UPSC (IAS) Interview Questions and Answers
UPSC (IAS) is considered to be one of the toughest exam in the world. Students study hard to clear the preliminary and main examinations that lead selected candidates to the interview. This is a critical stage where selected candidates are judged and measured based on the answers of the interview questions. Always, original answers that comes naturally from within are appreciated and well taken. Nonetheless, it is important to prepare for the interview thoroughly and practice it oftenly that benefits in the interview room. We have listed below a detailed lists of questions to give you an idea of the kind of questions interviewer asks.
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UPSC (IAS) Interview Questions and Answers
How do you stay updated and informed about developments in your area of interest?
What are a few important issues in the news about India/your state / your hometown in the last few years or months?
What are today’s headlines?
What are the major economic challenges facing the country today?
What is your opinion on the recent farmer’s protest?
What are your opinions on the recent changes made to the education system in the country?
What are your views on the recent COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the country?
What is your opinion of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and what are its benefits?
A man jumped out of a plane without a parachute on but was uninjured. How is this possible?
If you were to choose between being an honest IAS officer in a corrupt system or a corrupt IAS officer in an honest system, what would you choose and why?
Do you think reservation policies are still relevant in modern-day India?
What are your thoughts on the commercialization of education?
How would you handle a situation where your personal beliefs and the government’s policies are in conflict?
If you were given the power to change one thing about our country, what would it be?
How do you handle criticism or feedback?
How has the civil service changed in the last three decades, and what is the importance of those changes?
How have you improved your UPSC knowledge over the last year, and what are your specific study methods?
Why do you want to become an IAS, IFS or IPS officer and what do you hope to do once you achieve your career goals?
What might your supervisor or manager say about you, and how might your colleagues or peers describe you?
What are the important issues of today, and what can you tell us about how they affect civil society?
What is the difference between an objective and a mission, and why is it important to know this difference?
Provide a detailed overview of the different types of corruption in India and explain what actions you might take to reduce corruption that officials have not already taken.
How might you promote women-led development in the National Capital Territory?
Explain the steps you might take to reduce the levels of pollution in New Delhi.
If you were the collector or superintendent of police in New Delhi, what actions might you take after a bomb blast?
What are the differences between terrorism, insurgency, fundamentalism and militancy?
What do you think are the most important qualities of an IAS, IFS or IPS officer?
In your opinion, what are the most important discoveries in the last two centuries?
Why do you think the civil services are important, and what might you do to promote them?
What are your views on India’s current economic situation?
What is your opinion on the current state of Indian politics?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
What is your opinion on the reservation system in India?
What is your opinion on the role of the media in society?
What are your thoughts on the caste system in India?
What is your opinion on the state of education in India?
What is your opinion on the state of education in India?
How would you handle a situation where your superiors ask you to take actions that go against your values or ethics?
Can you give an example of a challenging situation you faced as an administrator?
What are some challenges you anticipate facing as a civil servant and how do you plan on overcoming them?
To whom and to what do you credit your success?
How should one evaluate oneself before deciding to choose Civil Services as a career?
When should one ideally start the preparation process?
When did you deliberately start your preparation for this examination?
It is said that the Civil Services examination needs constant and sustained hard work. How did you keep yourself persistently motivated? What was your source of inspiration?
In your opinion, how pivotal is the selection of an Optional subject for success in the examination?
What should be the criteria for opting for them and how should one go about it? Should one choose the subjects studied at college or go for new ones?
What are the areas in GS Paper I and II in the Main examination in which the applicant can score marks easily?
Did you make any mistakes during your preparations?
How many hours do you spend in the preparations regularly?
What is more dominant for this exam, intelligence, or hard work?
Do candidates with a technical background have an advantage over general students?
Where did you practice for the examination? Does the place of practice or preparation matter?
If I go away with your sister, what would you do?
Adarsh and Anupam two twins born in May, but their birthday is in June | How is that possible?
If you got up in the morning and came to know that you are pregnant then what will you do first?
How can a man stay alive for up to 8 days without sleep?
Peacock is a bird who does not lay eggs, then how are peacock’s children born?
Can you name Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday 3 successive days without taking their name?
How do you leave a raw egg on a solid surface, it does not crack?
A cat has three children, a cat named Their January, February, and March. What is the name of the cat?
What will be 4 and 5, if 2 is a company and 3 is the crowd.
What looks like half an apple?
A murderer was sentenced to death. Shown three rooms. The first room is on fire with the second guns with the murderer in the and the third tiger, who had not eaten for three years. What should he opt for?
8 people take 10 hours to build a wall-mounted, how many days it would take to 4 people.
If you have 3 apples and 4 oranges in one hand, on the contrary, 4 apples and 3 oranges, then what do you have?
How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
In which State is the Bay of Bengal?
If you throw a red stone into the blue sea, then what will happen?
James Bond without a parachute after jumping from Aeroplane, is alive, how?
How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking?
What will you do if I run away with your sister?
The interviewer ordered a cup of coffee for the applicant. Coffee arrived and was kept before the applicant. What is before you?
What happened when the wheel was invented?
Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that there could only be 1 passenger in your car?
What if one morning you woke up & found that you were pregnant? (it was asked to a female candidate)
One day, if you found your sister nude on the bed, what will you do?
If 1 is the company and 2 is the crowd, next what will be the 3 and 4?
What looks like half an apple?
If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?
Can you tell in which STATE is the Bay of Bengal?
James Allen was pushed out of an airplane without any parachute. He survived. How?
What will you do if I run away with your sister?
This is an equation you have to solve: ( ) + ( ) + ( ) + ( ) + ( ) = 30. The following are the numbers that you can use to fill in the brackets: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. You can repeat the numbers if required. The resulting sum should be 30 only.
How many minutes are there in a year?
Alex looked at his reflection on the window mirror of the 35th floor. Driven by an irrational impulse, he leaped through the window on the other side. Yet Alex did not encounter even a single bruise. How can this be possible if he did neither land on a soft surface nor used a parachute?
Suppose you have a scooter that has two tires and one stepni (spare tire). Each tire can run 50 km. How long can a scooter run?
The interviewer ordered a cup of coffee before the arrival of the candidate. Coffee arrives and is kept before the candidate. Then, he asks, what is before you?
The interviewer put a glass in front of the candidate and asks him to fill the glass with water. The candidate poured some water into a cup, and it overflowed slightly.
How can you weigh a fish without a scale?
What is the difference between vision, mission, goals, and objectives?
How can you write 23 using only 2?
A farmer has some chickens and goats. If everyone has 90 heads and 224 legs, then what will be the number of goats?
Which shopkeeper takes your goods as well as your money?
A woman has nine children, half of whom are boys, so how can this happen?
Which state of India has the longest girls?
Which Indian temple disappears twice a day?
What is the full form of IP?
What is the national song of India? / What is our national song?
Which is the hardest substance on the earth?
Which animal can hold its breath for six days?
Who was the first person who got an Aadhar card in India?
Which is the Indian railway station which is half in Maharashtra and half in Gujarat?
Navapur Railway Station is situated half in Maharashtra and half in Gujarat.
Which animal’s milk is pink in color?
The milk color of the hippopotamus would be pink.
Which organization or body appointed the UK Sinha committee on MSMEs?
The Reserve Bank of India has appointed the UK Sinha committee on MSMEs.
Which organization launched the ‘MANI’ app to help visually challenged people in identifying the currency notes?
The Reserve Bank of India has launched the ‘MANI’ app to help visually challenged people in identifying the currency notes.
Which State has the cheapest Vegetarian Thali as per the Economic Survey 2019-20?
Jharkhand has the cheapest Vegetarian Thali as per the Economic Survey 2019-20.
Which state has the highest forest cover as per the State of Forest Report 2019?
Madhya Pradesh has the highest forest cover as per the State of Forest Report 2019
On which date India celebrate its 70th Constitution Day?
India celebrates its 70th Constitution Day on November 26.
Which city hosted the COP14 to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification?
Greater Noida hosted the COP14 to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
If you had 2 plums and 3 pears in one hand and 3 plums and 2 pears in the other hand, what would you have?
Your answer can make you stand out from the rest of the crowd as most of the candidates will answer this one something like five plums and five pears.
The tricky answer to this question will be: Very big hands!
What is the opposite of Nag Panchmi?
Nag did not punch me
