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17-Year-Old Aspiring for UPSC: Choosing the Right Degree and College

Parthiban T R | Answer |Ask -Follow

Career Counsellor - Answered on Jul 01, 2024

Parthiban TR, a former professor, has been working in the fields of training and learning development for over 17 years.
As a career counsellor and mentor, he has been tutoring students from Classes I to XII (predominantly CBSE), UG (engineering) and others for nearly a decade.
He has worked as a lecturer and professor at the Kuppam Engineering College, Kuppam; the NRI Group of Institutions in Bhopal; and the Bhopal Institute of Technology and Science in Bhopal.
Parthiban qualified for GATE in 2002, 2011 and 2013 and has been training aspirants to prepare for NEET-UG and IIT-JEE.
He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering from the Guru Ramdas Khalsa Institute of Technology College in Madhya Pradesh and a bachelor's degree in education, specialising in physics and mathematics, from the Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.... more

Asked by Anonymous - Jun 30, 2024Hindi

Career

Hello Sir. I'm 17 right now and my aim is to crack the UPSC exam. I would be giving my board exam next year but I'm not sure about the degree I should choose? Should I choose it according my optional or is it safe to have a plan b? Also, is there any college in Mumbai that's good for the UPSC prep or should I move to Delhi? Please kindly help.

Ans: Right now you are just 17. This age is the time to focus on your school curriculum rather than upsc.
As you have already taken a stream of study go ahead and excel in it first.
You will get enough time to prepare for upsc - cse during the time of ug studies.
Need not move from Mumbai if you are native

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Hello I want to ask a question I have prepared upsc exams unfortunately did not succeed can you suggest any good course for me iam 29 done btech

Ans: It is good that you tried to follow a certain path but did not succeed. Accept this reality and move ahead and the pursue a career of your choice. You must appreciate the fact that the UPSC exam preparations lent you lot of experience, learnings that you can leverage. Best course for him would be to upskill his computer science knowledge as this is one area that can lend opportunities to work from home. There are several online forums that can open up job opportunities. Similarly he can connect with his network of friends and classmates from your college over Linkedin or Whatsapp or Facebook groups and seek connections to jobs that his network may know.

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Asked by Anonymous - Nov 05, 2024Hindi

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Sir i am in my drop year currently preparing for iitjee i wished to know if i should target upsc from 1st year of college or get a work experience and sit for CAT ? Background - 95.4% in class 10 81% in class 12 (pcm) 95 in english Im keen about doing well in upsc as i m good at writing essays and have won 2 gold medals in WORLDS SCHOLARS CUP for the same. I have always been a good student (poor marks in 12th is due to iitjee preparation alongside boards) i am ready to give it my all.

Ans: Hi,
It's great to know that you know your positives & negatives well. You cannot sail in 2 boats, my friends. UPSC & CAT are completely different from each other & require different approaches. Decide your goal first and then give it all.

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Career Counsellor - Answered on Mar 05, 2025

Question by Kavitha - Feb 25, 2025Hindi

Career

hii sir if we want to study upsc in future after b tech which group we have to study jee mains 98.7 pecentile general male and in which college is best

Ans: Kavitha,

If you're serious about UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) and want an engineering subject that aligns well with the exam syllabus, consider:

Civil, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering at top NITs, DTU, or COEP – These subjects have significant overlap with UPSC Mains optional subjects, making preparation easier.

If UPSC is a backup option and you prioritize job security, consider:
Computer Science (CS) or Information Technology (IT) at NITs, IIITs, or DTU – These fields offer excellent job opportunities in case you decide not to pursue UPSC later.

If you prefer to stay close to Delhi for UPSC coaching, consider:
DTU, NSUT, or IIIT Delhi – Being in Delhi gives easy access to top UPSC coaching institutes and a strong competitive environment.

Key Advice Before Choosing Your Engineering Path:
After JEE Advanced, before participating in JoSAA counselling, take time to thoroughly research the UPSC exam pattern, syllabus, and preparation requirements.
If committed to UPSC, start preparing during your B.Tech by joining UPSC preparation groups, attempting mock tests, and balancing studies effectively.
Choose an engineering branch that allows you enough free time for UPSC preparation while also serving as a strong career backup in case your plans change.

Select a branch and college strategically to balance both UPSC preparation and career security for the best possible outcome.

All the best for your admissions!

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Asked by Anonymous - Apr 26, 2026Hindi

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My husband shares everything with his best friend. I understand they are close but I am not comfortable when he shares stuff and private bedroom conversations. Once he was joking about something deeply private I had only told my husband. While I respect friendships, I am uncomfortable when there there is no boundary between his friendship and our marriage. The last time i mentioned this, he said his friendship is older than our marriage and I am overthinking and creating unecessary stress. How do I talk to my husband about this without creating conflict?

Ans: Dear Anonymous,
You are not overthinking. Wanting privacy about your relationship is a reasonable boundary. His friendship might be older than your marriage, your consent to share sensitive information which involves you still applies. And friendship and marriage are two different things, and each has its own place.

The best solution to this situation is to have a conversation, the right time, right place and right way. Pick a time when both of you are calm and relaxed. Frame the conversation around trust, not control. If it sounds like you are asking him to choose marriage over friendship, he might get defensive. So, highlight your emotional safety instead of sounding accusatory that he is making you feel a certain way. Be specific about your boundaries: bedroom talks are off limits, or personal insecurities should not be shared outside of the marriage. Everyone needs someone to vent to, and talking to friends is okay, but not when it makes your partner uncomfortable. Acknowledge that he needs to talk to someone about things, but remain firm about your boundaries. If he still brushes it off, let him know that joking about your private matters hurt your deeply. If nothing else works, I really suggest marriage counseling. Sometimes people need to hear the hard things from others, instead of their partner, to understand it's validity.

Hope this helps.

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Question by Pankaj - Apr 26, 2026Hindi

Career

My daughter got crl rank 2870000 and obc rank 97100 in jee mains2026with home state jharkhand.is there any possibility for getting a seat in nit or gfti

Ans: Pankaj Sir, typing error in CRL Rank. Please correct it and come back.

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Question by P - Apr 29, 2026Hindi

Career

Sir my daughter secured 99.29 percentile in jee mains 2026 and rank 11404.Home state : Telangana . Will she get ece in iiit hyderabad in diversity pool? And what are the other choices for cse and ece(top nits)?

Ans: IIIT-H- Last year it was 99.59 AIR 6307.
Trichy & Rourkela-Instrumentation
these are the best available for her in TOP nits

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Asked by Anonymous - Apr 29, 2026Hindi

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My JEE mains rank is 13449 with 99.16 percentile. Shall I prefer CSE in NIT Raipur/NIT GOA, Electrical & electronics in VNIT or chemical engineering in NIT Surathakal, What are chanes for NIT Warangal?

Ans: If your want to study CSE then Integrated 5 YR IT+MBA can be a very good option at IIIT Gwalior. rather than Raipur or Goa. Mech seems possible at Warangal.

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Question by Hari - Apr 29, 2026Hindi

Career

Sir I am obc ncl jee mains 85.57 in tamilnadu any nit or iit is availability homestate or otherstate

Ans: Hello Hari
it will be very difficult to get NITs or IIITs at this percentile.

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Career Counsellor - Answered on Apr 29, 2026

Question by Sneha - Apr 28, 2026Hindi

Career

Have 71 percentile in jee mains, obc category and from rajasthan is there any good option for me

Ans: Sneha, At 71 percentile, even with OBC-NCL, chances for a good NIT/IIIT/GFTI are very low unless your OBC category rank is unusually better. JoSAA clearly says OBC-NCL cut-offs are based on OBC category rank, not percentile alone.

You may still fill JoSAA + CSAB Special Rounds, because CSAB fills vacant NIT/IIIT/GFTI seats after JoSAA, but expect only very low-demand branches or GFTIs, not CSE/ECE. Better to focus on REAP Rajasthan counselling, where many Rajasthan engineering colleges take admission through JEE Main rank. Target SKIT Jaipur, JECRC, Poornima, Arya, Anand ICE, GIT Jaipur, JIET Jodhpur, BKBIET Pilani, or private universities like Manipal Jaipur, NIIT University, LPU, Chandigarh University, UPES, SRM, VIT etc. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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Nayagam P P |11217 Answers |Ask -Follow

Career Counsellor - Answered on Apr 29, 2026

Asked by Anonymous - Apr 28, 2026Hindi

Career

Heyy i got 79.6 percentile in jee mains which college i got i live in haryana and completed my 12th form cbse board in haryana

Ans: At the 79.6 percentile, your likely CRL may be roughly 2.8–3.2 lakh, so NIT/IIIT through JoSAA is very difficult, especially for CSE/ECE. You can still register for JoSAA/CSAB, because CSAB fills vacant NIT/IIIT/GFTI seats after JoSAA, but expect only very low-demand branches/GFTIs if any seat remains. Since you studied in Haryana, focus more on HSTES Haryana counselling, where B.Tech admission is based on JEE Main All India Rank. Good practical options: DCRUST Murthal, YMCA Faridabad, UIET Kurukshetra, GJUST Hisar, PIET Panipat, Manav Rachna, Chandigarh University, LPU, NIIT University, UPES etc. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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Nayagam P P |11217 Answers |Ask -Follow

Career Counsellor - Answered on Apr 29, 2026

Asked by Anonymous - Apr 28, 2026Hindi

Career

My son got CRL 158576 category rank(sc) 7663 in jee main what are the college options are best for him,homestate Haryana

Ans: Based on your son’s score, he has some chance, but mainly for lower-demand branches, not CSE or ECE in the better NITs. For Haryana home-state quota, the first preference should be NIT Kurukshetra under the HS-SC category, but realistically the likely options may be Civil, Production, Mechanical-related, or other lower branches if the cutoff moves enough; CSE, IT, and ECE are unlikely.

In some previous years, NIT Kurukshetra HS-SC lower branches have closed around 6,000 to 9,000 SC rank, so your son’s 7,663 SC rank is borderline. He should also keep options such as NIT Agartala, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and GFTIs in the list, and participate in CSAB Special Rounds as well.

It is also advisable to keep these as backup options: YMCA Faridabad, DCRUST Murthal, and UIET Kurukshetra. All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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Career Counsellor - Answered on Apr 29, 2026

Question by Ashok - Apr 29, 2026Hindi

Career

Sir, my son got 2300 category rank (OBC NCL) and home state is UP. He is interested in CS and IT related branches only. Pls suggest best options and may pls also suggest that which option will be better in IIIT Alahabad- IT and MNNIT-Allahabad-CSE

Ans: Ashok Sir, Prefer IIIT Allahabad IT slightly over MNNIT Allahabad CSE if he wants pure coding/IT culture and top tech placements; IIIT-A’s official placement page shows strong IT-focused outcomes. MNNIT CSE is also excellent, with an average salary package of ?28 LPA for CSE reported recently. All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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Nayagam P P |11217 Answers |Ask -Follow

Career Counsellor - Answered on Apr 29, 2026

Question by Ssudeep - Apr 29, 2026Hindi

Career

My son got 91% in 12th and 98.49% in JEE Mains with CRL 23918, he is intt in CSE, pls help to find NIT and IIT.

Ans: ou have not mentioned your son's home state. For CSE in top NITs, chances are low. He may have better chances for CSE/IT/ECE in newer IIITs such as IIIT Kalyani, IIIT Bhagalpur, IIIT Kottayam, IIIT Dharwad, IIIT Una, IIIT Senapati/Manipur, IIIT Kurnool, depending on category and round movement. In NITs, he should also fill ECE/EE/Mathematics & Computing/AI-related lower options if available, not only CSE. Additionally, reviewing JoSAA opening and closing ranks from the past 2–3 years will provide valuable insights and help your son confidently select and fill his preferred & maximum number of choices. It is also advisable to participate in CSAB round because vacant seats can move & also to have 3-4 backup options of reputed Private Engineering Colleges in and around your home state. All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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