Online Education has taken over the world and it is no new news. Likewise, Online UPSC Preparation has become a major tool in preparation for Civil Services. There are a number of students who appear for UPSC every year. A lot of the candidates come from remote areas. For them, the online UPSC preparation can be the much-needed key. Read on to learn why online UPSC preparation is important for remote areas.
Why is It so Important to Put Our Focus on UPSC Preparation in Rural Areas?
Out of the 121crore Indians, 83.3crore live in rural areas. Now that sums up to 70% of the total population.
On average, 5 Lakh people give UPSC every year, so obviously, a major chunk from rural areas also gives this exam.
So, it has become so important to provide a certain quality of UPSC Preparation guidance to the aspirants from rural areas.
Let us look at some of the challenges that people from rural regions have to face.
Quality Standards
Quality and access to education is a major concern for UPSC Preparation in remote areas. Although a few classes might exist, the students preparing for UPSC require going through good quality of education and teaching. The UPSC Coaching classrooms are also overly packed with students. The crisis in the teaching profession is also reflected in the shortage of trained professionals for UPSC.
A survey states that 6.6 lakh teachers in the country need training, thereby defoliating the Quality of education. This environment is not really acceptable for Civil Services study. Hence, quality becomes a major challenge.
The Dearth of Teaching Faculty
Teachers are the protagonists of Education; education can be of any form. Teacher shortages are not new though, particularly after the Right to Education (RTE) Act led to a rise in schools and college enrollments and a demand for teachers. This is the data that was extracted from the survey by RTI
# 105,630 colleges are run by a single teacher.
# 5.86 lakh vacancies for teachers in India. Teacher shortages have increased after the Right to Education Act in 2009.
# 28:1 average pupil: teacher ratio. The ratio can be as high as 100:1 in some colleges though.
Also Read: UPSC Exam Syllabus 2022: Know all the Insights about Prelims, Mains and Interview Round
Poverty is Another Setback
People belonging to remote rural areas have meagre incomes, which at times is too less to sustain a large fee of a coaching class. Most likely, students would be asked to study at home. Now, that sums up to self-study with no guidance at all. If parents are not able to send their children to a coaching institute, the efforts get wasted as a little guidance somewhere is a must. Of course, there are exceptions but not all the UPSC Aspirants can manage only on self-study and their own understanding.
Linguistic Barriers
Most of the people study their basics and secondary schooling in their native language. Most textbooks for UPSC are in English and people in rural areas either speak their native language or Hindi, but not English. This results in poor command of the English language.
The Civil Services Main examination includes two language papers one in the Indian language and one in General English. This is irrespective of the candidate’s proficiency in his mother tongue / Indian language. English paper is compulsory. It is mandatory to clear these two papers as if a candidate fails to clear these papers, his other papers will not be evaluated. Hence, someone who is not well acquainted with the language may face tough problems if he tries to study on his own.
Lack of Proper Transportation
How many times do we hear about the villages having poor connectivity with the cities that are a hub for coaching classes? Most villages have poor connectivity from one place to another and that is often one of the main reasons why, despite efforts, students are not able to cope with their studies. Walking miles to reach a particular coaching hub is not a solution to all the problems of studies.
A Few Questions on Online UPSC Preparation
# Are you a student of remote/ rural areas and not able to access preparation material for IAS Preparation?
# Also, Are you not able to afford the fees of civil services coaching institutes?
# And, are you looking for self-preparation without attending any coaching classes?
# Are you looking for a ‘doorstep study’?
The answer to all these questions is Online UPSC Preparation.
Also Read: What is the Best Way to Introduce Yourself in the UPSC Interview? Here’re Some Tips & Tricks
How is Online UPSC Education Important?
Veereshwar is our student who is enrolled with us from Ranebennur. It is in Haveri district of Karnataka. Veereshwar comes from the office and sits in front of his laptop and watches the videos as per the subjects he has chalked out to study. The videos are explained to him and the ‘board is never rubbed.’ In his small town, where there are no coaching hubs, he learns everything. There is also a mentor who guides him with his studies and solves his doubts telephonically. For Veereshwar, Online UPSC Preparation is a better move than travelling to a bigger city and spending on the travel, food, and of course the Coaching class.
Moving Out For a Coaching Class is Not a Solution
As Kota has become a hub for IIT aspirants, Delhi has become a hub for Civil Services aspirants. However, a large number of aspirants are not able to reach out to the urban centres. But there is one thing which one will need to understand. Moving to these hubs does not guarantee success at all. Cracking UPSC is purely an outcome of the resourceful study one does and the kind of knowledge one imparts. Of course, with the right guidance. So, if you are someone who comes from a rural place, do not feel that there’s anything wrong with not being able to move to a better place.
The Internet has evolved. A serious candidate can prepare for the exams from anywhere. With the Internet revolution, even the people living in rural areas are able to reap the advantages of Online UPSC Preparation. It is high time that the rural masses should start utilising these facilities for good. Online UPSC Preparation allows you to engage in videos for every single topic, with resourceful notes for the same. How enriching it is if you can watch the video probably whenever you want wherever you want and the number of times you want! The traditional classroom does not provide you with that.
Addressing The Issue of Shortage of Teaching Faculty
Online Study addresses the shortage of teachers, especially for something as tough as UPSC Preparation. Online UPSC Preparation can do this by providing high-quality teaching materials, such as videos, interactive discussion platforms, or high-quality notes from an experienced faculty member. Through the Online UPSC Preparation approach, the number of students who are able to grasp the content is very large. Also, Taking the same notes and mentorship which people from all over the country are referring to can be very enriching and fruitful.
Thereby, the reach widens.
Addressing The Shortage of High-Quality Notes
Online UPSC Preparation addresses the shortage of learning material such as textbooks for students. The material could be made available easily and can be read even on mobile phones.
The online Material, again, is not limited to bookish knowledge, as UPSC requires you to be well versed with the latest news around. Students’ feedback on the clarity of assignments, timeliness of feedback, and interaction with faculty over Current Affairs is the USP.
A major significance lies in demonstrating that Online UPSC Preparation today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than conventional Classroom.
Also Read: Budget 2022: Let’s Acknowledge the Budget 2022 Highlights for UPSC CSE 2022!
Skillful Development
Online Preparation improves the quality of education by providing improved informational content and learning approaches. The vastness of the UPSC Syllabus is not new; hence a little better approach towards it is needed. Interactive, communicative Preparation may promote the development of skills that are generically required for such Competitive Exams.
These skills can be critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity. It provides students with information and communications technology skills which are useful in any Online Preparation.
Reducing The Barriers
Reducing the time it takes to access learning materials and books offline; solving time conflicts through the Internet.
The connection of an Online Mentor and the student is independent of their location. This can be done without travelling, in the comfort of home.
This is also useful for those individuals who may have impaired mobility (Physically handicapped). They do not have to worry about their participation in training courses; thereby Online Preparation is helpful here.
Economical Compensation in Online UPSC Preparation
Given a comparable learning outcome, learning costs of Online UPSC Preparation can be lower, especially with the kind of facilities they provide. For example, there are no commuting costs. Also, sometimes there is also not any required course materials such as textbooks because those are often available for free online. Panel discussion for Current Affairs is also a part of the Online Preparation.
Myth of Urban Cities
The Civil Services Examination is a prestigious professional path. As a result, a considerable number of individuals apply each year to join the IAS, IPS, IFS, and other Allied Services. For their prep and coaching, the majority of candidates chose to travel to large cities. However, many applicants are unable to go to urban hubs, such as Delhi, which has become a hub for coaching and study materials.
Without a mature market or guidance, these applicants confront a difficult task in preparation for the IAS exam. Unfortunately, most of our remote areas lack adequate resources and coaching facilities for public service examination preparation. A sincere aspirant, on the other hand, must maintain his confidence. Although traditional coaching is not available to applicants in rural and distant areas of India, such candidates have a variety of other options.
The Silver Lining for Remote Areas
One thing to keep in mind: there is no link between the chances of passing the IAS exam and not residing in the urban area. What matters is how well you prepare for the exam and how dedicated you are to it. Nothing can stop you from achieving success if you can concentrate on your objective and keep your mind away from the many distractions.
You must realise that the primary reason a candidate travels so far from home is to improve his attention. However, it should not be of much use to a genuine contender. A dedicated individual can study for the tests from any location.
Also, it is a common misconception that when learning away from home, an aspirant may devote 100% of his attention to his studies. Living elsewhere is not simple in reality. When you’re not at home, you’ll have to take care of a lot of things and create plans for yourself. This necessitates a significant amount of thought and time.
Conclusion
Further, I would recommend you all to subscribe yourself to the important newspapers. Also, bookmark the data and articles which are required on a day-to-day basis. Try and make the most of Online UPSC Preparation.
Make sure you are enrolling in good Online Coaching and you are buying the study material from a good source. You can also subscribe to a guidance program that suits your needs.
Do not feel demotivated by the unavailability of books or coaching institutes in your area. The Online UPSC Preparation compensates for these facilities, very adequately. Planning is very essential for students from remote areas.
So plan and execute your studies accordingly and there would be no hindrance to stop you from competing for these exams.
Good Luck!
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