Saturday, July 25, 2015

COACHING OR NO COACHING

COACHING and My recommendation – I took coaching in my first attempt in 2009-10. I did not have idea about the preparation. I did not even know what the topics of the course meant! I had no friends or family who had ever done this. That time, in 2009-10 there was no material available online. I didn’t know even NCERT books are needed. I needed coaching mainly for my optional. I didn’t attend most of the G.S. classes but did attend the optional classes. I had to prepare most of the stuff on my own though they helped guide me on where to start. These days a lot of material is available online and a lot of guidance on where to begin is also present online so if I were preparing today, I would not join them. I don’t recommend or condemn them. It depends on the sort of person you are. Some of us need hand-holding and need someone else to keep them on track and some of us are self-motivated. So it all depends on how you think you can succeed best. Though if it is only about material, a lot of it is available online these days.

Coaching at ALS, South Delhi centre in specific – I took Geography, Public Administration and G.S. classes from ALS. 
Geography as taught by Mr. Shashank Atom was brilliant. The teacher helped you recognise patterns and build your understanding yourself. I never opened a single book for Paper 2 of geography as I had understood everything so clearly in his class. I just had to update myself on the trends from the Economic Survey and the Census. Even though he didn’t actually like me and even doubted I would ever get selected, I think he was a brilliant teacher because he made sure our fundamentals were built.

General Studies and Geography as taught by Mr. Jojo Matthews was absolutely terrible. In my opinion, he was pretty much the worst teacher possible. Firstly, he just comes to class and starts narrating some data which you have to take down at the speed of light because he doesn’t feel like he should slow down and either try to explain anything or even give you enough time to properly put your pen to paper, so that you might be able to read the things you have written, sometime in future. After the first few attempts I gave up altogether. Another really nice thing he does, is insult the students when they ask questions. And not only does he insult you when you ask, right then and there, he continues doing it for the rest of the class and carries it to the next if he can remember you. He thinks he is being funny, the student who dared to ask feels he is being insulting, and I just found it all plain offensive and rude. A teacher should create a learning environment and no question is too stupid - something I think he missed when he decided to become a teacher. 

Also he has claimed credit for my success so I think this is where I should clarify a few things that happened. I had given the exam in 2010 & 2011 and scored a rank both times. I did not give in 2012 because I thought I needed to first solve my matter in court before attempting this again, if ever. Since nothing was happening, I decided to try doing it again with the completely overhauled pattern in 2013. I went to their South Delhi centre where I had taken the coaching and begged them to let me buy the material for the new pattern. I told them I’d pay whatever they were charging. I was told that Mr. Matthews had given strict instructions and that I should call and ask him. I called him 5 times and messaged him 3 times. I told him I was an old student and that I had cleared the exam before and I wanted to buy the material and was ready to pay full price. He told me to call later but he didn’t deign pick my calls later. He did NOT EVEN ONCE RESPOND TO MY MESSAGES AND AFTER THE FIRST TIME STOPPED TAKING MY CALLS. He didn’t care if I was a partially successful ex-student. Actually he doesn’t really care if you are his student, he needs money and as long as you are paying for the full class again, he will give you the material…not that he is polite and caring as a teacher should be even then! But then this time, as soon as the result came, he found time from his super busy life to call and congratulate me! I am suddenly important!


Oh and by the way, ALS was the one who taught me to write only in paragraphs. In fact they insisted on it! They said NEVER WRITE IN POINTS. If I had stopped following their advice earlier, I might have not had to wait for my fourth attempt to clear IAS. I only wrote in points this time cause my friend Savita who was a fellow sufferer at their hands told me that all the toppers write in points! I was still scared to follow her advice because ALS had insisted SOOOO HARD to never write in points! But I thought, well it’s not like I ever got brilliant marks ever before so let me just try it! In my B-School and Engineering we wrote the answers in points and it made everything to much simpler. But due to the coaching centre I wrote all my previous attempts in paragraphs. This time I did the opposite and I think I did a lot better in my presentation.

617 comments:

  1. Mam you are genius. Next year my graduation will be completed. Coming to delhi for my upsc preparation. Mam need your help and guidance

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    1. Hi Aarush, Please post your queries here so that I may answer them. Also there are blogs being done by other toppers which you can refer for any sort of guidance. Best of luck!

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  2. ALS is torn apart....WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Maam, Thx for such valuable post . Its a eyewash for me and other candidate also .

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  4. Maam, Thx for such valuable post . Its a eyewash for me and other candidate also .

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  5. Inspiring .
    And Congratulations...

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  6. Inspiring .
    And Congratulations...

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  7. Dear ira congratulations nd thanx for this valuable post

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  8. Mam i m in B.tech 3 rd year .....
    From when i should start for civil ...

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    1. Please read the rest of my post. Best of luck!

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    2. oh my god..............................you are just awesome mam............

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  9. Thank you so much Ira for such a candid and Honest opinion about coaching classes. Many toppers don't disclose this in public domain. Being an ex-ALS student I completely subscribe to your views. Regarding GS answer writing part thanks for clarifying that writing in points is the way to go. For Geography optional did you elucidate you points with the aid of diagrams wherever necessary? Please guide.

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    1. Yes I did but since I draw like a class 2 student, I tend to avoid diagrams. I wish I drew better!

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    2. Yes I did but since I draw like a class 2 student, I tend to avoid diagrams. I wish I drew better!

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    3. Hehe. Maybe the examiner was impressed with your Class 2 diagrams for a Class 1 post. :) Thanks a lot for the prompt reply though. Really appreciate. All the Best for your endeavor to bring about some Positive change in the Lives of our citizens as an IAS officer. God willing will meet you soon as part of the Steel Frame of our Nation. :)

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  10. Hi ma'am! Congratulations! I have a very specific doubt as I am going to join ALS next weekend itself. I understand that there are good teachers and bad teachers and what you take from a coaching ultimately depends on your understanding, but as you mentioned their approach against writing in points, is there anything else in their methodology (good or bad) that I need to know too which will help me in my preparation?
    Thank you!

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    1. Nope. This is all I felt. In the end, I had to anyway prepare most stuff myself. Coachings only help so much! It helped me get a direction to start from. Best of luck!

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  11. I m also handicapped currently i work as govt teacher in primary school this is my childhood dream goto im civil service but i m weak in English and prepared in Hindi medium mam u r my ideal plz guide me

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    1. Hindi Medium is just as good. Best of luck. I have mentioned everything I know here. Hope it helps.

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  12. Madam plss tell me how to prepare for RBI b grade officer

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    1. Sorry I don't know anything about that! Please ask some candidates who have been successful in that! Best of luck!

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    2. Ok then please tell good books for economy or online source?

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    3. Could you please check my other posts? I have done one full post on books and material I used. Economy was a part of GS-3 for us. Hope it helps!

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  13. My respect for you has reached a whole new level. You are an inspiration for millions.I salute your straightforwardness and down to earth approach. You have both- a big heart and a sharp brain. Mam, thanks you for your guidance.

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  14. Madam mai ek handicapped hu aur Nicl me assistant hu mai upsc ka preparation Karna chahta hu mera language Hindi hai plz suggest me kaha se suruaat kare..

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    1. sorry...please ask people who cleared with Hindi

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  15. Thnk u ira for ur so much valueable share

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  17. Hello Ira..:) When I read about you on the day of your result.. I was just frozen at your Will..!! I can only imagine, how hard you have toiled and how painstaking was your path to walk..!! But the thing that sets you apart is the Sheer Will, with which you walked, basked in the glory and set an example perhaps no one did in the history of this exam at least in the nearby past..!! I mean its a rare sight to see someone standing in an open competition and surprising everyone, as you were hardly expected to stand, forget winning..! I think your teacher @ ALS also felt same..! But I am sure he was totally surprised and could not believe for what he heard or read that day at least for a few moments..!! :) Personally I have no words to describe how much I am respectfully awed at you and really feel from the bottom of my heart that you belong to the league of Inspiring legends like Karoly Takacs..!! :) And so I have pasted an article regarding You, off course with that never fainting smile :) along with Zuckerberg and Edison on the bulletin board in my room so that I can remember the 'Remarkable Will', if I ever get tired. I will be really happy to meet you and see a Living Legend.. but think I will have to wait for a while.. :) I have never wrote to anyone though their achievements awed me, but I simply could not resist when I saw a link to your blog on my facebook. So now I am also gonna have useful tips from the Inspiration herself..!! Thats a Bonus :) Best luck dear..!! Though a person like you don't really need it :) Your Day has Risen after Countless Dark Nights..!Enjoy the glory.. :)

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    1. I don't think I deserve all that praise but thank you nonetheless! Best of luck in your endeavours!

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    4. Thank You Very Much for Your Wishes..!! :) You are very humble but you deserved better but nonetheless..! Its just I wrote whatever that came to my mind, shown to friends first to make sure I don't write anything inappropriate, they were unaware about you first but when I made them read an article about you one said :"Hats off to this Girl.!'' And said Go ahead to post it :) "Its not for nothing that you made me remember Karoly Takacs :) Every one gets a fair opportunity but not everyone has to face what you did and still didn't let excuses overcome you..! Hats off..!! :)
      Also I share your view regarding coaching class I took coaching at Vajiram and observed such behavior from almost every coaching class as Money Matters the most..!! I have seen comments against your view in this post and they have the Right to express themselves but they may or may not be those 'Coaching Walas'..!! You may be remembering that post from Gaurav Agarwal Sir's blog :)

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    5. How was it,, those classes in vajiram and ravi.is it worth to join their classes...sorry i am in quite a confusion about which coaching institute to join...

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    6. Devdutt, thank you again! You are too kind! I don't really care what anyone is commenting. Why should I be scared of publishing my opinion on my own blog? Isn't that what blogs are for?? I work for the Government of India and that is where my loyalty lies. I wish instead of spending their time commenting on my pages, these people would go back to their books and study! A much more productive use of time! After all, let's be honest, do most of the people reading this really even care? This doesn't affect them in the least. I mean even I don't care. How narcissistic to consider that people, in the mode of preparing for an exam like UPSC, are going to spend time thinking and forming opinions about something like this! The other teachers there were good, for example the kind of conceptual clarity Shashank sir gives is unbeatable. As for these commentators, we live in a free India :D Everyone is free to express their opinions. Let them express theirs, while I do mine. Thank you again for your comments. Best of luck! Hope you get what you want!

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    7. Luwang, Sorry I know nothing about Vajiram classes. Please check with some of their past successful candidates. I don't know much about coaching institutes because except for the optional, I prepared everything on my own. Best of luck! Hope you find the right help.

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  18. Thanks 4 given for such type of value info..

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  19. Thanks 4 given for such type of value info..

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  20. Hi mam,
    With due respect to ur opinion i wud like to say tht its ur persnl view and it cant be generalised..i think we shud respect our mentors frm whom we have learnt sumthng in life..and jojo sir is a grt mentor..
    Just an opinion..i respect ur hardwork..and gudluck fr ur future..

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    1. Good for you darling! I never generalised if you notice! Hope you do well!

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    2. Don't let the hired receptionists of Coaching people tell you that your opinion is wrong and they respect the coaching wallas. It's pure gimmick !

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    3. Don't let the hired receptionists of Coaching people tell you that your opinion is wrong and they respect the coaching wallas. It's pure gimmick !

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  21. Hello mam,
    Challenging the competition n standing apart takes a lot of struggle n self confidence... Which u have proved n become idol in view of many... Showing everything is possible... At d same point being at heights of life..after all struggle n understanding, making fun of a mentor like Jojo Sir is not acceptable...all negative is not wat dominates a personality... Imposing ur views on ppl is not right... Respecting ur efforts n achievement... All d best mam...

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    1. I am not making fun :) That is actually what I am protesting against. Making fun of people. Also I am not imposing my views on you darling. I didnt force you to come here did I? Nor am I asking you to form your opinion basis my view am I? This is MY blog hence I am presenting my opinion. I am so glad you disagree because it means things are good for some students! Best of luck and I hope you do really well!

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    2. swathi and your group prinka and prathisha mam , your not deserve for telling ira mam she is top she ia accomplish girl in India you three are not even pass prelims and enjoying in Delhi with Karnataka Spencer money

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  24. Hello Ms. Ira,
    Hearty congratulations on your success. You must have worked day in and day out with firm determination to achieve the success.Hats off to you.

    However, critically commenting on your mentors and judging them on a public platform is not a right thing to do.

    You are a source of inspiration to millions like me, for that never dying sporting spirit of yours. With due respect to you , kindly don't disrespect any teachers/mentors who work tirelessly for the success of their students.

    Thank you and All the best to you mam.

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    1. I wish I felt he worked tirelessly :) But good that you feel so! Best of luck! Hope you do really well!

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  25. Hello mam,

    Hearty congratulations to you for your hard work and success. You are an inspiration to million of aspirants like us.
    But,with due respect, I do not agree to what you have to say about Jojo sir. A good teacher, a great mentor and a friendly person is what Jojo sir is and that is what makes him adorable.

    Experiences are always a combination of both good and bitter and judging someone one the basis of only bitter ones is not acceptable. Count on the goods he has done and it shall cover all that you have got to complain about.

    Kindly do not disrespect him and any other mentors publicly on a social platform where people seek to gain information from. After all it is because of their hard work and patience that the institute had gain name and aspirants like you and me have joined the institute.
    Looking forward for your optimistic views for the mentors. Thank you and wish you all the best!!

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    1. So you are an ALS bot arent u?? I wish you at least copy pasted different stuff! Best of luck to you too!

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    2. Had there been different thing to speak about I would have surely done that too. I hope you know that blog is a platform where views are exchanged!! As far as being bot is considered , well then let me just clarify that It depends on how we take up and handle situations. :D

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    4. if you trust your Mathew sir then why you read ira blog. I trust every single word of ira. she doesn't lie it speaks in her personality and attitude. so think before you try to prove someone wrong who are such a brilliant student . she not cleared one time but every time. she is ideal for everyone.

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    5. @You In - I read her blog coz like I too aspire to become an IAS officer and serve the country. Gaining knowledge from someone is not wrong at all. She too is an inspiration to me and hence her blog. But certainly I would never talk bad about my teachers after reaching heights. And as far as clearing the exam is, well then I am appearing for the 1st tym n shall reply u next after prelims result!!

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  27. Ira mam.. Thanks a lot for sharing such valuable tips...just one thing... what did u use for ur points?? Like numbers, bullets or firstly, secondly... Lastly?? And did u use headings for ur points???

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    1. Hi Tanisha, I just used bullets like drawing a star or something. I thought that Numbers makes it easy to count and then marks get decided basis the number of points rather than the content.....i didnt use headings for my points ...didnt strike me! but you can if you like!

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  28. First of all heartly congratulations for your success i want to take geo as an optional subject would you recommended me shashank sir classes for geo yet i have no idea abt this.. Welcm your suggestions mam.. Plz...

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    1. Shashank Sir is brilliant at what he teaches. I didn't have to ever refer a book for those topics which he taught. So I would recommend him if you are taking the optional.

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    2. Thnx for your valuable suggestions good luck for your brilliant future.. Thank you mam..

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    3. You're welcome :) Best of luck!

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  29. Mam i m obliged dat u r sharing ur experiences wid us as its very imp. In my family also no one has gone 4 it so i am unaware of many things. I m from science stream n opted 4 pol sc. Hons from du n i wil take coaching 4m chanakya institute 4 upsc. Can u tell me is m goin right ? Plz..

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    1. I dont know about the coaching institutes....maybe you should contact their past students to get an honest feedback :) Best of luck!

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    2. Hiii Ira...
      what was your optional this time...n score in that paper. ....?

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    3. Hiii Ira...
      what was your optional this time...n score in that paper. ....?

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    6. Hi Prafull, please check my other posts. My optional was geography and I scored 305 in that.

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  30. Hello Era mam,
    Mene aapka interview dekha NDTV par or aapke sare updates pade h.
    Mam mera ek doubt h ........
    Me UP se hu or 12 tak hindi medium me pada hu......fir BTech. English medium me ki to Hindi se itna touch nahi reh paya.
    Ab mere samne medium ki problem aa rahi h.
    Me Hindi se achha English me likh sakta hu par English bahut hi weak h .....meri samajh me hindi jayada aati h.
    Hindi me bas likhne me problem aati h.

    Mam aap batao mujhe kis medium se aage badna chahiye.
    Basics mostly mene sab pade hue h ab next step jana chahta hu par coaching ke liye mere pass time nahi ho payega kyoki me As a TA Income Tax hu.
    Suna h ki hindi me achha materials bhi nahi h ...or hindi walo ko number bhi kam milte h.

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    1. Agar aap hindi mein zyada comfortable hain to please take it. You can practice writing and after a few weeks you will be perfect again. Exam mein aapko apna point best tarah se rakhna hai toh woh language use kariye jisse aap zyada easily likh sakein

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  32. Congrats for such a great success.
    SALUTE to you for the description given for JOJO sir. Even I was the student for Als and feel the same for Mr. JOJO.
    He is a useless fellow and think himself very smart.

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    1. Thank you so much :) Best of luck! Hope you clear!

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  34. I would like to congratulate you for your achievement Ma'am but I beg to differ with the statements you've made regarding ALS in general and Mr. Jojo Mathews in particular. I think you judged Sir wrong . He is a gem of a person and many of his students would agree  on that.
               Majority of students like his humour, may be you are not one of them. The intent is not to hurt anyone's sentiments, it's all in jest .And how we take a joke depends on our sporty mind.
    I also totally disagree with your statement "he needs money only". He's not money minded, as you implied, getting money in return for the time and energy that you invest is only fair don't you think?
    As far as writing in points is concerned, not all examiners prefer answers in points, and if they do, writing in paragraphs cannot be rejected by anyone whereas in points some of them may not like it.
              He appreciated your hardwork and gave full credit to you when he talked to us in class after your result.
             Contrary to what you said, the ALS faculty is always ready to help anyone at anytime.
        Jojo sir is a great mentor for all of us .Not only as a teacher, as a person too, he is very friendly, down to earth, ready to clear our doubts, ready for a debate and even helps us to  come out of our bad situations.  

    At a time when all the aspirants look up to you for guidance, you should not make such critical statements on a public platform and judge mentors like this based on some incidents that caused inconvenience to you, that's my personal opinion. It's not the right thing to do ethically.

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    1. How nice of him to give me credit. He couldn't give it to himself afterall since he flatly refused to give me notes, now could he? :) And yes, most of ALS faculty is really nice and helpful! Manish Gautam Sir, Sachin Arora sir, Ajay Sir...all are great! If you are a genuine student, then please do continue writing in paras! Best of luck! Hope you clear!

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  35. Hats off to you mam for writing so transparently about coachings and faculties.... I salute you mam for clearing everything.... Mam I am a Hindi medium cse aspirant, appearing in mains from last two years but could not reach up to interview in any attempt.... Mam this year I scored very well in my optional, gs1, gs 4 and essay but very poor score in gs papers 2 and 3.... Mam, can you guide me how to improve my scores in gs paper 2 and 3?

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    1. I have mentioned my whole booklist......please see if there is more that you can study from that....also if you have any specific questions ask me!

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  36. Mam one more thing, Jitne bhi comments Jojo sir ki taarif k baare me yahan pe likhe ja rahe hain- unhe dekhte hi clear ho raha hai ki ye saare comments Jojo sir apne "Chamchon" se khud likhwa rahe hain ..... So mam just ignore all these comments and continue to guide us in the same way.... Thanks a lot mam....

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    2. rahul ignore to apko kiya hai upsc ne sorry for u and all d best for ua 4th attempt :)

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  37. Hello mam
    Firstly i want to congratulate u for ur success n d will behind it . U r an idol for many students who r preparing for civil services but smhw u r misguiding thm by being critical abt ua mentors..its very easy to be critical after reaching whr u r but.......
    Dn u think thy were the one to guide you towards this path ...

    Well m a student who cleared mains and intervw in a prepratn of 2 months or may b less thn it .... I was taking coaching frm als at that tym it was my practice attempt n trust me i never saw an institute like als everyone here is so cooperative thy will help u guide u ll check ua answers make u improve them n whatnot ...... I was literally depressed before d day of my interview but Mr jojo mathews and Mr manish gautam they took out time for me although they were havng mock interviews at that time but thy specially sat thr for me n helped me get over my depression n gave me a positive view towards d intervw .....
    M here to oppose ua views totally... coz jojo sir is a person who gave his best to get me thru ths exam he was thr at mid night to sort my queries n help me out in d topics .... U say he s a busy personality thn yes he is ... He start his day at 6:00 coz he hs class at 7:30 in d morning n he wrks till night ... M sure he s a human being n he needs rest but we students we call him at any odd tymings n expect him to answr us ...
    My family is full of teachers n principals n mentors too thts y i can actually undrstd tht hw hectic it cn b for a teacher ...hardwork isactually what they r doing...
    Jojo sir is one of d gem in ias coaching mentors he creates a positive environment in the class with his jokes n friendliness and thank god u hvnt joined vaji ram otherwise ua views would hv changed to the worst . There r 2 kinds of person...one who see negatives in people n grab thm n Few r who can make negatives into positives n grab thm. I hope m nt offensive coz u have big ego i guess... well i wish u luck lady
    Hope to c u soon best wishes and wish all the good things for u <3 respect is all i have for you ....

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  38. Myself from ALS and they are not like this..
    And JoJo sir has as she said "insulted" made fun of me many times because I used to ask even stupid questions , but I enjoyed it .
    About that speaking speedily part... He narrates what is all factual. That is all provided again... He made social issues and thinking quiet clear to me.. That helped me preparing socio with only 20 days class and clearing mains with not so bad marks.

    About that money thing yes they are particular about their fees. May criticise people over that.. And
    About this "why am I so important suddenly" I am sure we all have this moment. I am no one now.. And I might have to knock at people's door but if I become something things aren't going to be same... Its so natural...

    Shashank atom sir is good speaks slowly but he builds a good person n thinking in you.
    Manish sir is also good repeats a paragraph almost thrice and makes you feel sleepy but covers everything.

    I am not advertising this institute but I have been a part of it and its against my nature to hear something I have been part of if I don't agree with others view
    They complete all the classes tip to toe. History us bad no doubt in that.. But last year during mains classes thus institute was giving us classes from 10 till 6 . teacher himself teaching continuously for 5 hours.

    Cm'on mam I respect you... But we all have our good n bad experiences with people and institutes doesn't mean you thrash them like that. Thanks.
    "And its not always about being a " chamcha" if you don't agree with one and favour other.. All personal views.

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  39. Haha.... Ira mam, see your one truth made Jojo sir how much defensive? Mam, I strongly recommend all these comments are being written by Jojo sir himself..... Mam you will be a very honest and daring IAS officer.... Our country and our constitution needs you mam.... Go ahead mam in the same way and keep lightening our path with your valuable suggestions... Thanks a lot mam once again....!

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    1. Exactly for your "chamchon" wali perspective, I think you are not clearing your mains all these time. I suppose UPSC people knows that you don't possess broad mentality and hence unfit for the post.
      And to top your narrow mentality, do you think Jojo sir is so "Vella" who will sit here and reply to all these? Yaar kuch toh dimag lagao, 4 centers hai and IRA mam herself said he is a busy person 😂.
      Yet all the best for ur 4th attempt. May god shower some blessing on you.

      P.S- "constitution needs u"?? its the country who needs. Constitution was already written by the drafting committee headed by B.R Ambedkar😂

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    4. Shut up... Your comments on a person without knowing him, say about the extent of immaturity .you need to come down to als to know who JoJo sir is...very unfortunate ..sorry for you.

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    6. It is actually a sorry state of affair. Why do people not apply their brain for a few second to analyze thing before typing something.

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    7. No doubt country needs great talent n will like ira but..... "constitution needs you"??? ROFL!!
      Kuch bhi....

      It's high time for u to sit n study polity from basics... Pre 2015 is fast approaching.... No wonder if it takes another year...

      Country needs strong administrator's with full command n knowledge of subject...
      "WE NEED CONSTITUTION"
      All d best...

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    10. Haha.... Swathi jee.... I think you should go to study laxmikanth for polity again so that at least you should know some basics in polity. .. He he.... Aapke jaise kuchh "chamche" politics me bhi hote hain Jo apni duties KO bhoolkar India ki Poor and aam janta KO bevkoof banate hain .... Wo ye bhool jate hain ki Indian constitution ne real power Indian people KO di hai, in "chamchon " KO nahin.... In corrupt politicians se saari hope chhod chuke Indian people ki aakhiri hope hota hai Ira mam ki tarah ek honest and daring administrator.. Jo sirf constitution k according chalta hai, kisi "Chamche" k according nahin... So its better to improve your knowledge in polity, swathi jee. :)

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    11. rahul we can see .... who s doing chamcha girri over here .....:P

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  40. @rahul singh..what is a being a chamcha is clearly visible frm ur comments..just blindly follwing wht mam is sayng abt jojo sir..without actually knowing wht kind of persn jojo sir is..thts a sign of chamcha..
    Evry1 has positive and negative side..but seeing al negative in a person is not a right thing..
    And seriously jojo sir typing replies by himself is so lame thing to say..here 2 3 ppl r commenting against him..he has a full batch of 5000 ppl..he has better things to do in life..
    And moreover if being resectful to ur mentor means chamcha to u..thn i will proudly consider myself as his chamcha..

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  41. I don't understand, why everybody (here in comments) is sharing thoughts on that particular teacher/mentor, He might be praiseworthy, might b not but this blog/article is meant to guide us all for the UPSC EXAM . Guys , its her personal opinion about that teacher, we should not comment on this! We all should be thankful to Ira Ma'am who spared out her precious time to write for us! Thankyou.

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    1. Personal opinion coming out from the topper.. Should be made responsibly because there are people who follow and look up to them.

      No offence to you Ira ma'am but I think it was a bit more extra and overflow of emotion on your part..

      Delete
  42. Congratulations to you miss ira singhal... I think you have made us think that every person can show his or her potential even with some or the other disabilities..

    But yiur views are generalised.. I must say this... I used to make general statements before i started with my coaching at als... But als improved me in this aspect especially mr. Jojo matheWs... About his teaching method- his knowledge about the subjects is uncomparable.. Who can teach mostly all the subjects with so good clarity... I doubt.. But he is the one...

    About making funny statements... You should know that in complete one year of my coaching he has made maximum fun of me.... But that was to improve me... But that just is in class... Not outside it... He knows me by name.. And after classes many a times he has asked me hows your studies going on...?? I dont think today teachers take that type of initiative... But he takes it.... About his money mindededness- ihave come across Many of his earlier stories in which he has helped many people(even those whom he have met first time)

    Every person has his or her views about the others... But we should always take positive from that... This is what i have learnt from some of the best teachers from ancient india....

    I will give you an example- in school days we always use to criticise our teachers.. You must have also done the same.. But today when we look back we love them and we know this that they did for our better futures....

    Learning envt at als is the best... I am not saying this because i have paid money and i have to console myself that i should be happy beacuse i paid money...

    Administrator should always solve the problems of the people with a perspective view... As per our PM also criticism should be healthy but there should not be unnecessary allegations on the people...

    About writing in points- yeah i have not seen hindu writing in points in its editorials... May be it is true that upsc wants your views not the way u represent them... But we should not say that what they taught is worthless... I think you will not deny that als gave you the way to proceed beacuse most of the people in their whole life cannot figure out the correct path... Road on left and road on right but we dont know wgat road is to be taken...

    All the best for your future and i want you to be one of the best administratir in the country and helping others...

    Thank you
    Anirudh Jain

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  43. Hello mam congratulations. ....you are an inspiration to many people who wish to get through UPSC!
    With all due respect to your views and experience you have beenthrough in ALS I beg to differ from the view's expressed about Jojo sir are biased and dishearteninghe is one of the most approachable and a good mentor.
    The jokes he cracks in between the classes are sometimes just to break the monotonous class going on in which may crack a joke on an individual which is certainly not insulting as it is cracked on a person who is sporty enough to take it and everyone enjoys it even the person on whom the joke is cracked on.
    At time it's just to ease out.
    Jojo sir is one of the best mentor he has mentored many UPSC aspirations successfully getting through this tough exam and will continue doing so!.
    Mam you are lucky that you didn't go to other classes in Delhi who are hell bent arrogant and much high headed.
    No offence mam but it's my personal view point. ..all the best and thank you!
    Als has one of the most considerate and approachable and ready to help faculty on tge whole!
    PS: This post is solely on my personal experience and is not a paid or a chamcha's post!

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  44. **** Hi ! Once again congrats n thanks for such blogs! ****

    On a lighter note, we all would like to know whether you finally got the new GS material of Mr Matthews or not ???

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  45. @sainya singh...standing up fr the right thing is wht an administrator requires..and thts wht we r doing..if we cant stand up fr our teacher hw will we control a district..

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    1. Okay, I haven't attended his classes , so i don't know about him. I was just saying to focus on preparatory points mentioned in the blog rather than defending/offending a teacher. Anyways , are you an ALS student? If yes, would you plz share feedback on how's the coaching . I too am an aspirant and wish to join a top notch coaching in Delhi

      Delete
    2. If u r ready to take some hours of time to study after 6 or 9(if any optional ) hours classes its a good institute

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  46. Hearty Congratulations Mam, you are a true inspiration to all of us, you have set an example by overcoming all the odds that you faced in reaching this place, truly appreciable.
             (Writing in paras)
         Thank you for acknowledging that you have taken coaching from ALS and writing good things about Shashank Sir.

                However, it's very disappointing to see you write down all the negatives that you have perceived out of a personality which cannot be generalised, it's true that all of the students may not like Jojo sirs jokes and may not take them in a sportive way, it's totally justified and none expect that to happen and I would classify you into that category, may be you didn't take it in a sportive way, but this doesn't mean, a person, after reaching at a higher place can generalise it and post it publicly. Purpose of those jokes, how well he teaches, how good he is as a mentor and how better is ALS is than all other coaching institute is all known to many, it need not be reinstated, success of all students of ALS has spoken it, is speaking it, and will always speak it.
             This country and our parents have taught us to respect our teachers and take positive things out of everything that we come across and not insult anyone/anything. Yes if this is chamchagiri, my parents and my country has taught me this, and I am proud to be one.
            Wishing you all the best in all your future endeavours, hope to see you soon.


    A proud student of ALS

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  48. Ms ira singhal
    Congrts for being such a sport...vry well u hv taken ur frustation out..i dnt knw who mr jojo mathews s but i certainly got to knw bout u whn i heard d top position of dis year civil services has been bagged by a girl..ol ur sheer hardwork paid u..ur blog to me seems a sole personal grudge u hv carried against d teacher..i hv heard u had a tiff wd d board too..u got 160 in interview i think the least among d toppers in last couple of years..u seems to contadict ur own write up saying als s bad..den wat forced u to go der again to fetch study material??one more thing or jus a piece of advice a teacher s alvz a teacher..one shud nvr disrespect d mentors..being a sports person v hv been coached by best nd worst too..but v nvr shamed dem..u being an administrator need to cut on ur attitude...my sister s preparing for d same exam..nd i wud want her to have a positive approach towards evryonr nd b a gud officer rathr dan carrying nd cribbing bout personal grudges..wish u gud luck..one more advice..u need to calm down a bit before entring d toughest system..nd plz gv respect if u want one..becos teachers r d light bearers for ol der students..be it any aspect of life..hv a happy blogging...

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  49. Congratulations for your superb success that you gain being the topper of one of the toughest exam. I have read about your success and simply mesmerized by your shear will and never say die attitude. Simply wish to have a similar attitude in myself also. Wishing you lots of success in future endeavors.

    As far as this blog is concern, Not just me but thousands will accept that your views regarding your teachers are too narrow, impulsive and generalist.
    Every teacher has his/her own distinctive style and we should always learn grasp good things from the one who shows our path and ignore the stuffs that one don't like or feel aversion to it.

    Your personal view may be true for you ,regarding the teacher but unfortunately it portrays a wrong and misleading image. The jokes are to make the environment healthier and friendlier and as far as the money is concern, lot of my outside state friends have got so much help that I cannot subscribe to this point.
    Coming from Gujarat to Delhi and that too totally unaware of the exam materials and guidance, the support which I have acquired here is immense.

    The bulletin points or paragraph writing , these debate will go on, lot of previous successful students recommended not to go with points but that doesn't conclude that ALS's style of writing is utterly wrong and not worth at all. Not all students who have cleared the exam have written in points.

    Though I am none to say further , I may deny your one or two points but we ,the aspirants can never deny your struggle and we owe you a great salute!!!
    Keep inspiring!!!!

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  50. Thanks Mam for sharing the real experience. Comments are very funny and show the desperation to somehow take this post down.

    BTW last year some people were targeting Gaurav Agrawal Sir's Blog and now yours.
    https://thesupermanreturns.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/oh-poor-coachingwallahs/

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  51. Congrats for ur great success madam..
    As an ALS student initially I was also thinking in the same way as u posted but while I'm leaving the institute my perspective was changed .. The institute is very much dedicated about everything the way the exams they conduct and make us write them seriously is not an easy task may be they are doing for money its not a bad thing its a service oriented business MONEY, PROFIT toh chahiye hi.. I DONNO WHETHER TO COMMENT ABOUT JOJO SIR TO CONTROL SUCH A BIG INSTITUTE AND ALL BRANCHES IS not a easy task .. May be sir took personal care for few and may be he ignored few it doesn't matter what matters is what we learned from institute .. Finally how we manage to crack exam .. MADAM you won a great battle I'm really proud of u and inspiration for many .. One suggestion don't judge any person by seeing only his negative side.. NO ONE IS PERFECT .. I WISH U ALL THE BEST FOR UR FUTURE ..

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  53. hello mam..1st of all tons of congratulations 4 ur endeavor. I m from sdl a small place in m.p. recently I cleared state civil services prelim exam . now want to prepare 4 mains. bt mam m nt having any kind of coaching of preparatory guidance at my place. mains wl start from 28 Oct. M really scared how 2 prepare. don't no anything. its syllabus is 70% same as upsc.it's everything new. time is passing n I m null.do guide me mam.I don't want 2 lose ds
    Thanks

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  54. Congradulations Ira mam and thanq for the valuable post:) Good luck !!

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  56. No doubt many imposters paid up by coaching biggies will try to denigrate the atmosphere here.

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  58. Thanks mam for ur valuable views

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  59. I want to tell somrthing to Those who are criticising IRA maam , pls dont follow this blog . Ira maam hav courage to show the reality of these money making coaching institute . Every year Many poor aspirants lost their parrents money in these BAKWAS institute jst bcs they dont have proper knowledge abt which institute is really gud or bad . Every year after UPSC result these so called GREAT institute publish topper name on their hoarding and advertisement . They tell how many student clear exam but never tell how many their student did not clear . Hatts off to IRA maam and Gourav Aggrawal sir who earlier already write about their experience with coaching institute and expose them.

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    1. One more thing .. IRA Maam , pls dnt waste ur energy in replying to these guys . Your positive energy and your effort will helpful for us . Thanks once again for such great intiative .

      Delete
    2. One more thing .. IRA Maam , pls dnt waste ur energy in replying to these guys . Your positive energy and your effort will helpful for us . Thanks once again for such great intiative .

      Delete
  60. i am hearing impaired person.afetr my 2nd year graduation i face hearing problems.after your sucess , decided to go for civil services.i am really affraid about the interview , because i loss 60% hearing capacity . i feel like that may be interview board will made a joke on me . i would like to ask you, are they respect disabled person? wll they give me enough time to understand what they asked? hearing aids also not worked on me.... eagerly waiting for your reply.. thanking you madam

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  61. i am hearing impaired person.afetr my 2nd year graduation i face hearing problems.after your sucess , decided to go for civil services.i am really affraid about the interview , because i loss 60% hearing capacity . i feel like that may be interview board will made a joke on me . i would like to ask you, are they respect disabled person? wll they give me enough time to understand what they asked? hearing aids also not worked on me.... eagerly waiting for your reply.. thanking you madam

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  62. GAURAV AGARWAL sir exposed these coaching mafias quite well..........now ira ma'm is roasting these chickens........gud job........keep it up


    https://thesupermanreturns.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/oh-poor-coachingwallahs/

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  63. Ira, My name is Sandeep Gupta. I am an Educational Consultant with the United Nations. I run a UN-Affiliated Program Know The World in 77 Hours. I have written a mail to you about something specific. Please read the mail and do get back to me.

    Do watch what the participants say about my free-of-cost UN-Affiliated program:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5yAtenCrsM

    Thanks a lot.

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  66. Hearty congratulations mam for your great success. I felt happy when I came to know women is the topper this year, but when I read about your story you became my Inspiration, indeed you are the inspiration many aspirants like me. I admit all my due respect to you mam, big solute for your hard work, for your determination and for your commitment.

    Your sole purpose of this blog COACHING OR NO COACHING has been deviated from the core, you have emphasized more on your personal opinion than the main object. I felt bad when I saw your negative opinion about the institute and JOJO sir in particular. I was also a student of ALS, I feel very proud about the institute and all the mentors there.

    I agree with all your views about JOJO sir, but generalizing it would not bring value to it. I like the way JOJO sir was teaching, class was never bored, he was always keeping the class very lively. Sir once commented as 'STUPID QUESTION' for one of my doubt in class, but it never deter my respect on them. Its all about how sportively receive it.

    No institution can run without a profit. No teacher likes to see the failure of their students. JOJO sir is a person respected my many. I feel sad for your bad experience with him, but generalizing it would undermine you and the position you hold. I'm not wise enough to advice you mam, just wanted to post my opinion.

    You are the motivation for many and I wish you should remain the same.



    Thanks
    Chandru

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  67. This is brilliant ma'am. The true -aspirants are totally in agreement with you. The stupid coaching-wallas bots and receptionists are just trying to delude people via comments !

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  68. This is brilliant ma'am. The true -aspirants are totally in agreement with you. The stupid coaching-wallas bots and receptionists are just trying to delude people via comments !

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  69. Congratesssss.,,,,,,,,,,,,,i jus want 2 Ask wat to read in the hindu newspaper for interview .wat to read d editorial only or the whole newspaper,,,,,plz help me out dis problem.plzzzzzzzzzz do reply

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  70. Congratesssss.,,,,,,,,,,,,,i jus want 2 Ask wat to read in the hindu newspaper for interview .wat to read d editorial only or the whole newspaper,,,,,plz help me out dis problem.plzzzzzzzzzz do reply

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  71. Every body has right to expres his or hr view,,,let hr express ,c might HV felt something wrong somewhere in d institute in general and JoJo sr in particular, otherwise why will such an intelligent lady will comment like that.I feel that c passed d exam but failed to get d positive essence of JoJo sr,,it may b hr misfortune........ BUT as far as my view is concerned I found ALS as d best institute,all teachers like atom sr ,Sachin sr and JoJo sir r really very experienced mentors and a good human being first. My life changed here ,d way of thinking ,attitude, discipline,behaviour etc all got changed,,thanks to AlS for this.

    ..however I agree with singhal's view on point Vs paragraph matter.

    One thing is also that let ms singhal express hr views ,its hr right and let's also express our views and leave it on public to decide.why r we all superposing our own thought over her!!!.Generalisation of one can't decide d faith of otherswe,,we all should extract out nd search positive things in others why r we worrying and looking only sunny leone.....
    Main thing I will like to sy that JoJo sir is a very nice teacher ,his work starts from 7 am and continues till 7pm or even more,,obviously one will become tired of this... Despite of teaching he has to prepare himself for d next day with for d class,so in between he may refuse to talk from one or may not get time for that as he has to look after thousands of his students next day.but it doesn't mean that he is not caring.even my father doesn't get time to talk to m but it doesn't mean that he is not caring.For a student his/hr mentor is not less than his/hr father ,who exhaust his energy ,compromise with his sleep nd works day nd night nd prepare himself to teach his students,and in all cases he wants his student to enjoy d fruits of success.
    Any way I congratulate Ms singhal for hr landmark victory......appne to foor he diya singhal g!

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  72. I do share the same view regarding answering in main exam in bullets rather than in paragraph so let me share my reply in bullets only :)

    * First of all I want to congratulate Miss Ira Singhal for securing Rank 1 in one of the most prestigious examinations across the globe. Heartfelt congratulations Ira.
    * Being a regular student of ALS (PCM Batch 2015-16, North Delhi) I was waiting eagerly to meet you in our classroom and was expecting a moral boosting interaction. Unfortunately the first interaction happening here on this blog.
    * Like millions of aspirants of civil services I was also a great admirer of yours till I read this blog last night.
    * I read your blog and felt highly disgusted with the kind of allegations you made against ALS in common and Mr Mathews in particular.
    * Allegation No 1 : "Mr Mathew is not a good teacher and he discourages questions and counter arguments "
    My Reply :
    * Those who know me are aware that I am one of the most argumentative Indian ever born and for the past 7 months I am arguing with Mr Mathew on daily basis in our live classroom sessions. Both me and Mr Mathew are pole aparts when it comes to social and political ideologies. But fortunately we celebrated the difference in classroom and I never felt humiliated.
    * Secondly as for as his teaching style is concerned I am a big fan of Mr Mathew. He can teach you for hours without any break and still can make u feel lively in his class with his interactive skills and humorous outlooks.
    Humor is the strength of his teaching skill and one should admire him for such a unique quality.

    * Allegation No 2 : Jojo Mathews is very materialistic and he dont recognise his students.
    My Reply :
    * This allegation is a pure lie. In every batch there are more than dozen of students who got deduction in fees including me. I requested for fee deduction and ALS allowed me to take admission on only 30% of Course fee, that too I paid in installments.

    Note : What we must understand here that ALS is not a charitable organisation. ALS is a profit making Institute and they are doing justice with the kind of ultra modern infrastructure they are providing with efficient Faculties and course material.

    * My suggestions to IRA as a fellow Indian : Dear Ira, when the great falls the fall is greater. You are not only an inspiration for millions of youngsters aspiring for Civil Services but also a face of Empowered Woman of our Nation. We expect greater humility from you. Remember each action and inaction of yours will touch move and inspire millions.
    Dear Ira, hatred is a self addressed envelope. Spread love. Inspire us with your inspiring writings. You cant give character certificate to a Teacher whom we love unconditionally.

    * Last but not the least, you are going to become an IAS officer and you must learn to see the holistic picture and should never pass judgements on some short term personal experiences.
    Nida Fazli said "HAR AADMI ME HOTE HAIN DUS BEES AADMI, JISKO BHI DEKHNA HO KAYEE BAAR DEKHNA"

    Regards
    Desh Ratna
    Student ALS , PCM batch 2015-1

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    1. My Liar Lord

      Despite being an advocate at honorable Supreme court, how come you requested for fee deduction and got admission at only 30% of Course fee, that too you paid in installments.

      I suppose you must be economically capable to afford full fee being advocate at honorable Supreme Court. Have you not eaten part of one more deserving and needing candidate??

      I rest my case, your honor. Please stop your propaganda, jojo@als. It is boomeranging.

      Delete
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    3. Because I work for Tribals and marginalized sections of society only.
      I take only pro bono cases dear.
      I am working for the 80 villages of Chhattisgarh :)

      Hope u get ur reply

      Delete
    4. Good , well done

      Yar I personally respect Jojo Mathew sir..

      He is best IAS mentor..so it really hurt my feelings if someone speak against Jojo sir.. and also ALS has given me right direction..so it's my moral duty to support it

      Delete
  73. Seems ALS walo ne apne full staff ko IRA bashing pe laga diya hai... As an old student of ALS 2012 batch, I agree to each and every word Ira has said...

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    1. lolz... even i was thinking the same. their staff must be enjoying tonight coz they must be getting paid extra for commenting through fake id to defend their boss.

      Delete
    2. nirbhay if u really think that all these people are fake than do visit my profile u will get to knw abt me .... and guys get a life hw cn u hv sucha low mental level cant u see genuine things writn by students ... if not ? thn u shd start worryng all d best fr pre tc

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    3. I am replying for those innocent minds who are following this blogs and misguided by few people.
      I am sure Ira know the value of acceptance and she can sportingly accept our counter replues but for those who cant let me clarify once again -
      *I am a regular student of ALS (pcm batch 2015 - 16)
      *By profession I am a practising advocate in Supreme Court.
      *In the past I worked with Dr Abdul Kalam ji as the founder member of NCCT.
      *I was the National Coordinator of Acces To Justice Program of UNDP for the state of Chhattisgarh (YLFP 2011 to 2013)
      *High court and NCPCR appointed me as the petroling inspector of Children Homes of Delhi.
      * I am the president of EK foundation and the brain behind the "She (Save Her Ever) campaign and" Celebrate the
      girl Child Campaign"
      * These are few of the feathers I wore proudly on my cap..

      Least u can do to verify my identity is to sesrch my name "Desh Ratna" in google image and u will get the verification :)

      Like I said in my reply earlier, one cant give character certificate to a Teacher whom we love unconditionally.

      India is a land of universal acceptance and universal tolerance. Lets celebrate the differences of opinion on a much healthier plane rather than bringing conversation to personal bashing of individuality.

      Regards :
      Desh Ratna
      Advocate
      Student - PCM batch, AlS

      Delete
  74. Khaas kar ke JOJO ke baare mein each and every word is true... In my batch, he rusticated an student simply because he went for toilet without his permission (mind you when an ALS class in session, not even single student of 300 odd batch can go for toilet for 3 hrs...!

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    1. See Jojo sir is very nice and humble ias mentor.. he clear the concepts in a very pleasant way..
      I appreciate his sense of humour.. jojo class is very interesting and informative too..

      Jojo sir and Manish sir has helped me a lot and still they are helping me..
      whenever I call jojo sir.. he received my call and clear my doubts..

      So I respect him a lot..
      so I think personal experience shouldn't be generalized..

      Rest is your views..

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    2. See Jojo sir is very nice and humble ias mentor.. he clear the concepts in a very pleasant way..
      I appreciate his sense of humour.. jojo class is very interesting and informative too..

      Jojo sir and Manish sir has helped me a lot and still they are helping me..
      whenever I call jojo sir.. he received my call and clear my doubts..

      So I respect him a lot..
      so I think personal experience shouldn't be generalized..

      Rest is your views..

      Delete
  75. Well with all due respect ma'am... After reading your belong what I can infer is ALS is a very bad , unhelpful mean institute.. Probably the worst..

    I agree their fees is high, agree that JoJo sir speaks too fast at times insult people .

    But if I have to pick up top 4 institutes for civils preparation in Delhi.. No doubt ALS has a place in it.. Whatever you are saying is more of a personal view but when spoken by me who is a no one its understandable... But when you getting AIR one , people looking up to you speak so lowly of an institution that is not so bad as u described its highly irresponsible...

    It is not speaking reality or coming out in open or an act of courage ma'am. Coaching institutes have there problems not just ALS I don't think if you would have been part of any other good institute they would have given u speacil attention. They provided material or not called u back or not... Could have happened with any other institute and any other person in place of you...

    People who are praising you for exposing something that was hidden are simply showing their dislike for coaching and which is very true in fact no doubt..
    But what you have done here is pick one and beat it.. Badly... Badly not because you did it greatly but because its coming out from an AIR 1.
    I hope you see the point em making...

    Institute here has been projected as kind of worst whichhh I don't agree with.. It could be not good enough but seriously did it need that much praise from you!?

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  76. Btw can't believe you could have this revengeful kind of an attitude...!
    Kudos for the exposure!!! How I wish u had joined vajiram instead ;) or asked them for the material ... Instead...
    ------ sadly they all might have been the same.. Coaching institutes are like that for many , for many they r good too...
    ----- but here you have targeted one which em disappointed with..
    Anyways all the best ma'am.. :)

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  77. Ohhhoooooooooooo..................

    You did not do anything wrong after written about Mr. JOJO in public domain ,

    everybody has its own view and if you were among those who don't like his teaching

    skills then nothing is wrong in that.

    without any doubt who likes Mr. JOJO they will definitely

    support him ( Nothing is wrong )

    And obviously YOU DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG .

    Few Words for those who likes Mr. Jojo (with respect)

    Ms. Ira has given her own view just like you all are

    doing right now.

    She criticized your loving teacher because she doesn't like his teaching skills.

    May be all of you never felt that what she felt about him but what is wrong in that ?

    If she is criticizing somebodies teaching skills ,

    Nothing is wrong , you all are requested not to be overreacting on this because her

    advice become very imp. and she has full right to say truth and share her

    experiences& she did it that top rankers never did earlier . Its not necessary every top

    rankers had good experiences may be some of them faced bad also.

    Everybody learn something from its institute but that something is not good enough to

    crack Civil Services Examination. so its wrong to say she should not speak against

    Mr. Jojo , she also praises others faculty member (Must be Noted Friends )

    Somebody says she got less marks in interview ie 160 among toppers so dear don't

    judge her only bases of these marks because even UPSC requires 3 STAGES TO

    filter correct candidate and she is on top among all those below rankers.

    Her personality is good enough , even you should see your comparison

    criteria level you are comparing her lower marks with top most rankers mark. HAHA
    ( lol ) and BTWShe well deserving for :-

    Year Topper (1st Rank) Home State Service opted for byTopper Ref.
    2014 Ira Singhal Delhi IAS [1]
    2013 Gaurav Agrawal Rajasthan IAS [2]
    2012 Haritha V Kumar Kerala IAS [3]
    2011 Shena Aggarwal Haryana IAS [4]
    2010 S Divyadharsini Tamil Nadu IAS [5]
    2009 Shah Faesal Jammu and Kashmir IAS [6]
    2008 Shubhra Saxena Uttar Pradesh IAS [7]
    2007 Adapa Karthik Andhra Pradesh IAS [8]
    2006 Mutyalaraju Revu Andhra Pradesh IAS [8]

    No more faltu talks necessary.

    Definitely She will be always one of great personalities.

    ALL THE VERY BEST Ms. Ira (Y)

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  78. hello mam how to read economic survey for g,s ? please suggest me

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  79. After reading all the offensive replies I somehow remembered the "Poor Coaching wallas" Post of Gaurav Sir's blog, where people were using absurd language and targeting Gaurav Sir. And the forget the blunder that their IP address was same everytime they comment with different names but poor people cant change the IP address. :D
    At the end Gaurav Sir is shining and rising high so will you Ma'am.
    And not the poor people who are arguing with you :)

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  80. Hello mam. Did you write optional papers in points format too?

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  82. Hi Ira,
    This is shivam,firstly i would like to congratulate you ! secondly, just want to tell you that you are awesome..Bcoz you have become an inspirational character for physically challenged boys and girls...you have created a way for them which can inspire them to live their life and achieve whatever they want...lastly, i am also appearing for UPSC this year..so maybe if good days are coming, i would like to meet such bright personality at LBSNAA next year !

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  86. First of all.........Ira mam.....U are a great source of inspiration for me.........n i totally agree.......the worst thing about Jojo n als is not that they just loot our parent's hard earned money, but they give us a wrong direction n wrong approach.........they sweet talk as if they are our ally, whereas in reality they are the virus which hack & erode our trust in teacher-student relationship.............so the earlier we re-analyse their advice independently, the better n luckier it is....

    finally.....Thank you so much Ira mam for leading me to the light and reinforcing my beliefs about jojo n als because earlier I was so much hacked that i had been doubting myself.......... but now i am crystal clear to believe in myself...thanks to u.

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  90. IRA MAM , truth is always bitter. The same same defensive comments were encountered by Gaurav Agrawal's blog also. Mam like gaurav sir pls expose the IP address of these comments. I m sure they are paid comments or comming from same IP adress

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  91. About JOJO MATTHEW SIR..
    JOJO sir loves and care his students like our parents.. I have found JOJO sir very supportive and caring.. I know very well how the toughest concept of geo morphology , climatology etc..he clear in very pleasant way.. his style of teaching are very fantastic.. he discuss various issues of international relations in backgrounder classes.. I know..jojo sir took few initial classes just to clear our concepts of international relations and moreover Jojo sir has designed a good module of NCERT books in 15 sets.. he stresses his students to write the ncert test.. so why he did all these extra works..,
    AGAR JOJO SIR money minded hote to ye sab extra labour work kyun karte..

    So anyone personal experience shouldn't be considered as litmus test to judge the quality of the teacher...

    Yes, India is free country now.. so u can use article 19 to express your views.. but dear friends.. always remember..

    THERE IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEWS AND VIEWS..

    So be careful in making your views about the great person like JOJO sir.. who had successfully mentored thousands of civil servants in his life till now..

    Thank you friends..

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  92. About JOJO MATTHEW SIR..
    JOJO sir loves and care his students like our parents.. I have found JOJO sir very supportive and caring.. I know very well how the toughest concept of geo morphology , climatology etc..he clear in very pleasant way.. his style of teaching are very fantastic.. he discuss various issues of international relations in backgrounder classes.. I know..jojo sir took few initial classes just to clear our concepts of international relations and moreover Jojo sir has designed a good module of NCERT books in 15 sets.. he stresses his students to write the ncert test.. so why he did all these extra works..,
    AGAR JOJO SIR money minded hote to ye sab extra labour work kyun karte..

    So anyone personal experience shouldn't be considered as litmus test to judge the quality of the teacher...

    Yes, India is free country now.. so u can use article 19 to express your views.. but dear friends.. always remember..

    THERE IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEWS AND VIEWS..

    So be careful in making your views about the great person like JOJO sir.. who had successfully mentored thousands of civil servants in his life till now..

    Thank you friends..

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    1. i really dont understand y u r being so touchy about jojo sir!!! i had taken ALS and trust me jojo sir's class was the worst!! i stopped going to the coaching after 5 days... and never attended!!!

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    2. But I found jojo sir , manish classes very informative and useful for CSE.. and not only me but most of students have similar feeling as the class strength of jojo and Manish sir was constantly high till final class of the course.. so I think it's your personal feeling..

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    3. But I found jojo sir , manish classes very informative and useful for CSE.. and not only me but most of students have similar feeling as the class strength of jojo and Manish sir was constantly high till final class of the course.. so I think it's your personal feeling..

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  93. seems like ppl have more time to praise als rather den wrkng on 23 rd august....
    ps ira mam thank u being honest about ds coachings.... neva mind dese favouring ppl myt b ...als send angles...u keep d good work up mam :)

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  94. Congratulations on your success.
    What is your opinion about the geography optional study material from ALS and their answer writing methods.
    Thank you

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  95. Hi ma'am
    U r & will be the greatest inspiration for me.
    Did u use point form in answering optional.
    Plz reply
    Thanks

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  96. hello ma'am , here u have published some critical issue regarding ALS , i would request u to kindly post a VIDEO in regard because some of ur critics are spreading the rumours this is a FAKE post (mainly people of ALS), Your are doing good job by uncovering the ground realities of Coaching centres ... millons of new aspirants are solely depend on the experience of successful persons like U. We support and value ur view point ... kindly make it more clear ... irregularities in the Coaching Mafia should be publically exposed to save aspirants from exploitation,,, we support U. GO FOR IT

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  97. I am preparing for IIT Jee coaching. How can I improve my JEE Main Result?

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  98. Wow, even an IAS top ranker can get trolled like this.. :P What to say.... :D
    Congratulations Ira :)
    I hope you make things really good for everyone in our country and physically disabled people in particular. Administration is apathetic towards them with hardly any proper facilities. I am so happy, that of all the people, you came first :) It is a proud thing for all of us...
    Good luck... :)

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  99. thanks maam for such an enlightening blog! may the good work done by you benefits all of us.
    hope to see u soon at LBSNAA !

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  100. Maybe most people here, don't recognise the plain fact that she has highlighted something which has happened (or deemed to happen, with many students out there)

    It's not revenge, it's not even making a defamatory statement on an institution like that, it's plain and simple fact what she went through, many people do face challenges like that.

    She hasn't asked whether you like her viewpoint or not, it's a part of what Mr. Jojo behaved like surely will make some students turn their heads right up after reading this. The general viewpoint pertains to the fact that this could happen to anyone (she was the one who struggled through it, could be you in place of her) … and stressed on one basic rule, hard work has no other option, coaching or no coaching

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  101. Ma'am, i believe that coaching is for gaining initial foundation and getting to know the syllabus and other details like pattern. However as you yourself said with access ro internet and other sources these are more or less redundant.

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  102. मैडम , आप के बारे रवीश के इंटरव्यू से बहुत कुछ पता चला , आप का वक्तित्व बहुआयामी है ...आपके मैन्स के अंक , बहुत ही अदभुत है ...अपने मैन्स में ही इतने अंक जुटा लिए थे कि इंटरव्यू में कुछ ज्यादा करने की जरूरत न थी .....
    यह आपकी खुद की मेहनत और परिश्रम का नतीजा है ...कोचिंग तो एक व्यापार है ...आपका चयन हो गया तो उसकी सफलता का क्रेडिट लेकर कुछ और धन कमाना चाह रहे थे ....आपकी भावना को महसूस किया जा सकता है कि जब आपको उनसे कुछ जरूरत थी तो उनके पास टाइम नही था और आज सबसे आगे कतार में आ कर अपना स्टूडेंट बता रहे है ...यह बेहद शर्मनाक और निंदनीय घटना है ...स्वार्थ से प्रेरित ...ऐसे लोगो की पोल खोलना जरूरी था ..
    कहावत की भाषा में कहे तो मुहतोड़ जबाब देना उचित ही था ....

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  103. Haha...no respect for a teacher who has given you at least some knowledge..and when you say the money minded attitude..I remember Jojo sir giving discount to poor students...no issues...Jojo sir will always be Jojo sir..and if you are slow at writing then it is ur problem...with an ink pen I wrote and didn't missed a single point..first rank in civil services doesn't make you a super citizen and your teachers inferior..

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  104. Mam, I did my graduation by Distance learning from Pvt. university. Will it create problem for selection in cse very confused about it.

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  105. Before coming to somone's blog,some manners to b followed ..it s purely for those who needs clarification and guidance from national topper of upsc.so lets get valuable information from her and start out to work.instead making arguments about someone's personality and attitude is utter waste to me.persons who hev been successful would hav faced all kind of disappointment and embarrassment from all sides.thts quite normal for all ppl who engaged in this field. So ppl lets dont hav diff among ourselves .

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  106. Hyy Mam ,
    Mai Hindi Medium se Upsc Ki Tyari Karna Chah rha Hun Or Maine Geography Optional Lene Ki Sochi Hai ,, bas Ek Problem aa rhe hain isme Maps ke
    Rumors hai Ki Geography Me saare question se jyada Map Banana hota hai uske bina baat Nhi banti ,,, Aap Plz Mujhe Batayiye Maps Kitne Jaruri Hai ,, Jaruri hain to Kya sare Question Me chahiye ;((

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  107. Hi. Really happy to see a very frank and honest article about coaching. I am also there in this list. Rank 790. This is my first (and probably last) attempt. And I am really elated that you find time to answer to comments as well. Kudos.
    Coaching is the same be it Delhi or elsewhere. Renu who is the second rank was in my class in Trivandrum and most of us who made it into list from Kerala have seen Delhi for the first time only at the interview stage. Here coaching costs maybe 35,000. Stay costs 1250 without food. Food is damn cheap, can easily survive on 3/4000 per month. I never get the logic of rushing to Delhi.
    The article has shown that you are a no nonsense person. And surely we need a no nonsense officer. All the very best.

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  108. i agee with era ma'm whatever she said about als and jojo is true.. i know the supporters of als here on this blog are hired by als, they are expert in doing this. infact in these activities they are very well. vinay pandey, anjali.etc all are traitors

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  109. first of all let me congratulate you.Its not an easy task that u cleared.

    a sanskrit shloka says :

    Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru devo Maheshwara, Guru sakshat, param Brahma, tasmai shri guravay namah

    Guru is the remover of darkness: Gu means darkness, and Ru means remover. Darkness refers to what obscures the light of awareness.

    Now lets talk about the blog.I think you should rephrase your blog as ALS or No ALS..if a person like you criticizes openly about herr teacher, who helped atleast in whatever little way (according to you), shows your childish character.I doubt how you achieved such a task with such a below average attitude. If your blog was really meant about helping others wether to choose coaching or not, you wouldnt have targeted an institution or a person, in disguise of social service.If on becoming a civil servant, if this is your first deed then may god help india.

    I hail from a middle class family.I reached delhi with an aspirations to join civil service.I came accross ALS and opted only for geography because i couldnt afford for more. When jojo sir came to know about this he gave me permission to do General studies full course without taking any money from me.So when you say he is money minded then it doesnt make sense for me or many like me who favoured and grew up under him.

    about he not attending your calls: he is a teacher for may be 1000s of students.If he gets a 1000 calls each day do you expect him to call all the 1000s?if he uses atleast 1 minute for each call then he will require 1000 minutes i.e 16 hours to reply to all those. I then worked there as a co-ordinator. He sometimes didnt attend my calls also. That doesnt mean he is showing attitude, and i never thought such way about him as i know he is a busy man.and more than that when you called he might have been in any of the difficult situations of life.god knows what he was he into it.may be his wife was ill...he was with his family...he can be amidst anything..rather than intrerpreting such way you could have gone to meet him personally and clarify your doubt rather than assuming such stupid childish conclusions.Its not that you are the topmost person in his life. when i hear what u said i just recollect about some deperate girlfrnd fighting with her boyfrnd for not attending calls.grow up.

    He has earned his reputation after years of toil. Dont you feel ashamed to talk about the 1 who taught u?may be you think that on getting a position if you try to spoil his name you can harness the growth of that institution.but keep one thing in mind, the bad image you manipulated would hardly last for few days because those who have studied under him, know him very well ..you will realize when u reach LBSNAA..

    Lastly i would like to tell i am a practising lawyer in delhi high court. I studied in ALS,worked for 3 years as a coordinator. Jojo sir helped me a lot during my law studies by giving me a job and a handsome pay even though it was just for 3 hours a day. so i will not accept when you said he is money minded because if so he wouldnt have done all these to me and many others. And please dont even think that i am being bribed to talk about him.

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  110. maam, could you please share your GS IV paper answer and at least few case studies in proper manner.......it would be a great help for fellow candidates

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  111. Thanks Maam for killing ALS. I rejoice at its death pyre.

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  112. I have been reading this blog for quite a while..I have realized my mistake...I am SORRY if I have hurt anyone..My intentions have always been noble..I will try to change myself..SORRY for causing so much trouble on this blog

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  113. Fake Id...Bro at least use some brain!!

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  114. Fake Id...Bro at least use some brain!!

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  115. Congrats Ira. People speak about only good things after they clear. You choose otherwise which is very rare.Why don't you share your interview experience as well?

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    1. Hi! Thanks! The way I see it, I don't think my lying about stuff is going to help anyone - at least not the candidates I am trying to help :) I don't really remember much about the interview. A lot of it was factual questions, some I knew, some I didn't. I don't have any strange or super interesting moments from there to share. Sorry! Best of luck in your prep :)

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  116. Ira Madam,

    First of all congrats for your success and more congrats for speaking truth in such a fearless manner.

    I also studied at ALS and found that JOJO Mathew teaches with a very biased angle. He used to support Christian conversions in tribal areas by giving lame logic. He was always very eager to find instances to bash MODI and RSS. The most amusing part that i found is he gave crap filmy logic to support Valentines Day in class, i don't know what type of character does he wants his coaching students to imbibe. It looked like he is an evangelist doing missionary propaganda.

    Secondly, have you noticed that most of the PRO-JOJO comments are coming with female profiles as their pic, so as to add credibility to their counter arguments. The same also happened with last year topper Gaurav Agrawal when he said against coaching institutes, however he soon found out that most of the pro-coaching comments are coming from a single IP address i.e. he caught them red handed. These coaching institutes make crores per year, so it doesn't cost them anything big to spoil someone's image who say against them.

    Finally, i would like to ask you whether you really used "Star" in bullet points (as you said in one of your comments) for mains because i am afraid that making symbols for points may have negative impact on UPSC mains.

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    1. I don't remember "star" as a symbol. But I think I would have. I did not use numbers too much and stars are the way I write normally so I must have. I don't remember making a conscious choice about anything. Honestly, I don't think they would really worry about people putting stars or stuff like that! By stars I mean not the 5-pointed proper thing...more like an X with another line parallel to the ground! And thanks for the support on the comments :D Not that it bothers me in the least!! Why should I be scared of publishing my opinion on my own blog? Isn't that what blogs are for?? I work for the Government of India and that is where my loyalty lies. I guess they are being polite by asking girls to comment since I am a girl myself! I wish instead of spending their time commenting on my pages, these girls would go back to their books and study! A much more productive use of time! After all, let's be honest, do most of the people reading this really even care? This doesn't affect them at all. I mean even I don't care. We live in a free India :D Everyone is free to express their opinions. Let them express theirs, while I do mine.
      Best of luck in your prep! Hope you clear!

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