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'No Phone For 3 Years': Why Neha Byadwal's UPSC Prep Routine Sparked Debate

When IAS Neha Byadwal shared that she did not use a mobile phone for three years to prepare for the UPSC exam, it started a social media debate about rigorous, isolated study methods.

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Tanya Savkoor
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Image: @upsctimeindia, INSTAGRAM

An Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer's secret to cracking the civil services exam has sparked an online debate about rigorous lifestyles and rote learning. Neha Byadwal, India's "youngest" IAS officer, secured AIR 569 in her fourth attempt at the Union Public Service Commission exam. During interviews, she shared that she gave up social media and her smartphone for three years in order to prep for the exam. While her story earned massive appreciation, it also stirred a discourse about rigorous expectations and intense discipline.

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The debate started when an X user responded to a post praising Neha Byadwal's achievement. The critic wrote, "This UPSC-prep cult needs to be dismantled & destroyed," targeting her 'no phone' policy. They continued, "Complete sociopaths with zero idea of how India runs outside of their 24*7 rote study room end up governing the public."

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The X user explained their opinion, saying, "Bureaucracy har cheez ke liye OTP maangti hai (Bureaucracy demands a one-time password for everything). Imagine the privilege of not requiring a mobile phone for 3 years in today’s world." They added, "People saying I’m targeting the girl coz I’m jealous: No bro. I’m just a girl standing in front of you, wanting ROI for my tax money."

Soon, the X post went viral, with many even agreeing that many young officers 'blindly' follow coaching notes and lack awareness of dealing with 'real-world problems'. One user commented, "I fail to understand what an IAS will know about electricity when he is made MD of a board. Similarly, what will a babu know when he heads the Directorate General of shipping or aviation?"

However, many disagreed, saying Byadwal's preparation reflects her discipline, determination, and zeal to serve the country. “Easier said than done, crack this exam and then we`ll hear you,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “She didn’t use her phone, but for current affairs, she must be reading the newspaper to understand what’s happening and how India runs.”

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Who is Neha Byadwal?

Neha Byadwal was born in Rajasthan and grew up in Chhattisgarh. After graduating from Raipur's Girls Degree College, she became the first woman from her conservative village in the IAS. She wrote in an Instagram post, "I come from a village where women still stay behind the veil, where female education is scarce, but I’m proud to state that things are visibly changing. I saw elders getting genuinely elated about the fact that the first IAS from the village is a girl."

Neha was inspired by her father, a senior income tax officer, to pursue civil services. "Grew up idealising him, his service and his integrity really made me believe in the notion of 'UPSC, a cradle of service to the nation,'" she told a media outlet, LBSNAA Quotes. Byadwal cracked the UPSC civil services exam at just 22 years old, becoming one of India's youngest IAS officers. She reportedly serves in the Gujarat cadre. 

UPSC IAS officer