Parul University Civil Services Tour Review – Student Experiences On What They Learnt!

As seated in the NITI Aayog Complex with B.V.R. Subrahmanyam (CEO) as he described the actual decision-making process behind the Article 370 abolition is a different kind of understanding. Students described the session as helping them understand the perspective of technical staff and general service in governance.

At the Ministry of Finance, Baldeo Purushartha (Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs) walked students through the budget preparation process and the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management framework. Student feedback noted that technical things were explained in the most simplified manner, advocating the variables combination in economic decision-making. Students studying for UPSC Economics paper heard the budget process from someone who participates in creating it.

Parv Jain documented the tour across 4 LinkedIn posts: the Parliament visit, the Defence Secretary session at South Block (describing the session with Rajesh Kumar Singh as inspiring), the NITI Aayog visit, and a consolidated Delhi tour post. The posts provide publicly verifiable documentation that PU students were present at these institutions. Head here to read his experience on Instagram – Parv Jain’s Parliament Visit.

Head here to check how he has shared his visual experience of Civil Tour on LinkedIn – Parv Jain’s Civil Tour to Delhi.

The Anil Swarup session produced the strongest student response. Feedback described it as excellent and well curated to desired expectations. The session’s impact came from its structure: a 30-year IAS career compressed into concrete stories (coal crisis root-cause analysis, paperless office, live auctions, RSBY health insurance) rather than abstract motivational advice. Students heard how India went from coal shortage to surplus in 2 years through three specific fixes, and how an old woman’s blessing meant more than any government award. Head here to explore Humanities & Law Courses after 12th.

The Dipti Mohil Chawla session (Joint Secretary, Defence) was described as an epiphany experience because she shared interesting stories of actual defence deals, making the procurement process tangible rather than theoretical. Students who will study defence and security law saw the negotiation process from inside.

The Chief Economic Advisor’s session (Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran) at Kartavya Bhavan was described as providing great insight on economic variables in policy making. His statement that excellence is nothing but a series of hard work reframed policy formulation from theoretical frameworks to sustained analytical effort. The second session with the same speaker was appreciated for his clarity and practical outlook on economic reforms. Head here to explore the key learnings from 16 Sessions, 16 Senior Officials at NITI Aayog, Delhi!

Amitabh Kant (Former NITI Aayog CEO, G20 Sherpa) was described by students as dynamic, visionary, and engaging. His framing of India’s growth story, reform, perform, and transform, gave students a leadership vocabulary that connects to contemporary governance discourse.

Shivshankar Menon (Former Foreign Secretary) told students that foreign policy is not about power alone; it is about perception. Students admired his experience-driven insights and balanced worldview. For students considering the Indian Foreign Service, his session provided the perspective that diplomatic success requires understanding historical contexts and future aspirations simultaneously.

Ambassador Rajkumar Shrivastav (Dean, Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Services) explained how Indian diplomats are trained. Students found his talk inspiring and human-centred. His statement that diplomacy begins with understanding people before nations reframed the IFS from an administrative career to a human one.

Mrs Rashmi Singh (Secretary, Women and Child Affairs) discussed Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and POSHAN Abhiyaan. Students felt motivated to work towards social equity and inclusion. S. Krishnan (Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT) explained the Digital India vision. Students were impressed by his futuristic ideas and policy clarity.

UPSC preparation typically happens in classrooms and coaching centres. Students study governance, economics, defence, and foreign policy from textbooks and previous year papers. The Civil Services Tour adds a dimension that no textbook provides: the operational reality behind the policy frameworks students memorise.

When students study the budget process for General Studies Paper III, they memorise the FRBM Act, the difference between Revenue and Capital Budget, and the timeline of budget presentation. When they sit with a Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs who actually participates in budget preparation, the process moves from a diagram to a lived experience.

Parul University’s Beyond Academics programme includes Civil Services Coaching for UPSC and GPSC preparation, Armed Forces Motivation and Training, and Competitive Examinations Coaching. The Civil Services Tour is the experiential complement to this academic preparation. It operates within a university holding NAAC A++ (CGPA 3.55), with a fully equipped Moot Court, Journalism Studio, Media Labs, and Creative Studios for law and humanities students.

Head here to read the entire story of Anil Swarup: Coal Scam to Surplus in 2 Years!