QUALITY FIRST

Interview with P.S. Ravindran, Director, Vajiram & Ravi.

BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

P.S. Ravindran: “For the past nine years in a row, our institute has given all-India first rankers.”

P.S. RAVINDRAN says, “We don’t publish photographs of our successful students but our students keep interacting with us even when they are posted in other places.” This explains the importance of his institute, Vajiram & Ravi, in the lives of many IAS officers.

As a coaching institute, how do you rate yourself in the market?

The institute started in 1976. For the past nine years in a row, our institute has given all-India first rankers. We not only make our students well-equipped to take the examination but also train them in a comprehensive manner.

What is the focus of your teaching methods?

The primary thing is quality education. We believe in covering the entire syllabus, at least 95 per cent of it. Secondly, we offer quality teaching and cover the syllabus in time. Sudents are given a date on which the course is completed so that they can have a sense of completion. Another thing that we stress is commitment to the students and the accessibility of teachers so that students can clarify their doubts any time.

A year-long preparation could be tedious for students. How do you tackle this problem?

Our first lecture in any new session starts with a motivational talk. Once in a month we give them a pep talk. We have come to realise that students face problems like lack of motivation and self-doubts. These things increase as the examination closes in, so we ensure that we help them during that time. Some of our teachers stay here from early morning to late evening to counsel them.

What are the most popular courses of your institute?

There are many. General Studies, Public Administration, Psychology, Commerce and also interview preparation.

How do you address the continually changing pattern and syllabus of the civil services exams?

One of our institute’s major recommendations is to refer constantly to the question papers. It is the question papers that make the syllabus complete. For instance, we stress on topics, the type of questions in those topics.

That suggestion is applicable to teachers as well. We believe that the teacher is the first student. He has to first learn to teach. One of the reasons why General Studies is very popular here is that the course needs more revision and updates every year than any other subject.

Current affairs, Indian polity and the economy change drastically every year. It is because of our ability to adapt and provide such cutting edge knowledge to students that we are able to remain competitive.