VajiRam and Ravi vs VajiRao and Reddy which UPSC coaching is better ?
The landscape of UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) coaching is dominated by a handful of institutes whose brand names have become almost synonymous with IAS preparation in India. Two such stalwarts are Vajiram & Ravi—often called the oldest factory of IAS toppers in Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi—and Vajirao & Reddy, a slightly younger but fast-rising competitor headquartered barely two kilometres away on the same Karol Bagh–Rajinder Nagar coaching belt. Every season thousands of aspirants grapple with the question: “Should I join Vajiram & Ravi or Vajirao & Reddy?” This article offers a 360-degree, data-backed comparison covering faculty calibre, batch size, delivery model, fee structure, study material, test series rigour, past results, mentorship quality and overall value for money. By the end, you will be able to map your own learning style and constraints to the institute that fits you best.
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1 | Institute Snapshots
1.1 Vajiram & Ravi (V&R)
Founded in 1976 by Prof. P. Velayutham, Vajiram & Ravi is arguably the oldest private UPSC coaching brand in India. It runs huge offline classrooms in Delhi and Chennai and parallel live–online streams that can be accessed from anywhere. The flagship 11-month PCM General Studies course costs ₹1.75 lakh (classroom) and ₹1.55 lakh (live-online) for the 2025 cycle . Longer two-year “Fledgling” batches go up to ₹2.45 lakh offline. The institute claims to teach 1,000 + contact-hours, supply 20 “Yellow Books”, run 30 Prelims tests and weekly Mains answer-writing drills under the same fee :contentReference.
1.2 Vajirao & Reddy (V&Reddy)
Established in 1989, Vajirao & Reddy styles itself as a “Complete IAS Study Circle”. It operates one mega campus in Delhi and satellites in Jaipur and Hyderabad. The 11-month GS PCM programme is priced at ₹1.75 lakh (English) / ₹1.49 lakh (Hindi medium). Shorter weekend and online versions range from ₹1.15 lakh to ₹1.68 lakh, while three-year foundation tracks touch ₹2.65 lakh .
2 | Legacy & Reputation
Vajiram & Ravi is the “IIT” of UPSC coaching in terms of brand recall. Alumni include AIR 1 Shakti Dubey, AIR 2 Harshita Goyal and 38 candidates in the top-50 list of 2024 :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. The waiting queue for April and June batches often crosses 5,000 registrations within 48 hours.
Vajirao & Reddy advertises a long list of successful candidates going back to 2010, and highlights personalised guidance as its USP. Their website lists toppers such as Aditya Srivastava (AIR — 2023) and multiple double-digit rankers in 2024 . While not as glamorous as V&R, the institute enjoys solid credibility in Hindi-medium circles, especially across Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
3 | Faculty Strength & Teaching Pedagogy
V&R follows a “star-faculty” model: specialist teachers engage large amphitheatre-style halls for 200-plus students. The advantage is exposure to highly researched lectures; the downside is limited two-way interaction. Doubt-clearing often shifts to Telegram groups or mentor desks post-class.
V&Reddy keeps classes smaller (≈120) and encourages faculty–student interaction inside the lecture hall itself. Its in-house mentors sit inside the library wing daily, and each batch is allotted a counsellor for study-plan monitoring. Many Hindi-medium students rate this structure friendlier than V&R’s auditorium style.
4 | Batch Size & Learning Environment
| Parameter | Vajiram & Ravi | Vajirao & Reddy |
|---|---|---|
| Average GS Batch Strength | ~300 (offline), ~1,500 live-online across multiple slots | ~120 (Classroom), ~200 online |
| Doubt-Clearing Mode | Separate mentor cabins, email & app | After-class Q&A, library desk |
| Library & Self-Study Desks | Paid library passes (Old Rajinder Nagar) | Free library hours bundled in fee |
In essence, V&R feels like a university lecture; V&Reddy feels closer to a coaching “classroom”. Your choice depends on whether you thrive in big crowds or intimate groups.
5 | Course Basket & Optional Subjects
- V&R runs optional courses for 11 subjects—Anthropology, Sociology, PSIR, Geography, History, Public Administration and more—priced around ₹54 k (₹64 k for Maths) :contentReference.
- V&Reddy currently offers 6 popular optionals (Anthro, Geography, History, Sociology, PSIR, Pub Ad). Fees vary between ₹48 k – ₹60 k. Optional test series are bundled into the main package for many batches :content.
If your optional is something niche like Philosophy or Agriculture, V&R has an edge. For mainstream humanities subjects, both institutes stand neck to neck.
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6 | Fee Structure & Value for Money
The following numbers include GST and printed study-material costs:
| Programme | Vajiram & Ravi | Vajirao & Reddy |
|---|---|---|
| GS PCM (11 months) | ₹1.75 L (offline) ₹1.55 L (online) :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7} |
₹1.75 L (English), ₹1.49 L (Hindi) :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8} |
| GS + Optional “Complete Course” | ₹2.25 L – ₹2.45 L (2-year plan) :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9} | ₹2.25 L (11 months full package) :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10} |
| Optional Subject Only | ₹54 k (most) / ₹64 k (Maths) :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11} | ₹48 k – ₹60 k :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12} |
Verdict: For a single-year GS plan V&Reddy is marginally cheaper in Hindi medium, while V&R costs less than V&Reddy’s English batch if you select the online mode. For optional add-ons, both are in the same ballpark.
7 | Study Material & Test Series
Vajiram & Ravi is famous for its “Yellow Books” (20 volumes). The monthly Recitals magazine condenses current affairs into 120 pages with infographics. Their Prelims pack has 30 tests plus daily MCQs on the mobile app :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}.
Vajirao & Reddy issues 18 GS booklets and 10 NCERT bridgebooks, publishes its own monthly current affairs PDF and conducts about 22 GS sectional + 10 full-length Prelims mocks. Mains answer booklets are checked within a week with margin comments—something many V&R students complain takes 15–20 days.
8 | Results & Success Rate
Both institutes routinely claim three-digit selections. The data that can be externally verified:
- V&R: 38 of top-50 ranks in 2024, including AIR 1 & 2 :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}.
- V&Reddy: Website lists “207 selections with 5 in top-10” in 2013 and several top-100 ranks in 2024 :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}.
Transparency note: coaching institutes often count even short-course subscribers as “their” selections, so raw numbers should be interpreted with caution. However, V&R undeniably dominates the topper charts, while V&Reddy leads among Hindi-medium high rankers.
9 | Student Support & Mentorship
V&R introduced a “Mentor Support Programme” in 2024 where students can book 20-minute slots with faculty via an app, but feedback suggests slots fill up quickly in popular subjects.
V&Reddy mandates a weekly one-on-one counselling session. Progress sheets are maintained for attendance, test scores and revision backlogs. Many repeaters find this external accountability extremely valuable.
10 | Infrastructure & Location
Both institutes are located in Old Rajinder Nagar (Delhi), surrounded by PG hostels, photocopy shops and libraries. V&R’s six-storey yellow building can seat over 2,000 students at once in air-conditioned halls; V&Reddy’s premises are comparatively smaller but include an in-house library accessible till 9 p.m. Hostel costs in the area hover around ₹12 k–₹18 k per month for a single room; neither institute offers residential accommodation directly.
11 | Student Reviews & Crowd Feedback
Scrolling through Quora and Telegram groups reveals predictable patterns:
- V&R students rave about lecture quality but complain about the stampede at token registration and the impersonal feel.
- V&Reddy students praise the “family vibe” yet wish the brand had a stronger national magazine and bigger optional portfolio.
Independent YouTube channels such as Josh Talks UPSC rate both institutes 4 +/5 but award extra points to V&Reddy for mentorship and to V&R for historical consistency .
12 | Who Should Choose Which Institute?
12.1 Pick Vajiram & Ravi if you are…
- A first-timer comfortable with English medium who wants a proven, one-stop brand.
- An optional subject candidate in a niche discipline such as Philosophy or Agriculture.
- Someone who thrives in large-batch competitive environments and can self-motivate for doubts and writing practice.
12.2 Pick Vajirao & Reddy if you are…
- More comfortable in Hindi medium or bilingual teaching.
- In need of constant hand-holding, personalised study plans and quicker evaluation feedback.
- On a tighter budget yet wanting an offline classroom atmosphere with smaller batches.
13 | Final Verdict
There is no absolute “best” coaching; there is only the coaching that aligns with your learning DNA. If you crave a legendary brand name, massive peer pool and the psychological comfort of sitting in the same hall where dozens of toppers once sat, Vajiram & Ravi remains unmatched. But if you prioritise interactive teaching, bilingual comfort, structured mentorship and rapid answer-sheet feedback—especially as a Hindi-medium or second-attempt candidate—Vajirao & Reddy might propel you faster toward the finish line.
Before paying any fee, visit both campuses (or attend free orientation webinars), interact with current students, request demo classes and, crucially, introspect on your own discipline level. Remember: an average institute + disciplined student often beats a great institute + complacent student.
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