Challenging and Fun Questions from IAS Interviews

Intriguing IAS Interview Questions

In today's world, many young individuals aspire to become high-ranking officials, with the dream of passing the IAS exam, which is considered one of the toughest in the country. Many candidates put in tremendous effort to succeed, but not everyone achieves their goal. The interview stage of this exam is particularly challenging.

Every year, millions of students apply for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, hoping to clear it and become IAS officers. However, passing the exam is just the first hurdle; the interview process is known for its difficulty.

Once candidates clear the civil service exam, they face the interview, which is notoriously tough. Many candidates fail at this stage due to the complex and thought-provoking questions posed to them, designed to test their mental acuity.

In this article, we will explore some of the intriguing and challenging questions that are often asked during IAS interviews. You might be surprised by the cleverness of these questions and the simple yet perplexing answers that candidates often struggle with.

Question: Why is walking on snow more difficult than walking on a road?
Answer: Snow has less friction compared to a road, making it harder to walk on.

Question: A man sees a girl and says, 'Her mother's father is my father-in-law.' Who is the girl to him?
Answer: Daughter.

Question: Who became the youngest Prime Minister in the world?
Answer: Sanna Marin of Finland holds this title.

Question: In which country are girls unmarried due to a shortage of boys for marriage?
Answer: In the town of Noevo do Cordeiro in Brazil, there is a significant shortage of boys.

Question: If your uncle's sister is not your aunt, then who is she?
Answer: She is your mother.

Question: Which animal cries like humans when injured?
Answer: A bear.

Question: A murderer is sentenced to death and shown three rooms: one on fire, one with a rifle, and one with a tiger that hasn't eaten for three years. Which room should he choose?
Answer: Room three, as the tiger would have died from starvation.

Question: What is something that solidifies when heated?
Answer: An egg solidifies when cooked.

Question: Why do girls' shirts not have pockets?
Answer: To maintain the aesthetic appeal of the shirt.

Question: What is something that cannot be bought for oneself?
Answer: A shroud, as one cannot purchase it for themselves.

Question: What symbol can be placed between 6, 5, and 9 to create a number greater than 5 and less than 9?
Answer: A decimal point.

Question: Which substance does not contain protein?
Answer: Rice.

Question: What is the largest mosque in the world?
Answer: The Al-Masjid al-Haram in Iraq.

Question: In which country are there no temples?
Answer: Saudi Arabia.

Question: Which Mughal emperor established the Din-i Ilahi religious sect?
Answer: Akbar.

Question: Who coined the famous phrase 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people'?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln.

Question: Who was the president of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India?
Answer: Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Question: Who assisted Rani Lakshmibai during the revolt of 1857 in Gwalior?
Answer: Tatya Tope.

Question: Which Indian state touches the borders of seven states?
Answer: Assam.

Question: Who decides whether a bill is a money bill?
Answer: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Question: Which country was the first to impose a complete ban on tobacco?
Answer: Bhutan.

Question: Where will the first leather industry in the country be established?
Answer: Kanpur.

Question: Who became Afghanistan's first female break dancer?
Answer: Maniza Talash Udaan.

Question: Who is the author of the book 'Recollections of Life'?
Answer: Hamid.

Question: Who won the Roman Rolland Book Prize in 2021?
Answer: Le Mariage de Plaisir.

Question: In which country will the AFC Women's Football Asia Cup 2022 be held?
Answer: India.

Question: Which state government launched the UDYAM Sarthi app to inform youth about self-employment opportunities?
Answer: Uttar Pradesh.

Question: When is Martyrs' Day observed?
Answer: January 30.

Question: What is the name of the bird that appears on Twitter?
Answer: Larry.

Question: Who was the first Englishman to attend the Mughal court during Jahangir's reign?
Answer: Captain William Hawkins.

Question: Which bird never lands on the ground?
Answer: The Harial, the state bird of Maharashtra.

Question: What is the strongest part of the human body?
Answer: The tongue.

Question: What is the Hindi term for police?
Answer: Rajkiya Jan Rakshak.

Question: What was the purpose of forming the Tendulkar Committee?
Answer: To measure agricultural production.

Question: What is the Hindi word for bank?
Answer: Adhikosh.

Question: Where is the world's sweetest and purest water found?
Answer: Lake Baikal, which holds 20% of the world's surface freshwater.

Question: If cold and hot water are placed in a fridge, which will freeze first?
Answer: The hot water will freeze first.

Question: If one camel is facing north and another south, can they eat from the same bowl?
Answer: Yes, because they are facing each other.

Question: Which tree produces the most oxygen?
Answer: The Peepal tree.

Question: Which animal sleeps for two months after birth?
Answer: A bear.

Question: Which planet has the most moons?
Answer: Jupiter, which had 63 moons discovered in 2009.

Question: What word contains fruit, flower, and sweet?
Answer: Gulab Jamun.

Question: How can a man stay awake for eight days?
Answer: He sleeps at night.

Question: How many minutes are there in 365 days?
Answer: 525,600 minutes.

Question: What is the longest grass in the world?
Answer: Bamboo.

Question: Who took the second step on the moon?
Answer: Neil Armstrong.

Question: Which planet has the most moons?
Answer: Jupiter.

Question: What is the fastest networking technology compared to Wi-Fi?
Answer: Li-Fi.

Question: What animal can survive without drinking water?
Answer: A rat.

Question: Who was the first person to get an Aadhaar card in India?
Answer: Ranjana Sonawane.

Question: Which railway station in India is half in Maharashtra and half in Gujarat?
Answer: Navapur.

Question: What is something that never rots?
Answer: Honey.

Question: In which country does the sun shine at midnight?
Answer: Norway.

Question: Which Union Territory is located between which two states?
Answer: Dadra and Nagar Haveli is between Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Question: What is the first game played on the moon?
Answer: Golf.

Question: Who can remain in their position only at the pleasure of the President of India?
Answer: The Governor.

Question: How would you drop a raw egg on a solid surface without breaking it?
Answer: The solid surface won't break the egg, so you can drop it however you like.

Question: If you find out your wife is having an affair, what would you do?
Answer: The candidate responded that he would file a case against the man under Section 497 for adultery and try to reconcile with his wife.

Question: What increases continuously after eating?
Answer: Greed.

Question: What happens if someone accidentally drinks hand sanitizer?
Answer: It can damage the nervous system and lead to low blood sugar, coma, or seizures.

Question: A clock is running fast. If it was 5 minutes slow on Sunday at 8:00 AM and 7 minutes fast on Tuesday at 8:00 AM, when did it show the correct time?
Answer: 11:30.

Question: Which part of the body does not grow from childhood to old age?
Answer: The eye.

Question: Why don't railway tracks rust?
Answer: Due to constant friction.