Academies offer special programmes for IAS aspirants

Many students aspire to become an IAS officer, while still in school, and follow a well chartered plan. “After finishing school, I decided to graduate in history and also simultaneously prepare for UPSC exams. My college starts at 8 am. I wake up at 6 and study for an hour and then prepare from 3-6 after college. I again get back to the books after finishing dinner,” says Murugesh K.

Similarly, a number of college students are preparing while they are still graduating. “My brother cracked the examination in his third attempt at the age of 27. After working for three years, he took a career break to prepare for exams, His advice to me that I start preparing early. So, I decided to start taking coaching early,” says Akshaya S, a final year Commerce student.

Experts who train students for the entrance exams say that if an applicant has a strong base, they can crack the exam easily. If aspirants go through the NCERT books thoroughlly, cracking the preliminary exam becomes easier, they point out.

To keep with the growing demand, quite a few training academies offer special programmes for college students. For instance, Officers IAS Academy has launched an exclusive UPSC coaching programme for college students pursuing their undergraduate (UG) degree. Students have the option of choosing either a two-year or three-year integrated programme.

Israel Jebasingh, Founder and Director, Officers IAS Academy says, “Within a few years these students are going to be entering the workplace where automation, increased competition and reduced opportunities are the norm. Our two-year and three-year integrated programme, will help these students have a choice of careers when they graduate, and prepare them for an alternate career path of being a civil servant should they so choose or desire.”

He further adds that students who enroll in the programme not only meet the UPSC eligibility criteria upon graduation, but also are well prepared to crack the exam, without investing further time in study preparation.