Medium of Language in the UPSC Interview

“Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.” – Roger Bacon 

IAS aspirants can give the UPSC interview in English or any regional language mentioned in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution irrespective of the medium of the written exam, as per the announcement by the UPSC in 2011.

Know about the Medium of Language in IAS Interview

Candidates can opt for English, Hindi or any other regional language when facing the UPSC panel. Only those candidates who are exempt from taking the compulsory Indian language paper should attend the interview in either English or Hindi. Contrary to what a lot of people think, there is no advantage in choosing any language as the medium of the interview. What matters is whether you are comfortable in the language you choose. In fact, there have been toppers who took the UPSC interview in regional languages.

In any case, as IAS officers, you would be trained in the language of your cadre while you are in training at LBSNAA, Mussoorie. As most IAS officers experience, while working in your state/cadre, your medium of communication would mostly be the local language. Only when you are given central deputation would you use English. So, English speakers have no specific benefit.

What is important is to develop fluency in the language you choose for the interview. You may have written the UPSC exam in English, but if you feel you are better off speaking Hindi or Tamil or any other regional language that is your native language, you can opt for it. In fact, there are many talented people in India who are well-versed in written English but falter when it comes to conversing in it. It is in the interests of those candidates that the UPSC decided to usher in this change.

Some people believe that since interpreters would be needed if you choose any regional language, it can hamper your ability to communicate effectively. But again this is subjective. What the UPSC assesses in the personality test is the personality traits of a person and not his language skills. So, if you are able to put across your points in any one language effectively, it would be enough. In fact, it is better to speak in your mother tongue well rather than stammer and stumble in another language.

There are many candidates who have topped the UPSC exam with Indian language as the medium. For more such articles and strategy on clearing the IAS exam, visit the BYJU’S free IAS prep website.

Also Read:

UPSC Calendar 2023 UPSC Books
UPSC 2023 UPSC Notes
IAS Success with Hindi Medium: Gaurav Singh Sogarwal, AIR 46, CSE 2016 How to improve English for UPSC Exam
IAS Hindi Medium Topper 2017 UPSC Eligibility

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  1. Sir, Manipuri is mentioned in 8th Schedule language. Can i give interview in Manipuri language. And Sir, it is possible that I haven’t heared anyone giving interview in Manipuri language.

    • Hi Abinash
      As per UPSC 2011 regulations, an aspirant can choose English/Hindi or any regional language included in 8th Schedule of The Indian Constitution for UPSC Interview. So, you are allowed to give an interview in Manipuri language.

  2. Hi Sir/Mam I am Kannada Can I write UPSC Prilms And Mains In English and Can I give Interview In Kannada language Can You Plz Tell me.

    • Hi Pruthvi
      IAS aspirants can give the UPSC interview in English or any regional language mentioned in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution irrespective of the medium of the written exam, as per the announcement by the UPSC in 2011. Check for UPSC Eligibility Criteria for further updates.

      • Sir I want write mains in english and I want to give a interview in kannada is it possible

      • Dear Aspirant,
        The following points have to be noted down w.r.t. the medium of language in UPSC interview
        1. A candidate can choose either English or Hindi or any one regional language provided in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
        2. Only those candidates have to choose English/Hindi who were earlier exempted from compulsory Indian Language paper in UPSC Mains.
        3. You can write Mains in English and give an interview in Kannada. The selection of the languages has to be made while filling applications for Prelims and Mains (DAF).

        For more such explanations and aid in your IAS preparation, we suggest you download BYJU’S – The Learning App.

  3. Hi ,Sir/Mam ,
    I am from West Bengal ,my regional language is bengali .Can I give upsc main exam in Bengali ?

  4. Hi sir, i am from kerala . For the interview can i include both Malayalam and English vocabulary while speaking?

    • Hi Ben
      As far as UPSC interview is concerned, you can choose any one language (official) to take the interview. However, then you have to stick with that one language for the entire interview process. It is suggested not to mix two languages to maintain professionalism.

  5. Hi sir, I am from Assam
    Can I give my upsc interview in Assamese

  6. Hi sir i am from west bengal .can i give my main exam and interview in bengali??

  7. Hi am from kerala
    Most of us has this doubt regarding this,
    That is
    I would like to write my mains exam in English and interview in Malayalam. Is it possible to do that with upsc exam ?

    • Yes
      It is allowed. While filling the DAF form, you have to choose a language for the interview where you can mention a regional language (as recognized by the Indian Constitution.)

  8. Hello sir
    Im from Karnataka
    I have Bit confusion about
    In which language mains exam to be written
    And in which area we should write in our language kannada

    • Hi Harsha
      There are nine papers in Mains. You can write all but English Language paper in Kannada. While filling the Mains application form, you will be required to fill the choice of medium of language. You can choose the Kannada language.

  9. Hello Sir/Madam,

    can I write my prelims and main both exam in the Hindi medium?

    is English is one of the compulsory subject for the mains exam?

    Byjus have classroom/online for the Hindi medium?

    Thanks

    • Hi
      Prelims exam is objective in nature. You can choose the Hindi language as the medium for answer writing in Mains; except for the English Language Paper which is compulsory for all the candidates.

  10. Hlo sir,
    Can I give byjus interview in hindi?

  11. Sir , can I give interview in hindi after opting english for answer writting in upsc mains

  12. can we give interview in mixing of both language like bilingual english and hindi

    • No. One language has to be selected while filling the DAF. An aspirant is advised to prepare for the interview in the language chosen by him.

  13. mam /sir
    can i give ias exam in english and interview in hindi???

  14. sir,
    I’m from Andhra Pradesh, I have a confusion i. e if we choose Indian compulsory language in Telugu and for optional subject is Telugu is available as optional?

  15. Sir , It is possible to give prelim and mains in English language and interview in Hindi language?

    • Yes, you can choose the medium of the interview while filling the UPSC Mains application form.

      • SIR, giving mains in english and interview in hindi language. Can it affect my Rank in final list of UPSC ?

      • Hi,
        No, it doesn’t affect your rank. The rank depends on the marks you secure in Mains and the interview. The medium of language is not a barrier. Your knowledge and grasp of the subjects impact your rank.

  16. Is it possible to answer GS papers in English and optional paper in marathi?

    • Hi,
      If you choose Marathi Literature as your optional subject, then you will have to write optional papers in the Marathi language only.

  17. i want to ask something sir if I opted for medium English for writing mains but i choose hindi for my interview but as my whole schooling or graduation is done from English medium and if I opted management as my optional than if it will create any problem if i give my some academic related answers completely in English coz I’m not able to answer it in hindi?

    • Hi,
      It is important to stick to the language selected by you for your interview. Switching between English and Hindi could bring some discomfort to the interviewers. Hence, it is always advisable to be confident with the language you have chosen.

  18. Can we give prelims ,mains as well as interview in marathi

    • Hi,
      There is no provision for selecting the regional language in Prelims. However, Mains and Interview can be given in any one of the scheduled languages of India.

  19. Dear Sir/Madam,

    This is Sayan Nayek, from West Bengal. I am a Civil Service aspirant. I will appear in upsc cse exam in the year 2022. I will opt English language for writing in UPSC main exam. As I already mentioned that I belong to WB, So, I basically done my schooling from West Bengal board. So, in UPSC CSE Main exam, for Paper-A(Compulsory Indian Language) , I will opt Bengali for the same. But later if I want to give my Personality Test/Interview in Hindi language, then can I do this or not ???

    I shall be highly glad and much obliged if you kindly consider on my concerns and inform me as early as possible on this query.

    Thanking you.

    Yours faithfully,
    Sayan Nayek.

    Note – I can read, write & speak in Hindi.

    • Dear Aspirant,
      One can select his/her medium of the language in the interview while filling UPSC Mains application form. Hence, you can choose Bengali as your Compulsory Indian Language Paper, and opt for the Hindi language for a personality test.

      All the best!