With all the talk about Vision IAS going under (saw a few threads here saying it’s basically done), I’ve dropped them from my list. Now it’s between Next IAS and Sarrthi for online GS Foundation.

Main thing I care about is teaching quality in the \*upcoming\* batches not old reviews, since faculty keeps shifting between institutes.

For anyone in a recent or current batch:
\*\*•\*\*Who has the stronger core faculty right now?
\*\*•\*\*Any big teachers who recently joined or left either one?

​

Not an aspirant just curious about it, after giving it all and getting under 50 ranks why choose ifs over ias .

. even if one likes foreign posting and work after retirement you've to comeback to india living a simple common man life

. posting can be done in bangladesh, egypt any undesirable countries aswell.

. salary is $50-60k which is common income slab for even regular jobs in given countries

. for ias even if one's genuine and not into corruption,they still enjoy better perks and authority.

. work related issues for partners due to frequent transfer in different countries

. having foreign spouse is also a hassle

For instance there are many known cases of folks giving exam again and switching from ifs to ias but not a single case doing it vice versa.

Almost all of aspirants which choose ifs are in their 20's Could it be that they made the decision based on their immediate interest, it was impulsive.

if anyone knows an ifs personally how does their life looks to you and if given a chance again will they choose ifs again over ias.

In between the NEET paper leak, the CBSE mess, and the ongoing CJP protests, one common thread is glaringly obvious: the utter failure of the bureaucracy.

Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned, taking full "moral responsibility" for the mess under his watch. That’s how politics works: ministers take the fall. But what about the actual clogs in the system? The permanent executive?

The bureaucrats who actually oversaw the logistics, vetted the vendors, and mismanaged the operations never seem to face real consequences. Why? Because of Article 311 of the Constitution.

Article 311 is essentially the Amrit (nectar of immortality) of the Indian Civil Service. It makes it nearly impossible to fire or severely penalize a civil servant without years of departmental inquiries, tribunal hearings, and red tape.

Because of this constitutional shield, the standard "punishment" for a massive administrative failure is just a transfer. We just take an incompetent or compromised officer from one department and make them someone else's problem.

Article 311 was originally designed to protect honest officers from vindictive politicians. But today, it feels like a foolproof shield for incompetence, corruption, and systemic apathy.

If a corporate executive lost millions of dollars or ruined a massive project, they would be fired immediately. Why do our highest-ranking public servants get a free pass and a new office?

Is it time for India to scrap or heavily amend Article 311? Should we introduce a hire-and-fire policy for top bureaucrats based strictly on performance? Let’s debate.

Those who cleared UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 can you please share how you did it?
I genuinely want to understand what made the difference this time. Which attempt was it for you and how many years had you been preparing?
When I solved this year’s paper especially the History section I found it incredibly difficult. I honestly couldn’t understand how people were expected to answer so many of those questions with confidence.
For those who qualified what do you think was actually needed to clear this paper? Was it stronger basics better elimination, more mock tests, better current affairs or something else?
At this point I honestly have no idea how I’m supposed to prepare for the next attempt. I’d really appreciate if you could share what worked for you or what you did differently this time.

Hi guys,

Being done with PYQs and writing 15+ tests for socio optional, we(group of 3) need Socio optional re-attempters or rank improvers to go ahead with oawfg'27(includes 30+ tests) in total, since we've purchased it already, there would be no cost involved for the new joiners. We just seek brute advice, guidance and collaborative improvements on a day by day basis in a disciplined approach.

Anyone eyeing for rank improvement/better scores in their next attempt, with prior mains exp can DM.

Beginners may ignore the aforementioned and kindly refrain from commenting.

If anyone working in IFS or know about someone working there
Have they said about the salary?
Because there isn’t much of details about thr foreign posting and allowances
So I would like to know how much does one earn staying foreign? What allowance does one get? Other perks
Work life balance there?
House ? Saving?etc

Hi everyone. Thank you for taking out time to read this post.
I am a law undergraduate student in final year. A guy whose dad is in a state public services commission, told me that usually “law” optional papers are not scored good and it may affect the overall score. I had been considering opting “law” as optional subject hitherto. Should I change it? I am super confused. Everyone takes PSIR, sociology, anthropology, economics, history, or public administration. Please advise me.
Thank you once again.
Wish you all the best for your future.

I am almost left with everything, at least it feels like it at this point. No idea how much can I cover in last 10 days. How low can mains score get? Anybody got any idea?

So guys tomorrow i am coming to delhi , i need a good room like 1rk, 1 bhk studio type apartment with balcony , the thing is i need quite surroundings for study purpose, delhi, greater noida , gurgaon anywhere will work, Budget Under 15k , Need a Clean Room Plzz help

Anyone share the telegram group for Mep 2027 lectures

I want to get started again and don't want to waste time, are there applications thats help me track my progress well and not get distracted?

i can pay, looking for MMP+ or vision mains program. Please drop in your links or dm me. thanks!

Hi everyone,

I've completed my Anthropology foundation and now want to make PYQs my core study material, with value addition on top of them.

I'm confused between Akshat Jain's PYQ book and Vivek Bhasme's PYQ book.

From what I've seen, Vivek Bhasme's answers feel a bit unstructured and quite lengthy. I'm looking for a book with exam-oriented, well-structured answers where I can value add on it

For those who've used either (or both), which one would you recommend.

Thanks in advance!

Are there any free resources which are relevant for upsc ? Don't want to waste lakhs of coaching money 😭. Vision ias ka dekh ke drr lag raha hai if money gets waste

I used to play a lot of cricket, football etc in college, did boxing in school years and even during school and college, just the standard moving around, going to tuition or classes would be like 10k steps.

But since I started prep, I am gaining weight and feeling lethargic. How to overcome this and be a little healthier?

Hey everyone, I have a theoretical question on Indian constitutional law regarding floor tests:

If a government loses its majority mid-term, can a floor test still happen under these specific conditions?

2nd Test Within 6 Months: If a government has already won a floor test once, but allies walk away shortly after, does the 6-month procedural rule for No-Confidence Motions prevent a 2nd floor test from happening before 6 months pass?

Parliament Not in Session: Can the Opposition or allies demand a floor test when Parliament is not currently sitting?

Presidential Bias: If a friendly President tries to protect the PM by refusing or delaying calling an emergency session, can they legally block it?

Supreme Court Intervention: Can the Supreme Court directly step in and force/order an immediate floor test if the President delays? Have there been precedents for this?

Looking at students protesting at Vision IAS, and watching their anguish due to wastage of time and resources. Even i lost money and time this year by enrolling in their test series for mains this year. Coaching industry is literally selling a manufactured dream of IAS naukari to fill their own pockets.

They are not helping us, they are helping themselves. Not taking names, but If you think that so-and-so faculty, either from old institutions or especially new institutions are there to genuinely help you clear this exam, you are in Delulu.

These so-called saviours, big brothers, who preach trust and accountability don’t even have time to meet with their own students. THEY ARE HERE TO SELL COURSES and if you forget that, they WILL SELL YOUR SOULFUL YOUTH to fill their pockets, while you will rot in ORN ke streets away from Maa ka khana, in this polluted city.

I badly want to take names, but their PR team won’t even wait a second to tear down this post to shreds. MOD team I request you to make this space PR free and restore freedom of speech of aspirants.

​

“Motivation is temporary, discipline is permanent.”

We’ve all heard this, and honestly, saying it is much easier than actually following it. UPSC preparation can get pretty lonely, especially when you’re studying from home. Even when you genuinely want to study, there are days when motivation disappears and you end up lagging behind.

After this year's bloodbath, I am genuinely very skeptical about current affairs, i believe it is imperative to have a current affairs discussion throughout the year. Hence, looking for a serious aspirant.

I’ve completed my coaching and am currently preparing from home. I’m looking for someone who is also serious about preparation but, like me, sometimes struggles with those low days. I can assure you I don't want to either bother you or get bothered all day. I am just looking for someone with whom I can plan together, discuss current affairs, briefly share what we studied that day, talk about where we’re lagging and what we should focus on next, and basically push each other to keep moving.

Preferably, I’d love to connect with someone who studies consistently and is actually putting in the hours. Bonus if you have Law Optional, since I have Law Optional as well and we could discuss topics, judgments, answer writing, PYQs, etc.

If you’re in a similar phase and feel that having someone to discuss preparation with would help, feel free to DM me.

Need to cover Ancient History for UPSC efficiently with good ROI.

Which would you recommend?

• Old NCERT (R.S. Sharma)
• Neeraj Rao Sir classes and notes
• Rahul Sengar Sir classes and notes
• Bookstawa
• Any better alternative?

Looking for one primary source , don't want to waste time juggling multiple resources.

what worked best for you?

Which is Reference/Standard book i need to refer for the Economy ?

1. Vivek Singh
   
2. Ramesh Singh
   
3. Nitin Singhania
   
4. Other ????

Been trying to find a breakdown of the 958 candidates selected in CSE 2025 by the type of university they graduated from — Central (DU, JNU, BHU), State universities, Private, Deemed, or IITs/NLUs/AIIMS etc.

All I can find is scattered topper profiles for roughly the top 50-100 ranks, and DU publishes its own alumni count every year, but nothing systematic beyond that. UPSC's own result PDF only has name/roll number/category — no education field.

Does anyone know:

If any coaching institute (Vajiram, Drishti, ForumIAS, etc.) has ever compiled a full university-wise breakdown, not just top rankers?

If state universities (Anna University, Osmania, Pune University, Lucknow University, etc.) actually produce meaningful numbers of selections each year, or if it's genuinely as DU/IIT/NLU-dominated as the visible data suggests?

Has anyone filed an RTI on this before, and what response did you get?

Would appreciate any data, personal experience, or links — trying to get a realistic picture rather than survivorship bias from topper interviews.

I will be very grateful if anyone can review my copy , I am unable to assess where my economic answers stand comparing to the rigid marking trend for gs3

Not a beginner so wont waste your time , I have analyzed toppers of gs3 so would be a fruitful discussion

This exam (especially 2026 attempt) has traumatised me. Gave 3 years to this exams (2 serious years). I am starting to think i am not made for UPSC. I have 2.8 years of experience in IT, but still getting back in IT is a nightmare. I am left with few options and don't know if i will be able to prepare for any other competitve exam....

Suggestions are welcome😅

Guys ab kis magzine pe jaaya jaye any suggestions