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UPSC Civil Services Coaching in Kolkata

Hello folks. I am new to ForumIAS. I am looking for best Coaching facility for CSE in Calcutta. I have visited ICSA, Trademark-IAS, ATI (Government run) and ALS (VSAT Centre). They are charging almost same fees except ATI (nominal fees) and ALS (Very high fees), further ATI is also taking an admission test (sadly i have missed the DATEline). Now i have to choose either ICSA or Trademark-IAS. Feedback welcome.
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  • Hello folks. I am new to ForumIAS. I am looking for best Coaching facility for CSE in Calcutta. I have visited ICSA, Trademark-IAS, ATI (Government run) and ALS (VSAT Centre). They are charging almost same fees except ATI (nominal fees) and ALS (Very high fees), further ATI is also taking an admission test (sadly i have missed the DATEline). Now i have to choose either ICSA or Trademark-IAS. Feedback welcome.
    study at home and save money

    i can tell you from personal experience that kolkata is miles behind the good institutes located in other cities like delhi,chennai,pune etc.

  • @mrlobo Have you joined any of the Institute? Can you tell me about ICSA, Saltlake? ICSA claimed that around 25 of their students have cleared Prelims this year. I had a conversation with an old man over there, he told me (in British accent English), "We have produced the highest number of Civil servants from West Bengal since last few years". He also claimed to have retired IAS and IPS officers as teaching staffs/faculty. They will start new batches in January 2015.

    Unfortunately i was unable to meet any of the students.
  • edited November 2014
    ^^ I am one of the 25. :) But I can't vouch for the classroom coaching. Optionals are quite good, imho. GS is a mixed bag of sucks-big-time, adequate and exceptional (JPC). Whatever it might be, at least it's not money-oriented. They refunded the fees (~5k) for mains mock test takers who have cleared prelims this year including myself.
  • @ArindamSarkar Congratulations on clearing Prelims. Good to know that they have refunded 5K to successful students. BTW what is JPC?
  • @ArindamSarkar Congratulations on clearing Prelims. Good to know that they have refunded 5K to successful students. BTW what is JPC?
    He is the mentor there. 70-80 year old retired diplomat - J Pal Chowdhury sir.
  • @mrlobo Have you joined any of the Institute? Can you tell me about ICSA, Saltlake? ICSA claimed that around 25 of their students have cleared Prelims this year. I had a conversation with an old man over there, he told me (in British accent English), "We have produced the highest number of Civil servants from West Bengal since last few years". He also claimed to have retired IAS and IPS officers as teaching staffs/faculty. They will start new batches in January 2015.

    Unfortunately i was unable to meet any of the students.
    well i joined their prelims crash course and was deeply disappointed with them,although i managed to clear prelims somehow, if found their teaching materials and faculty outdated.

    i believe some of their students cleared prelims too, not sure of the numbers

    as for the ias/ips faculty there are 2-3 retired officers who are quite old and do not gel with the new upsc trends..i am sure you must be knowing that the current prelims and mains of upsc have gone a drastic change wherein dynamic part has become prominent which i found missing there..

    i felt that their faculty consisted primarily of academics and research scholars who are good for knowledge but are not well toned for the special approach for upsc alike the professional institutes of delhi.

    they are/were discussing topics like diclofenac (env.) which was in news in 2012-13!

    most of the (few) people who had cleared upsc from there had already been selected to wbcs(i know mr bappaditya roy who got air- 600+ rank in old upsc version of two optionals) some times back, i do not know about others have benefited from the institute personally

    their fees is 35k for mains which is not cheap but much cheaper than other institutes..

    they charge 5k for mains test writing series for 5 part time and one full time test,not sure about their feedback and quality of questions as i opted out of it after the bad episode of prelims

    i can surely tell that their study material is not upto the mark ,which i received during prelims course and their faculty for history is horrible

    i have heard that their optionals subjects is fine,but you are not allowed to take coaching for one subject only,you have to take entire package..5 days a week classes from 10-6 ..

    i suggest you to invest your money wisely,since it is the only option you have in the city.
    :D
  • @ArindamSarkar Congratulations on clearing Prelims. Good to know that they have refunded 5K to successful students. BTW what is JPC?
    He is the mentor there. 70-80 year old retired diplomat - J Pal Chowdhury sir.
    diplomat!

    i thought (as told him and his staff) that he was the vice chancellor of university and principal of vidyasagar college,also he was with a fossiled institute called bose institute for long time.

    @-)
  • @ArindamSarkar Congratulations on clearing Prelims. Good to know that they have refunded 5K to successful students. BTW what is JPC?
    He is the mentor there. 70-80 year old retired diplomat - J Pal Chowdhury sir.
    diplomat!

    i thought (as told him and his staff) that he was the vice chancellor of university and principal of vidyasagar college,also he was with a fossiled institute called bose institute for long time.

    @-)
    I've interacted with him multiple times. He was posted for a long time in Africa (possibly Ghana). He deals with essays and foreign relations of current importance. He headed Bose institute earlier. Now he runs ICSA. Very cordial man in spite of his achievements.
  • @mrlobo Ok. I guess i have to study at home. I will read the standard books and important study material and notes of Coaching Institutes from Delhi ( its not possible for me to move to Delhi for various reasons). If necessary, will en-roll for a few online Test series programme like Vision and Insight.
  • @ArindamSarkar If i am not wrong the old man with British accent is JPC sir ( As i was told that he is the Director of the Institute). Yes he is a cordial man but his ideas on CSE preparation are OUTDATED. He still lives in Pre 2011 era.
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