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click Here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div><strong>(This transcript has been posted by a community member of ForumIAS)<\/strong><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Date of Interview: 07\/01\/2026 Board: Sanjay Verma Sir Optional: Zoology Home State: Maharashtra DAF: Hobbies: Watching Air Crash Investigation, listening to happiness psychology podcasts, reading English fiction (children\u2019s classics) Place: Pune, Maharashtra Session: Forenoon Order: Last candidate To view all IAS Interview Transcripts 2025,\u00a0visit this page Chairman 1. You read children\u2019s classics? Is there a&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/upsc-interview-2025-transcript-97-sanjay-verma-board-zoology-optional-maharashtra-home-state\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">[UPSC Interview 2025] \u2013 Transcript #97: Sanjay Verma Board, Zoology Optional, Maharashtra Home State<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12147],"tags":[12150,12148,2043,12151,9251],"class_list":["post-354178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interview-transcripts-2025","tag-12150","tag-interview_transcript2025","tag-maharashtra","tag-sanjay_verma2025","tag-zoology","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=354178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354178\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=354178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=354178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=354178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}