Becoming a civil servant in India takes a lot of hard work and passion for working toward the country’s economic, political, and social progress. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) can be considered one of the most challenging examinations students sit every year.
Nearly 11 lakh students apply for the examination every year, but only half of them appear for the preliminary examination, and a fraction of candidates, nearly 600, stand through the process.
When there is a stiff competition in the job market and a stringent qualifying process to go through, students find it stressful to participate in the entire process. Another factor is their lack of confidence in their learning for the examination.
Often, candidates consider themselves under-prepared to sit for the examination. And, quit the process early on. Several UPSC coaching institutes promise a job to these students, offering several innovative learning methodologies and formats.
Online IAS coaching is one such innovative method of teaching some of these institutes have adopted in recent times. Let’s explore how online UPSC coaching helps students and teachers alike.
Advantages of online IAS coaching for coaching businesses and students
The internet is rapidly democratizing all forms of learning, and online UPSC coaching is one of those. The traditionally monopolized industry by expensive academies in metro cities such as Delhi is now getting transformed and disrupted through internet learning.
Traditionally, aspirants from all over India would migrate to these cities in search of the perfect coaching institute that would enhance their education and prepare them for the stiff competition in the UPSC examination.
Now, coaching institutes are relying on online methodologies for the following benefits:
- The proliferation of online content – Today, there is a multitude of content available on the internet with no limit to how much more it can expand. YouTube alone has several videos on IAS preparation. The internet is a convenient place to house information and share it, without additional humongous costs- a benefit for both institutions and students.
- Interactive and personalized learning – Interactive video players make it possible for tutors to enhance the learning experience for students, allowing them to revise concepts and learn at their own pace. Some of these platforms also offer detailed analytics on every student’s learning pattern and behavior.
- Audience expansion – As the number of IAS aspirants increases every year, it is getting less and less feasible to house them in physical premises. Therefore, online IAS classes look like a more efficient option for institutes. By recording sessions, institutes can reuse them any number of times to enhance the learning and quality of the service they offer.
- Content availability – In-classroom learning can be hectic when students have to make notes to record the lessons. However, in the case of online UPSC coaching, lessons can be made available 24/7 through a web portal for students to indulge in learning when they find the time and space.
- Revenue – For UPSC coaching institutes, online IAS coaching can be an ideal way to make more money. Online recorded lessons and courses can be sold at reduced costs separately to students who can’t afford in-class lessons.
Overall, online UPSC coaching looks like a convenient prospect for both coaching institutes and aspiring students.
What features can be integrated with online IAS classes?
An online UPSC coaching center has several features that augment the learning experience for aspiring candidates. These would include:
- Self-paced learning – Videos and other learning materials can be made available to the candidate so they can practice and learn at their own pace. This can be an ideal way of learning for some students who feel overwhelmed when content goes away.
- Live streaming – For students who want to have the ability to ask questions in the class but can’t be physically present, live streaming can be a great way to impart lessons that are already going on in the premises of the institute.
- Feedback and tests – Online UPSC coaching arrangement can also help students leverage the benefit of remote feedback on tests and exams conducted by the online institute.
- Live QA forum – Students value the support of their teachers and peers. Therefore, an online forum can be integrated along with an online IAS class so that students get the support they need.
Several institutions have embraced this new and digital method of teaching, and are seeing success with it.
What subjects are being taught online?
Online UPSC coaching institutes are teaching subjects such as optional courses, including Economics, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, entire syllabus for GS (Prelims and Mains), CSAT, and more for preparing for exams such as the Civil Services Examination, IAS, IPS, IRS, IES, CDS, etc.
Institutes offering online UPSC coaching
Here’s a list of the top online IAS classes:
- Bliss Point Studies – Offers Economics Optional as an online course for UPSC aspirants.
- StudyIQ – Offers a full suite of courses for examinations such as CSE, IPS, IAS, IRS, and so on.
- TrentEd – TrentEd is a free video-sharing platform that has the complete suite of e-learning modules for civil services aspirants.
- PTeducation – PTeducation offers live training courses pertaining to online UPSC coaching for the preparation of Prelims and Mains examinations.
- Flavido – Flavido lets users access notes from their session, online, on subjects such as Geography, Public Administration, History, Sociology, and Philosophy.
- Forum IAS – Forum IAS provides online UPSC coaching on several subjects and allows students to pursue e-learning through their website.
- Next IAS – Next IAS offers online and live learning features such as 24/7 access to content, live query handling by expert tutors, online test series and results, personal performance analysis and feedback, online discussion forum, and more.
- NeoStencil – NeoStencil also offers live and online IAS coaching to students right from General Studies Foundation courses to Mains Optional Subject Courses for UPSC.
- OnlineTyari – OnlineTyari supports students with 24/7 accessible learning content and online mock tests that enhance learning for students.
- VisionIAS – VisionIAS offers online and LIVE courses for students to learn from the comfort of their homes rather than having to migrate to another city to join a coaching institute.
Is online a preferred method of learning for students in India?
A recent survey conducted by Gradeup on over 10,000 students revealed that students in India prefer online coaching as opposed to offline. Other platforms such as adda247 and Topper agree that online is the preferred method of learning for Indian students.
Specifically for UPSC preparation, online IAS classes can be very effective for their ability to help tutors impart lessons to a widespread audience, the ability for students to avoid long commuting hours, migration to other cities, and the convenience of learning at your own pace in the preferred space and time.
Why video piracy is a concern here & how VdoCipher solves it
While online IAS coaching sounds a lucrative field you might want to venture into, there is an underlying security issue you must know of. Video piracy via download and screen capture is a huge concern when it comes to online IAS classes. Pirated videos can make you lose revenue and affect the credibility of your content when it is freely and illegally available online.
Solutions like VdoCipher DRM encryption, dynamic watermarking and screen capture block in apps are crucial factor in determining the success of an online IAS platform. Over 600 institutes, including many UPSC and other test prep businesses, have effectively used VdoCipher to launch online courses. Strong Hollywood Grade security ensures piracy prevention while an adaptive player powered by Amazon CDN ensures smooth playback across tier 2-3 cities.
VdoCipher security features and 30-day trial can be checked out here.
