Latest news with #UPSC-prep
Mint
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
IAS officer Neha Byadwal's strict study routine starts social media debate, ‘This UPSC-prep cult needs to be dismantled'
A debate started on social media after a user criticised IAS officer Neha Byadwal's strict study routine during UPSC prep. She reportedly didn't use a phone for three years. The user argues that such isolated preparation disconnects future bureaucrats from real-life India. The post on Twitter (now X) has been viewed by over 9 lakh people. 'This UPSC-prep cult needs to be dismantled & destroyed. Complete sociopaths with zero idea of how india runs outside of their 24*7 rote study room end up governing the public,' wrote the user. 'Bureaucracy har cheez ke liye OTP maangti the privilege of not requiring a mobile phone for 3 years in today's world,' the user added. 'People saying I'm targeting the girl coz I'm jealous: No bro. I'm just a girl standing in front of you, wanting ROI for my tax money,' she added. Many others agree, saying many officers treat administration like their personal power zone and follow coaching notes blindly. Some users believe government officials lack work experience and don't know how to deal with teams or real-life problems. 'I simply fail to understand what an IAS will know about electricity when he is made MD of a board. Similarly, what will a babu know when he heads directorate general of shipping or aviation?' wondered one user. Another user wrote, 'Why only UPSC. It permeates our engineers (IIT/Kota Factories), CAs and the rest too.' However, many others disagreed. 'And, place whom in place, influencers?' came a sarcastic reply. 'Easier said than done, crack this exam and then we`ll hear you,' wrote another. One user wrote, 'She didn't use her phone, but for current affairs, she must be reading the newspaper to understand what's happening and how India runs.' 'Message is good, but you're wrong here. They are very well aware of how the world functions…' came from another. IAS officer Neha Byadwal belongs to a village in Jaipur, where women stayed behind veils and education for girls was rare. In 2021, she became the first IAS officer from her village, bringing hope and change. Seeing little girls ask for schools and a better future moved her deeply. She felt proud to be heard and respected by her people. According to Neha, the best part was knowing that her success inspired others, especially fathers, to encourage their daughters to study. 'I hope I become the reason a father motivates his daughter to study, telling her 'if she can, you can too',' she wrote on Instagram.
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Neha Byadwal remained offline for 3 yrs while preparing for UPSC. Now 24-year-old faces online fury
Neha Byadwal, one of the youngest IAS officers in India, cracked the UPSC in her 20s after years of setbacks and making the sacrifice of shunning her social media for about three long years. The 26-year-old is once again making headlines for her isolated studying habits on social media. On Sunday, a social media user on X (formerly called Twitter) called out the IAS officer Neha Byadwal's isolated study habits, citing this as a reason why bureaucrats have zero idea of how India runs outside their "24*7 rote study room." The user went on to respond to a fellow user's claim that Byadwal did not use her phone for 3 long years when she was preparing for the UPSC exams. Social media users troll Neha Byadwal's UPSC preparation routine The conversation on X did not stop there; the user shared a post saying that this UPSC-prep cult needs to be dismantled and destroyed. They are complete sociopaths with zero idea of how India runs outside of their 24*7 role study room and end up governing the public. This UPSC-prep cult needs to be dismantled & destroyed. Complete sociopaths with zero idea of how india runs outside of their 24*7 rote study room end up governing the public. On the other hand, another user, while replying to her post, stated that everything, right from making online payments to getting online deliveries, required a one-time password (OTP). "Bureaucracy har cheez ke liye OTP maangti the privilege of not requiring a mobile phone for 3 years in today's world," she mentioned in her post. Additionally, agreeing to this, another user said that the bureaucrats are indeed disconnected from the common man's reality, and they run the administration as their 'personal fiefdom' I think rickshaw drivers can legit design better roadways & traffic management than babus. Classic example is BMC/MMRDA in Mumbai. They made 10 feet wide footpaths in BKC area & turned all major roads into single lane!! While another said, "I think study does require full concentration and not using phone means using it only for required purpose not social media so the lady IAS has been judicial." "The worst part is them acting like they actually understand India cause them memorised the coaching class notes," a social media user wrote. "Trolls need mobile phones all the time, having nothing to do better but to bitch about hard working people," one added. Who is IAS Neha Byadwal? Born in Jaipur, Rajasthan, but raised in Chhattisgarh, Neha Byadwal cleared the UPSC CSE in her fourth attempt in 2021, with an All India Rank (AIR) of 569, and became an IAS officer at the age of 24. Byadwal started her schooling in Jaipur and later went to Kidzee High School, Bhopal. Neha had to frequently switch schools because of her father's government job. She also studied at DPS Korba and later completed her schooling at DPS Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. Neha's father, Shravan Kumar, is a senior income tax officer, and it was his service to the country and its people that inspired her to become an IAS officer. Neha Byadwal avoided mobile phones and social media for 3 years Byadwal kicked off her preparation for the UPSC CSE after completing her education; however, the path to success was paved with setbacks as she couldn't clear the test in her first three attempts. During an interview, Neha revealed that after failing three times, she realised that social media and mobile phone usage were distracting her from studying in a diligent manner; hence, she avoided the use of mobile phones and social media for nearly 3 years.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
'Destroy UPSC-prep cult': 24-year-old IAS officer Neha Byadwal went phone-free for three years, igniting online storm
Neha Byadwal stayed off her phone for three years to prepare for India's UPSC exam. Her decision, now public, has stirred strong views online. One X user wrote, 'This UPSC-prep cult needs to be dismantled & destroyed. Complete sociopaths with zero idea of how India runs outside of their 247 rote study room end up governing the public.' Her intense routine has opened a wider conversation about the country's toughest exam. Some call it discipline. Some call it privilege. The OTP argument and everyday reality Another user on X pointed out how impossible it feels to stay phone-free in today's world. Replying to the viral post, they wrote, 'Bureaucracy har cheez ke liye OTP maangti the privilege of not requiring a mobile phone for 3 years in today's world.' Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. — sharklaka (@sharklaka) This sparked support from a few netizens who believe India's bureaucrats live cut off from common life. One user agreed, 'Absolutely correct... They run the admin as their personal fiefdom bowing to whims of politicians who themselves have no clue of how to think beyond themselves.' Live Events Some demand work experience for civil servants The debate didn't stop there. One comment read, 'Having work experience should be a pre-requisite for such senior positions. How to handle targets, bosses, colleagues, subordinates and teams. How to talk in an office environment (i.e. scolding subordinates in public is not administration).' Another user added bluntly, 'Why can't recruitment happen just like another corporate job? This exam business is so crap.' But many still see grit in Neha's sacrifice Not everyone sees it the same way. Several voices pushed back against the backlash. One user said, 'Message is good, but you're wrong here. They are very well aware of how the world functions...' Another shot back, 'easier said than done, crack this exam and then we'll hear you.' Who is Neha Byadwal? Neha Byadwal was born in Jaipur. She grew up in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Her father Shravan Kumar works with the Income Tax Department. She once dreamed of being a lawyer. But her father gave her a new vision. In her own words: 'Initially, I was drawn to movies and wanted to be a lawyer, to fight for justice. But then one day, my father sat me down. He showed me a photo — maybe a picture of a trash heap, I don't know, but it looked like a mountain. He told me, 'That's the peak — that's where you have to reach. I believe you will reach there. But there are two ways — one I know, one you can carve on your own. But if you choose a long, difficult route, I may not be able to help you.'' Neha first went to Delhi for coaching but soon returned home. She switched to self-study. She failed more than once, but never gave up. 'First attempt, I had no regrets, because I hadn't worked that hard anyway. But in the second attempt, I missed prelims by two marks. In my fourth attempt and my final mains, when the mains results came out, I missed qualifying by eight marks. And it was my father who texted me my marksheet,' she recalled. Her family became her support system. Neha says one must 'try until you become the best version of yourself.' Neha finally cracked UPSC in 2021. She secured an All India Rank of 569 with 960 marks in total, including 151 in her interview. Yet her story, now viral, has split opinions. Does UPSC build dedicated officers — or does it breed disconnected rulers? For now, Neha's phone-free years remain a spark for India's oldest question: Who should lead and how? (
