Preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is unlike any other academic journey. With lakhs of aspirants competing for a few hundred coveted positions, the exam demands more than just hard work. It tests mental endurance, clarity of purpose, and most crucially – a smart, sustainable strategy.
As the pressure mounts with each passing year, aspirants are increasingly seeking systems that go beyond traditional coaching. In this landscape, mentorship-led platforms are quietly reshaping how India prepares for one of its most gruelling exams.
Experts believes that, for aspirants across India, UPSC prep often becomes a lonely battle. Despite investing years, many find themselves stuck in repetitive cycles – fragmented study materials, outdated coaching models and an overwhelming syllabus. This leads not only to burnout but also a lack of direction.
Rohit Pande, an IIT Guwahati alumnus and UPSC preparation expert, points out, “Most aspirants don’t fail due to lack of knowledge. They fail because they aren’t told what they’re doing wrong. The challenge is not information – it’s navigation.”
Beyond coaching: The rise of mentorship
The past few years have seen a shift from large classroom coaching to more individualised mentorship programs. One such initiative is Civilsdaily IAS, which began in 2016 when Pande teamed up with Shikhar Sachan, a former aspirant, to tackle what they saw as systemic issues in traditional UPSC coaching.
While Civilsdaily now claims to boast more than 25,000 students and an AIR 2 in 2023, the core idea hasn’t changed: real-time feedback and personalized guidance matter more than one-size-fits-all lectures.
Instead of focusing purely on content delivery, the platform asserts to match aspirants with personal mentors – typically former rank holders or Mains-qualified candidates. These mentors track weekly progress, identify blind spots, and recalibrate study plans. It’s a system designed not just for academic success, but emotional endurance.
Peer-led ecosystems and smart tools
One key factor driving this shift is relatability. Many of Civilsdaily’s mentors are recent rank holders and Mains qualified experts themselves – making them closer to peers than authority figures. For aspirants, this makes the process more collaborative and less intimidating.
The tech-enabled side of preparation also plays a growing role. Civilsdaily’s app ecosystem includes daily check-ins, adaptive test plans, performance dashboards, and AI-driven nudges—features designed to keep students accountable and reduce wasted effort.
Signature programs like Samachar Manthan for current affairs and the Ultimate Assessment Program for Prelims and Mains allow aspirants to plan across the entire UPSC timeline – right from NCERT basics to the Interview stage.
This mindset shift – from rote learning to reflective preparation – is slowly becoming the norm. Platforms like Civilsdaily IAS are part of that change, not as end-all solutions, but as enablers of better systems.