Origins (2005–2009)
- Founded in Delhi (2005): Started by senior aspirants who later themselves entered the civil services.
- Postal Coaching Era: Initially focused on postal coaching and study material distribution for UPSC aspirants across India.
- Study Material Outlets: Operated three outlets in Delhi to sell curated UPSC preparation books and notes.
Expansion to Chennai (2009–2015)
- Shift to Classroom Coaching: By mid-2009, the academy transitioned from postal coaching to classroom programs in Chennai (Anna Nagar).
- Ethical Model: Unlike other institutes that enrolled 200+ students per batch, Raja Sir’s IAS Academy limited its intake to small groups, ensuring personal mentorship and focused guidance.
- Flagship Programme: Launched a 12-month full-time UPSC course covering General Studies, Political Science & International Relations, Sociology, Ethics, and Essay writing.
Hybrid & Online Growth (2015–2020)
- Online + Offline Integration: Expanded to pan-India guidance through live online classes, hybrid programs, and postal coaching.
- Focus on Answer Writing: Introduced structured daily practice and evaluation, addressing one of the biggest gaps in UPSC preparation.
- Mentorship Legacy: Built a reputation for guided preparation, consistently adapting to evolving UPSC trends.
Modern Era (2020–Present)
- Digital Platforms: Leveraged YouTube, Telegram, and dedicated websites (e.g., RajasirIAS.com, CrackingIAS.com, IASGoogle.com, CrackingIASbooks.com ) to reach aspirants nationwide.
- Success Stories: Produced multiple top ranks in UPSC CSE, including AIR 1, 11, 27, 39, 53, and more in recent years.
- Scale of Impact:
- 533+ officers trained into IAS, IPS, IFS, and allied services.
- 10,000+ aspirants mentored across India.
- 21+ years of continuous mentorship with a strong alumni network.
Distinctive Features
|
Feature |
Raja Sir’s IAS Academy |
Typical IAS Institutes |
|
Batch Size |
Limited Batch Size |
200+ students |
|
Approach |
Ethical, Personalized mentorship |
Mass coaching |
|
Specialization |
GS(PCM), CSAT, Political Science, Sociology |
Mostly GS-focused |
|
Success Rate |
533+ officers trained |
Varies widely |
Legacy & Reputation
- Ethical Coaching: Known for refusing to compromise quality for scale.
- Mentorship-driven: Retired civil servants and UPSC experts form the faculty.
- Consistency: More than one-time results, the academy emphasizes sustained success across batches.
Raja Sir’s IAS Academy evolved from a postal coaching startup in Delhi (2005) into a leading Chennai-based UPSC institute, distinguished by its ethical practices, small batches, and consistent production of top-ranking officers.
Excellency
Raja Sir resigned from the post of Senior Scientific Officer, Ministry of Defence, which he got through the UPSC selection process, to pursue his passionate profession of teaching with his learned self-experience of the UPSC Civil Services Examination process after giving three Mains and two interviews.
He scored top-notch marks of 190 in Political Science and International Relations – Paper 2 and 181 in Sociology – Paper 2 in the UPSC Civil Services Exam. He also stood first in the Aptitude Test conducted by the Ministry of Defence in 2004.
Built on Experience, Ethics and Excellence
Our journey reflects a commitment to serious aspirants, small batches, quality teaching and ethical UPSC guidance.
Student Testimonials
Anshul Gupta IAS
Verified StudentHe Studied Electrical Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur. Despite his brilliant academics and lucrative Career in Private Sector, with his prestigious IIM (Bangalore) graduation, he aspired to become IAS and cracked the toughest nut of UPSC with his patience and perseverance. He made investment on himself, worked for it, and is now a Unicorn in himself.
Siva Krishnamoorty IAS
Verified StudentHis impressive writing abilities with clarity of thought made him achieve this. He used to write tests and essays and come to institute after 7.00 pm also. On Few Days he had even come at 9.00 p.m. That shows his dedication. Our faculty had waited till he comes. That’s the kind of personal touch every student gets at our Institute.
Bharani Kumar IAS
Verified StudentRaja Sir’s guidance and support helped me achieving my dream service of IAS. My optional subject was Political Science and International Relations. I fully relied on Sir’s inputs. Its my pleasure to thank him for his mentoring.
Jai Arvind IRS
Verified StudentAn alumni of College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, IIM Graduate, Ex Employee of RBS, is now an Indian Revenue Service Officer. He enrolled with us for Classes of Sociology, Political Science and International Relations, Current Affairs and General Studies Prelims Test Batch. He also guided our students for one batch of CSAT – Aptitude.
Rajarshi Das Gupta IRS
Verified StudentI joined Raja Sir’s Cracking IAS for General Studies & Essay. Study materials and tests provided by Raja Sir were crispy and catering to the exact demands of UPSC Civil Services Exam. Thank you Raja Sir.
Nitika Pawar IAS (AIR, 18)
Verified StudentNitika Pawar obtained 18th rank in Civil Services Examination 2011 in her first attempt for the most prestigious position of Indian Administrative Services (IAS). Nitika Pawar had completed her B.Tech in Biotechnology. She joined us for the optional subject Political Science and International Relations.
Saranya Baskar IAAS, AIR 143
Verified StudentShe is an alumnus of MOP Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai . With her tireless efforts and calm, composed approach to UPSC Civil Services Exam, she made it in her very first attempt immediately after her Graduation. Her optional subject was Political Science and International Relations.
U. Swaroop IAS
Verified StudentSir, I got personalised attention and especially your tests have helped me a lot. I will not forget your emphasis on Phytoremediation question which exactly got reflected in GS – Mains. Points notified during Mock Interview Session helped me to perform well in UPSC Interview.
Uma Maheshwari ICLS
Verified StudentShe was deeply impacted by something that Steve Jobs often spoke about – connecting the dots. “You have to place your trust and belief in something and keep working towards it. It will all somehow start making sense and come together,” says Uma. After facing so many failures, Uma just got it in her 6th attempt.