Why We Started — and Why It Still Matters
A story about a promise made to India's most brilliant minds who were being left behind simply because they couldn't afford the education they deserved.
Brilliant Minds Were Being Left Behind
In 2015, Dr. Priyadarshi Kumar, a retired IAS officer with 35 years of service, noticed something deeply troubling: India's most talented young minds — from villages, slums, and lower-income families — were being systematically excluded from civil services preparation.
Top coaching institutes in Delhi charged ₹1.5–2 lakh per year. For a daily wage worker's son in Murshidabad or a farmer's daughter in Birbhum, that was an impossible dream. Yet these were often the very students who understood governance challenges from lived experience — who had the empathy, the grit, and the motivation to truly serve.
The system was creating civil servants from privilege, when India's villages and cities needed civil servants who understood struggle.
Average annual fee at Delhi coaching institutes
UPSC selections from metros and affluent families
UPSC selections from BPL families nationally
"Education Should Never Depend Upon Financial Status"
This wasn't just a tagline. It was a founding promise. Dr. Priyadarshi started PIAS with one rule: every deserving student would get access to world-class coaching, regardless of their financial background.
Our scholarship program has given full fee waivers to 320+ students since inception.
Every scholarship student receives the same quality study materials, notes, and resources as paying students.
Capped at 40 students — scholarship or not — every student gets the same personal attention.
Former PIAS students who cleared UPSC mentor current scholarship students — paying it forward.
Our Journey, Year by Year
Priyadarshi IAS Academy Founded
Started with 12 students in a single classroom in Kolkata with a simple promise: quality education for all.
First UPSC Selections
Our first batch produced 3 UPSC selections, validating our teaching methodology.
Scholarship Program Launched
Introduced India's most generous scholarship program — 100% fee waiver for EWS students.
Slum Education Initiative
Started free civil services awareness classes in 3 slum communities of Kolkata.
WBCS Coaching Added
Expanded to WBCS coaching. Produced top 10 rankers in the very first year.
Online Learning Launched
During COVID, launched hybrid online + offline learning — reaching students across India.
100 Selections Milestone
Crossed 100 total UPSC+State selections. 50 scholarship students among them.
AIR Top 100 Achievement
Four students in UPSC Top 100 ranks. Two from full scholarship program.
AIR 12 — Landmark Year
Aniket Biswas achieved AIR 12 — PIAS's best ever. Scholarship recipient from Murshidabad.
12,500+ Students Strong
Today, PIAS stands as Bengal's most trusted civil services academy with 320+ scholarship students.
Be Part of the Mission
Whether you're an aspirant, a parent, or someone who believes in this mission — there's a place for you at PIAS.