Naman Shrivastava

We have a very good news to share! Thanks to all your support - we are now succeeding in our efforts. In the past few months many of the members of this beautiful community of MisFits joined the executive branch of the government. Daisy joined the IRS, Ananya will start her training for Indian Foreign Service, Vaibhav is already part of the IAS, and there are so many remarkable Misfitters doing transformative work now in their districts. We will soon be sharing their stories, and the impact they are creating . :)

Not just this - Janmejaya - our Subhash Chadra Bose Fellow - launched an Agri Tech Venture -and he is now being interviewed by New Zealand Based Incubator for the next steps.

Mukul - one of our Bose fellows 2026 cohort - now launched Media Tech Venture - that is now holding power accountable.

Abhishek and Radhika - two of our Bose fellows - they just got shortlisted for the semi final rounds of the Tufts New Venture Competition. That prize money is 250,000 Dollars - all of that is grant money. Tanmay got shortlisted for the round 2 to D Prize competition at the Fletcher School of law and diplomacy.

Just yesterday, our Azad Parliament Fellow - Deepa got into the prestigious Darden School of Business. And now today - waking up to this news. :)


Congratulations Anasab for such a remarkable feat - the entire community look forward to celebrating your success. What a joy to see you thrive and succeed.

Tbh, a few years ago, when we started this beautiful MisFits Community, I carried this mini secret dream in my heart. That one day, someone would look back and say - “Thank God I stumbled upon a stranger’s video on the internet. Because that one decision, that one year, changed how I think, how I speak, how I make sense of the world.”

I’ll be honest with you. I can’t promise you a seat in the Indian Foreign Service. No one can, and no one should.

But what I can promise you is this: I’ll leave no stone unturned to make sure that you experience the magic of real unfiltered learning.

Good People in Important Position! 🇮🇳

***

To all those who will join our beautiful community of Misfits on 1st June. You may refer to our website - www.misfits.bet/

For now, you may stop studying, and consider the next few days to be your mini vacation before the marathon begins with your first week into the program. Mechanical way to studies yields no results. Take a break, and binge-watch that movie or TV series you have been delaying. From 1st June onwards - you will witness a meaningful introduction to a fascinating world to understand India, and the world better. Especially from this year - we can realize - how mechanical ways to study yields no results!

Enrollment Link : www.misfits.bet/

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3

12 hours ago (edited) | [YT] | 491

Naman Shrivastava

Dear UPSC Aspirants,

Please do NOT make UPSC a 5-year plan. 20s are the most productive years of your lives - there's no need to waste it in appearing for the same exam over and over again.

If things work out well in the first attempt, congratulations! If not, then please do not lose heart.

Life is definitely more than an exam that the British created 100s of years ago

Here's a detailed step-by-step guide on How to Bounce Back in life after failing such government exams. (links in comments)

Also, congratulations to our very own Deepa, Azad Parliament Fellow 2026 - for securing an admit into the prestigious University of Virginia (Darden School of Business).

The entire community looks forward to celebrating your success on 7th June, as we warmly welcome back all the Azad Parliament Fellows. We are excited to see you go on to occupy important leadership positions after your MBA, and the whole community will be cheering you on every step of the way.

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 457

Naman Shrivastava

Congratulations to all the MisFitters for your performance in UPSC Prelims 2026!

To all the serious aspirants who are clearing the exam, please watch this 2 hours long video carefully on how to make the best use of the next 60 days for your Mains preparation.
(link in comments)

If you are clearing the exam, make sure this becomes your final shot!

We will be announcing details about the Mains Live Classes soon in our community group.

My best wishes.

***
To all those who will join our beautiful community of Misfits on 1st June. You may refer to our website - www.misfits.bet/

For now, you may stop studying, and consider the next few days to be your mini vacation before the marathon begins with your first week into the program. Mechanical way to studies yields no results. Take a break, and binge-watch that movie or TV series you have been delaying. From 1st June onwards - you will witness a meaningful introduction to a fascinating world to understand India, and the world better. Especially from this year - we can realize - how mechanical ways to study yields no results!

Enrollment Link : www.misfits.bet/

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 206

Naman Shrivastava

Tbh, 2025 was a horrible year for me. Loneliness, Civil Suits, Defamation cases, losing friends, public trolling, Account Freeze.. the list is endless. It was only at the fag end of 2025 - I started seeing some hope. I met some remarkably kind people, I reconnected with my cousins, my professors, my family, made new friends who treated me like family. Today in 2026, I could be jailed, I could go bankrupt - but absolutely nothing bothers me anymore, and I LOVE this feeling. And the reason is I spent the last 18 months building myself up from the rock bottom.

In that journey, I realised that most of us are carrying things no one sees. On the internet - we just see the filtered versions of reality. Even my life that you see - it is a filtered version of reality. I do not share my weak moments. I don’t talk about how close I was to bankruptcy, I don’t talk about my sleepless nights. It goes without saying, I failed in almost everything I tried my hands on.

There are so many silent battles that each of us are fighting daily - there's the pressure of work, family, money, wrong relationships.

But none of this is new. Every generation faced and overcame this - but what makes it worse for us is that we are living in one of the loneliest generations today - the cases of depression, loneliness are skyrocking. Folks who have achieved pinnacles of their success have taken their own lives. Recently, I came across the heartbreaking news of an Indian Diplomat Jitendra Rawat, who took his own life while battling depression.

Before that, it was a young girl who lost her life to overwork in E&Y. Then a McKinsey consultant. Why is this happening?

The answer is we have lost third spaces (Temples, Churches, Community Centres - they have only been politicised). So it is not at all surprising to see - today’s generation is confined to just home (the first space), and the workplace (second space) is feeling lonely, sad, and angry.

As someone who overcame trauma, loneliness, and truly realized the power of the third spaces I created around me, I want to build something similar for all those who are silently fighting all their battles.

If you would like to be part of our beautiful movement - please write to me, and in the meantime - follow through on the third space.

And fill this invite only community form (there's no cost to fill the form) - it is free. :)

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfC294qbtmsy3Sfq1…

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3

2 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 3,605

Naman Shrivastava

Reading this email broke my heart. Tbh, I'm not disappointed. Rather, I am extraordinarily proud of you, Bipul. And I mean that with everything I have.

Paper 1 this year was arguably the toughest in decades. And you walked out with tears of satisfaction. That doesn't happen by luck. That happens because of months of real, deep, relentless preparation, and you should celebrate that.

What happened in Paper 2 today - that is not a reflection of you. There are moments in this journey where the paper, the timing, the circumstances - they go completely beyond our control. That is not your failure.

Look forward to meeting you all today - I promise to work with you all - not just to clear an exam - but to ensure that you succeed, thrive, and become an asset to this country. (With the civil services - or without it, that doesn't matter).

Your journey to serve this country does not end tonight. We figure out the next step together.

www.misfits.bet/

2 days ago | [YT] | 443

Naman Shrivastava

Tomorrow is UPSC Prelims 2026. Here's my message to you all the aspirants, their family, friends, and relatives.

We must understand that the most powerful story that we have all been told as Indians is the story of ‘Government Jobs' in India.

This story has been played out in our minds by our parents, our neighbors, and movies, in effect our entire society.

But, there are many flaws with the story.

You are NOT from the middle class, or a lower middle-class Indian family if you have not flirted with the idea of preparing for the UPSC civil services, and its brethren (RBI Grade B, States PSCs, etc).

Millions of Indians take the arduous multi-year journey with the hope of becoming IAS officers.

They are cloistered in their tiny rooms in Delhi, their life revolves around Laxmikant and the Hindu Newspaper, and they miss out on festivals, travels, and in effect - life itself.

And WHY NOT?


It is one exam that doesn’t care about your marks in class 12th (MBA schools in India do), this exam doesn’t care about how premium your undergrad school is (McKinsey, BCG, Harvard do), and this exam doesn’t care about your bank balance.

When I wrote the exam - from prelims to main to interviews - I paid $2 for the forms (GMAT costs $275).

If by the stroke of luck, hard work, and a support system you are able to ‘crack’ this exam - then you will realize that there’s NO exam in the world like India’s UPSC Civil Services.

Unlike the ‘spoils system’ (prevalent in countries like the United States) - clearing India’s Civil Services gives you the opportunity to lead its foreign services, take up ambassadorial assignments, and in many cases lead districts (of the size of some European countries).

Despite its flaws, this exam has transformed many lives for the better.

At its worst, this exam has ruined many lives of youngsters who got stuck in the endless loop of appearing/reappearing for their dream (without paying heed to sunk cost fallacy, confirmation biases, unintended consequences, etc. while making a decision).

Many youngsters write to me on a daily basis with their stories and experiences of the exam.

The usual message is that many of them have lost their confidence (because of repeated failures in the exam), and some unlucky ones don’t have any zeal to live anymore (I’m shocked by this because most of these kids are in their early to late 20s).

To all of you - there are many incredible opportunities in the world.

From a career in the United Nations to McKinsey to getting laterally hired - you can do a million things to create a large-scale impact.

Please do not draw a straight line - a lot of good stuff hasn’t been invented yet.

It is extremely critical that good people become part of the government, but please note - civil services aren’t the only route in 21st Century Modern India.

I’m adding a list of resources for anyone struggling. Bookmark it, and share it with your friends.

Run, walk, crawl….but keep moving forward. ❤️

4 days ago | [YT] | 2,443

Naman Shrivastava

EXCITING 1st June ANNOUNCEMENT! ‪‪Good People in Important Positions! 🇮🇳 We are opening our beautiful community of MisFits on 1st June ❤️

‪‪@misfits.betIFS‬ ‬ opens 17 Seats for the Innovative Batch for the Next 100 IFS starting from 1st June 2026. This Batch is Special because through this Batch MisFitter will also be provided Free Access to Azad Parliament Fellowship, & Age of Disasters!

Read this post slowly, before you enroll. This is for those appearing for the UPSC Exam in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030.

These Episodes will comprehensively cover EVERY aspect of the GS Paper 1 (Prelims), all the aspects of General Studies for Mains (Essay, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2 etc), & also for Interviews

Please note that self paced Netflix Styled Foundational Episodes need to be combined with the live Component in the MisFits community : Live Current Affairs (through Azad Parliament Fellowship), Networking of Knights, Interview Module, Special classes on structures/conjectures before Prelims/Mains

Note - these case based Self Paced Episodes are more than enough to comprehensively win over the UPSC Exam at every stage

These Episodes are NOT like a regular class where an instructor speaks and everyone else listens. All these Episodes are driven in Harvard Case Style Format and may feel like movies to those watching it for the first time

Your entire learning ecosystem of MisFits is segmented into 3 Scientific Layers

You need to consistently follow through on these layers for a period of 4-7 months for the best results

In those 4-7 months, we expect you to study for 6 hours on a daily basis.

It is MANDATORY to go through the Episodes of each and every lecture before your UPSC Prelims in 2026, 2027, 2028, or 2029. These are foundational Episodes

We do not advise you to refer to any material from any other coaching institutes - we will refer to only standard books, UPSC’s official sources, the government of India’s sources, and McKinsey Insights in the entire preparation

These episodes are well-researched, and the conjectures that you make via these lectures will enhance the way you learn, retain, analyze, and examine information

These classes would be transformative for every aspect of your UPSC Journey

At MisFits, we do not have the culture of ‘Pre-Reads’

The MisFits team will provide you access for multiple years. Additionally, if you have been part of MisFits - and later clear the exam in 2028, or 2029 - we will also provide special free access to interviews module, or special live sessions before the exams.

You will NOT be charged any yearly subscription fee

You will also be added to Alumni Groups + Mental Wellbeing Community Networking Events (every month)

You get access to Self-paced module at one go. Extra strategy sessions will take place even before the scheduled exam in 2026 - for Prelims, Mains, Interviews

If you can remain consistent for 6-7 hours daily for 4-7 months - we assure you that the entire experience is going to be transformational for you

The Layering Methods: Phase 1 (1st June - 1st August), Phase 2 (1st August- 1st September), Phase 3 (1st September onwards)


1. Layer 1:

Layer 1 focuses on covering Ancient History, Medieval History, Geography, and Economics, Polity by 1st July. We also expect that you are also doing your optional preparations (on your own) at this stage. (or if you are part of MisFits for PSIR - there are 120 episodes segmented around 7 seasons).

The History Episodes are intertwined with the world of Business, Finance, International Affairs, Current Affairs, and Polity. These Episodes will form an incredible foundation for anyone preparing for the Civil Services Exam

Monday- Saturday

You will be requested to watch 2-3 Episodes every day. 2 from History, 2 from Eco, 1 from Geography

On Sundays: Buffer day to cover the missed portions

After 1 week, you will be required to read newspapers for 45 minutes. You will realize that within 1 week of consistently following the routine - you will be better positioned to read through the newspapers and make much better conjecture.

This exercise of reading newspapers will directly benefit you in the CSAT of UPSC - where we expect MisFitters to perform much better because of the analytical and conjecture-driven mindset that they’d develop in the journey.

Scoring with 90% accuracy in English Portion is easily possible in CSAT. (as long as you are combining Newspaper Readings with Conjecture Driven Learning methods)

via these episodes you'd learn how to analyze, critically think, communicate, and structure your thoughts as you complete the syllabus

So, In layer 1 - you'd have to watch 4 hours of Episodes daily and read a Newspaper for 45 mins

2. Layer 2

By September- you would have completed Economics, Geography, Polity and the entire portion of History

At this stage, IFS fellows would be in a position to analyze, critically think, communicate, and structure their thoughts as they complete the syllabus via Layer 1 and mix the aspects of Layer 2

And in the Layer 1 recordings - we have consciously connected World History, and modern History, to even aspects of Polity, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, and International Affairs

Even though, you may feel that only some core portion is completed - but in a way, a large portion of other subjects will also get completed

Now, we’d expect you to follow the same routine - but increase the time duration with MisFits to 7 hours

1 Hour - You’d be expected to solve Past UPSC Papers (go back to recordings in case of confusion/clarification).

45 mins: Read Newspaper

15 mins: Browse through McKinsey Insights

5 hours: Watch Recordings of Polity/Geography/Environment/Science & Technology

Please do not worry about what your peers in other institutes are doing - you will realize the importance of these efficiency-driven methods as you are going through recorded lessons


3. Layer 3: September onwards (Environment, Essay, Ethics & revision of the completed subjects + Test Papers)

In Layer 1 and Layer 2, you have set your foundations. You are adequately prepared to perform well in Prelims + Mains. But now begins the most important phase of your journey - PRACTICE (along with coverage of Polity & Environment)

This phase will be Preliminary exam focussed. You will be required to solve test papers on a daily basis - we will conduct special sessions to guide aspirants on how can they go about solving and analyzing those papers

Reasons and Rationales for this Pedagogy:

1. The IFS fellows analyze, critically think, communicate, and structure their thoughts as they complete the syllabus via Layer 1 and mix the Live Aspects of Layer 2

We want the MisFits community to fall in love with subjects - if they can’t fall in love with subjects - whatever they read in Layer 1, and Layer 2 will be irrelevant. All the sessions are engaging, and interactive, and follow a Harvard Case Style Socratic Methodology. The critical analysis of topics discussed is then tied up not just with the world of politics, international affairs, but also with the world of Business, Psychology, Society, & Current Affairs


The reason for unique learning methods is simple - almost all the UPSC aspirants read the same 'standard' books, watch the same material, and have an almost similar strategy - IFS Fellows at MisFits.bet will have a unique advantage over their peers because of the conjecture driven learning methods

At the end of the day getting into the IFS requires candidates to score a rank under 100. It will NOT be possible without building strong foundations - of HOW to LEARN, and then communicating what you have learned - communication means both written, and verbal

In less than 3-4 months of continuous learning, IFS Fellows will realize how valuable this experience is. It might take some time to acclimatize to the learning methodology

2. It took our team some time to acclimatize to this pedagogy at Dartmouth College, Harvard, and Tufts University. However, this proven methodology (if implemented diligently) will do wonders across various stages of the UPSC Exam, and also in life

During completion of the syllabus - there are sessions on how to go about solving test papers. For example, in the UPSC Prelims examination - no candidate is expected to solve 100% of the paper with 100% accuracy. They are expected to make logical conjectures

These methods will bring in best practices from across the world of consulting, Private Equity, MBA Schools so that IFS Fellows can perform better than their counterparts

After re-watching episodes - IFS fellows will be confident to solve 60% of the Prelims Paper with 100% accuracy. However, under the pressure of time/anxiety/fear - many make casual mistakes. Therefore, IFS Fellows will also be taught techniques to make logical decisions, and most importantly how to take logical guesses by analyzing previous years' papers

3. Similarly for the Mains exam - diagramming techniques, Mckinsey's presentation principles, Business, Policy Frameworks, BCG 2 X 2 Matrices, Eisenhower Matrices, etc. will make IFS fellows think beyond the usual 'economic', 'social', and 'political' buckets. All these are covered in the recordings.

These methods will help them score at least a few marks extra in every answer that they write

All these learning techniques are taught progressively, and tied to regular classes - so that these learning methods become second nature for the MisFitters

This Comprehensive module is designed for fellows with zero foundational knowledge - no prior basics are required. While we had a few participants from Group B services/allied services in the past, they had to undergo significant unlearning to fully benefit from this program. The approach is not a traditional reading-teaching format but a more immersive, structured learning experience

Enrollment link : www.misfits.bet/

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

5 days ago | [YT] | 514

Naman Shrivastava

Welcome to our beautiful community, Neha. Your journey is exactly the kind of story India needs to hear. Delighted to share it. ❤️

***

Hi! My name is Neha Mittoor Changappa, and here’s my story. I’m a healthcare strategist, entrepreneur, Johns Hopkins graduate, and proud Azad Parliament Fellow 2026. 🇮🇳

In the first photograph, I stand outside Johns Hopkins Hospital in scrubs - a moment that feels deeply personal to me. The second photograph, taken on graduation day at Johns Hopkins University, reminds me how far life can travel from where it began.

I grew up in Palamaner, a small town in Andhra Pradesh, as the daughter of two schoolteachers. I was also a constantly sick child, struggling to breathe in a place where even access to basic healthcare felt uncertain. For years, my biggest dream was the civil services. But before ambition came survival.

Leaving India for America was not simply a career move. It was a necessity. Cleaner air and better healthcare gave me something I had never fully experienced before - the ability to imagine a future beyond illness.

Everything that followed, from Johns Hopkins to building health-tech ventures in San Francisco and working in healthcare innovation, came from one question that has stayed with me throughout my journey.

Why should where a child is born decide whether they survive, heal, or dream?

That question eventually brought me to Azad Parliament.

I did not join this Fellowship to observe India’s challenges from a distance. I joined because I want to understand how policy, politics, and public leadership can shape systems at scale. I want to learn how nations build institutions that protect not only economic growth, but human potential.

For me, this journey is deeply personal.

Because somewhere in a small town in India, there is still a child waiting for a system that works.

And I hope to spend my life helping build that India.

Application LIVE (Round 2) : www.azadparliament.com/

Skip the Carousel

1 2

6 days ago | [YT] | 1,156

Naman Shrivastava

Congratulations to Janmejay Pawar, our very own Bose Fellow 2026.

Last September we launched the Subhas Chandra Bose Fellowship and our purpose was simple to create exceptional Pathways for those who want to build a career beyond UPSC Civil Services - perhaps, provide the best alternatives to Plan B careers.

And why not?

Less than 180 Indians they make it to the Indian Administrative Service. That's the success rate of 0.014%. Does that mean the remaining 99.986% are unfit to serve? Is our idea of nation building so narrow, so fragile, that it can only happen behind a 'government' desk? As a community - we took inspiration from Subhas Chandra Bose.

Subhas Chandra Bose he cleared the ICS exam in England, and resigned before even joining. Why? Was it because he lacked the discipline? Was it because he rejected the system? No.

He rejected the civil services because he wanted to build something freer, bolder, and more honest than the British Bureaucracy would ever allow

In today's world, millions of young Indians chase the civil services - not because they all want to govern, but because they’ve been told it’s the only legitimate path to service. No, it is not.

You can build a career in public leadership, diplomacy, social innovation, media, or policy consulting - and still change lives at scale. You can design platforms, advise governments, fight misinformation, scale civic tech, build think tanks, or run for office - without waiting for a roll number.

With this idea in mind we launched the Bose Fellowship - a perfect, and ideal platform for those who do NOT want to join civil services but contribute to India's growth story.

In the past few months of running this fellowship with Ambassador Sanjiv Kohli - I realized there can not be a better platform than this fellowship if anyone wishes to quit the rat race for UPSC - and get their hands dirty into the real messy world! From Venture Capital, to Platforms, to Marketing, to Consulting, to Media, to Foreign Policy - this Fellowship is truly transformational!

In the next few months - I look forward to seeing many of our Bose Fellows winning competitions at Tufts, MIT, Harvard, and what not! And hopefully, launching transformative social Impact ventures, political parties, media conglomerates - as we enter the next phase of the fellowship experience starting tomorrow!

Congratulations on your success Janmejay. Look forward to playing a small part in your grand life! :)

Application Link for 2027 Fellows : www.bosefellowship.org/

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3

1 week ago | [YT] | 408

Naman Shrivastava

Welcome to the beautiful community of MisFits, Hema! Look forward to playing a small part in your grand life ❤️🇮🇳



***
To all those who will join our beautiful community of Misfits in June. You may refer to our website - www.misfits.bet/

For now, you may stop studying, and consider the next few days to be your mini vacation before the marathon begins with your first week into the program. Mechanical way to studies yields no results. Take a break, and binge-watch that movie or TV series you have been delaying. From 1st June onwards - you will witness a meaningful introduction to a fascinating world to understand India, and the world better.

Enrollment Link : www.misfits.bet/

1 week ago | [YT] | 597