https://www.youtube.com/live/pbWvhAvlaTo?si=8RgjikWyta2-e5IX

Timeline of Ancient India, Detailed and interesting discussion on Pre and Proto History and in Depth analysis of Paleolithic era as well as Mesolithic era.

The multi party delegations are back to Delhi. It took Pakistan to bring the people together.

The Mission was complete. But long miles are still to go before it is really completed.

Here,

I have identified major themes from Ancient India and Culture for Main Examination. Era by era I have traced important themes for the exam.

https://youtu.be/FUlqaQlMCAI

Hello students,

I just met some students who were not able to study. Their scores in Prelims are on border - in mid 80s. They are not sure whether they would qualify for Main examination. And they were extremely anxious about it.

This is actually a normal thing every year. So, I was little surprised looking at their level of anxiety. A deeper probe revealed that they are stressed out for last 2 days due to continuous consumption of social media. On Telegram there are certain groups where the results date/time are speculated every day. And every day they are postponed. It is creating unnecessary anxiety and leading to waste of time.

My suggestion is - stick to your preparation. Result will come whenever UPSC wants it to come. We should not spend our time in doomscrolling, rather we should focus on studies. Every day is precious right now.

Also, we need to learn to regulate ourselves during the times of high pressure and uncertainty. That is an OLQ (officer like quality) which we must inculcate if we are to become good officers.

One simple way is - stay off the Social Media for some time.

All the best.
Nikhil

The above post has 500+ views in less than 2 mins. It shows how many of you are still on social media, on telegram, right now.

Go and read the notes and books.

Result Out for Forest Exam.

Civil Service Prelims Results 2025 (English)

Some UPSC teachers and youtubers ko politicians ki bimari lagi hai.

Some politicians blame election commission after losing elections. And the whole conspiracy theory emerges...

Some teachers and youtubers are doing the same. They are blaming the UPSC for students who have received setback in the Prelims 2025.

They are feeding off your emotions. They want to get your views, increase engagement, create anger and then in the end exasperation.

I am not saying that UPSC cannot improve in its process. But, rather than guiding students about how to tackle this setback, how to strategize, how to assess... they are busy creating conspiracies with brainless patterns.

It started 2-3 years ago on social media. Now it is becoming tsunami.

Stay away from them. Your time is precious. Your emotions about results are not zariya to enhance engagement metrics for teachers and youtubers on social media. Only follow sensible people who really help you in life.

Nikhil

Do watch this video for sensible guidance with respect to strategy and preparation.

Esp if you are a working professional, how to manage everything to clear the exam.

https://youtu.be/kYOPs1msIO4

In one recent lecture, I had a freewheeling discussion on History. It would be a good entering point for anyone into the philosophy of history.

This is actually a deep ocean and I am merely scratching the surface. But it is so fun doing that sometimes.

In a UPSC coaching context, we generally dont get an opportunity to discuss these things. I stole a chance. It would be worth your while.

https://youtu.be/w-cvamjc3wA

I personally don't agree with this.

We should teach not only Manusmriti but also all Dharmashastras. This is not for general students. This is for specializing study in dharma shastras.

William Jones had studied it. Ambedkar had studied it in detail. PV Kane was awarded Bharat Ratna by government of India for studying it. Kurundkar's three lectures on it are gold standard even today. Patrick Olivelle is a great scholar of today for studying it.

What's the harm in studying it? If some specialized people don't study it then how to find good, bad and ugly?

We dont want ignorant comments of foolish people. We want studied criticism by scholars.

Nikhil

In UPSC coaching industry, we have PE firms investing in companies like Byjus, Unacademy and lately PW. We have seen what happened to the first two.

PE money is destabilizing entire coaching industry in its wake. But I thought may be it was because this sector operates on profit motive, it is expected to happen.

And then I just found out this video. PE has entered not only Hospitals but also schools and even pre-school segment. It is literally destroying this.

I am generally a supporter of LPG reforms initiated after 1991-92. But little did I know that finally it would come to this.

The days of Gandhian education and Tagorean philosophy are long gone. We should study them only for the exams, to score high, in schools operated by PE money.

The romantic ideal of teacher being Guru and education as means of nation building have looooong vanished.

Nikhil

https://youtu.be/4lAPshOyEBY

Since its inception, the VKA focused on spreading Hindu values by organizing religious rituals in tribal regions and focusing on education and hostels. It has tirelessly strived to provide medical help to tribal people since the mid-1960s. Additionally, after the late 1970s, it started to work on different aspects of tribal communities' lives. By the 1990s, it also formally began to raise questions related to their rights over forest land and its resources.

Exploring the genesis, historical journey, the nature of ideological discourse and various functions of the VKA, Kamal Nayan Choubey opens a window to the contributions of an organization that largely remains unexplored and, therefore, unknown.

Deeply researched and evocative, Adivasi or Vanavasi is for anyone interested in understanding modern India's history, politics and the changing landscape of Indian society.

#bookreview

Iqbal was a nationalist poet till 1910s. He wrote Sare Jahan se Achha. Then he gradually changed. He became Islamist. By 1930s, his vision became the vision of Pakistan. His dreams and speeches were given concrete shape by Jinnah. He is thus treated as Spiritual father of Pakistan.

Why did this transformation take place? What makes a great intellectual like Iqbal into a pedestrian Communalist? Its one of the great questions of modern Indian history. Communalism is not merely for foolish illiterates. Secularism, conversely, is not for intellectually superior only.

I think we need to help students understand this complexity. Why this cancel culture?

Nikhil

Audrey Truschke was hugely controversial for extending arguments in support of Aurangzeb in her book on him.

Now she is coming with a new book on the history of India, to be released next week.

In a recent interview printed in The Hindu, she talks about Shivaji. She seems have taken Phule's ideal of Shivaji as "shudra king", but given it a perverse turn. Phule had said that Shivaji's ideal was to help the agriculturalists. She seems to have picked up the word shudra and says that he wanted to become king to improve his caste to Kshatriya. There is no grander purpose, there is no vision larger than life, no idea of working for people. She seems to have slotted Shivaji's life story into the story of personal ambition of an individual and caste politics.

Its inversion of means-ends. Phule's narrative is made to stand upside down.

We obviously have to wait for the whole book to be released but I am sure that it will become controversial.

Audrey loves controversy. She thrives on it.

Nikhil

The concept of Proto History is not as straightforward as it seems. It is loaded with different shades and meanings. Do watch for 7 mins.

https://youtu.be/JKVxT6e6CF8