Dr Vikas Divyakirti Drishti Ias Ethics Course
The course begins with the basics:
UPSC often asks "Distinguish between X and Y" (e.g., Ethics vs. Morality; Rules vs. Principles). Dr. Divyakirti provides a 15-page glossary of 50+ terminological distinctions that are repeatedly tested in the Mains.
To get a top rank (120+ marks out of 250) in Ethics, simply watching videos is insufficient. Here is a strategy guide:
Dr. Divyakirti has invented specific flowcharts for Ethics. For example, his "Circle of Conscience" (Individual > Family > Society > Nation > World) is used by thousands of students to structure essay-type questions on globalization and ethics.
Now, watch specific segments and create your own "Bible" (a 40-page notebook). Structure it as:
Watch the theory modules without taking heavy notes. Just listen. Let Dr. Divyakirti’s framework seep into your brain. Focus on the stories and examples. Note down the keywords (e.g., "Moral Relativism," "Veil of Ignorance").
It was 2:17 AM, and the dim light of a single LED bulb fought against the darkness of a cramped hostel room in Karol Bagh. Ankita stared at the stack of photocopied notes on her table—Constitution articles jumbled with Supreme Court verdicts—but her mind was a blank wall. Three attempts at the UPSC Civil Services Exam, two missed interviews by a whisker, and a family back home in Bihar that now measured her worth in “attempts left.”
She had the facts. She had the strategy. What she lacked was a spine of conviction.
Tomorrow, her new course was starting. Not on Geography or Polity. But on Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude. The teacher: Dr. Vikas Divyakirti.
“Another GS paper,” she muttered, rubbing her temples. “More theories to memorize.”
But sleep wouldn't come. So she slipped out of bed, pulled on a faded sweatshirt, and walked to the Drishti IAS classroom in Mukherjee Nagar. The gates were locked, but the night watchman recognized the desperation in her eyes. He let her sit on the steps.
Dawn broke over the Delhi smog. By 7 AM, the hall was packed—five hundred faces, all carrying the same weight. When Dr. Divyakirti walked in, there was no grand entry. Just a lean man with round glasses, a calm smile, and a voice that didn't need a microphone to command attention.
He didn't open a book. He opened a newspaper instead—a small item about a district collector who had resigned rather than sign a false file.
“Tell me,” Dr. Vikas began, “why did he resign? Was he stupid? He had a pension, a bungalow, a driver. Why throw it away?”
Silence.
“Because,” Dr. Vikas continued, walking slowly between the benches, “ethics is not a chapter. It is the moment when your career and your character collide. And in that collision, something either breaks or becomes unbreakable.” dr vikas divyakirti drishti ias ethics course
Ankita felt a shiver. Not from the cold.
Over the next seven days, the course unfolded like no other. There were no PowerPoint slides crammed with definitions. Instead, Dr. Vikas told stories.
He told them about the young IAS officer who had to decide whether to evict a thousand slum dwellers before a VIP visit—legal, but cruel. He told them about the police superintendent who arrested his own uncle for bribing a constable. He told them about a clerk in the railways who returned a misplaced wallet with ₹50,000, simply because he had written “Honesty is my religion” on his desk calendar.
And then, on the fourth day, he asked the question that shattered Ankita.
“What is the one lie you told yourself to get through yesterday?”
The room went still. No one raised a hand.
“I’m not asking for answers aloud,” Dr. Vikas said softly. “I’m asking you to ask yourself. Did you copy an answer from a topper’s notebook and pretend you wrote it? Did you ignore a friend’s call because their failure made you uncomfortable? Did you stay silent when someone made a cynical joke about ‘no honest officer ever made it’?”
Ankita’s throat tightened. Yes. Yes to all of it. Especially the last one. She had stopped defending her dream. She had started believing that maybe, just maybe, the UPSC was a game for the flexible—not the honest.
That night, she wrote in her diary for the first time in months. Not notes. A confession: I am afraid that being good will cost me my career.
On day five, Dr. Vikas addressed that fear directly. He projected a single line on the screen:
“Dharmo rakshati rakshitah — The one who protects righteousness, righteousness protects them.”
“This is not a slogan,” he said. “It is a cause-and-effect law of civil services. If you bend the rules to clear the exam, you will bend the rules to clear a scam. If you cheat in a mock interview, you will flatter a corrupt minister. And one day, you will look in the mirror and not recognize the administrator you became. The exam is not the test. You are the test.”
His voice cracked, just slightly. For a moment, the five hundred aspirants saw not a celebrity teacher, but a man who had himself refused a bribe early in his career and nearly lost his job for it. A man who had built Drishti from scratch because he believed coaching could be ethical too.
On the final day, Dr. Vikas gave them no handouts. Instead, he gave them a single sheet of paper with seven questions—not for the exam, but for life.
Ankita folded that paper and placed it inside her UPSC admit card. The course begins with the basics: UPSC often
The next morning, she returned to her room. She deleted the folder of “unverified topper notes” from her laptop. She cancelled the subscription to a shady test series that promised “predictive questions.” She called her mother and said, “I might take one more attempt. But this time, I’ll do it clean.”
Her mother was silent. Then: “Beta, we don’t need an officer who clears the exam. We need a daughter who can sleep at night.”
Five months later, Ankita sat for the Mains. In the Ethics paper, Case Study No. 3 described a district magistrate pressured to sign a file that would illegally benefit a local politician. The question asked: What would you do and why?
She didn’t think of model answers. She thought of Dr. Vikas’s voice. She thought of the clerk who returned the wallet. She thought of her diary confession.
She wrote: “I would refuse to sign. I would document the pressure in writing. I would inform the Chief Secretary. If transferred, I would accept it. Because a transferred honest officer is still an officer. A promoted corrupt one is a thief in uniform.”
Six weeks later, the results came. Ankita had cleared. Not a top rank—but enough. Enough for the IRS.
At the orientation, a nervous junior asked her, “Ma’am, what’s the one thing they don’t teach you in the academy?”
She smiled. “They don’t teach you that your first posting will test your ethics on day one. But if you’ve already decided who you are, the decision is already made.”
That evening, she walked back to Mukherjee Nagar. The Drishti classroom was empty. On the last bench, right corner, she sat for a while. Then she took out the seven-question paper, now worn at the edges, and wrote at the bottom:
Answer to Q7: Yes. Every single day.
She left it on the desk for the next sleepless aspirant to find.
And somewhere in the building, Dr. Vikas Divyakirti—working late on a new lecture—smiled, turned off his lamp, and went home believing that the future of India was in better hands than he had ever imagined.
The Ethics (GS Paper-IV) Course by Dr. Vikas Divyakirti at Drishti IAS is a comprehensive program designed to help UPSC aspirants master the complexities of integrity, aptitude, and case study resolution. Key Course Features
Direct Guidance: All classes are personally taught by Dr. Vikas Divyakirti, focusing on conceptual clarity rather than just rote learning.
Session Structure: The course typically consists of approximately 50 classes, usually scheduled four times a week. Flexible Learning: Ankita folded that paper and placed it inside
Modes: Available both Live Online via the Drishti Learning App and as a recorded format.
Validity: Students get unlimited viewing access to class recordings for two years.
Comprehensive Material: Printed study notes are delivered directly to the student’s address to supplement digital learning.
Practical Training: The program places heavy emphasis on case study analysis and answer-writing skills, including regular class tests for practice.
Doubt Resolution: Interactive sessions allow students to resolve queries directly during or after the live classes. Special Course Options
Crash Course: For those nearing exams, a specialized Ethics Crash Course is often offered to cover essential topics and practice in a shorter timeframe.
Mains Special: Sometimes offered free for students who have qualified for the UPSC Prelims, helping them transition quickly to Paper-IV preparation. Instructor Background
Dr. Vikas Divyakirti is the founder of Drishti IAS and a former civil servant (AIR 384, 1996 batch). He holds a Ph.D. and has academic backgrounds in Sociology, Philosophy, and Law, which he integrates into his ethical teachings.
Dr. Vikas Divyakirti’s Ethics course at Drishti IAS is a comprehensive program designed specifically for General Studies Paper IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. The course is highly regarded for its emphasis on conceptual clarity, real-world case studies, and structured answer writing. Course Overview & Formats
Dr. Vikas Divyakirti provides various modules to suit different student needs:
Comprehensive GS Paper IV Course: A flagship program consisting of approximately 50 classes. Each class typically lasts between 2.5 to 3 hours.
Ethics Crash Course: A focused, shorter revision series (around 10-12 classes) intended for quick syllabus coverage before the Mains exam.
Mode of Delivery: Courses are primarily available online via the Drishti Learning App. While Dr. Vikas Divyakirti's lectures are often provided in recorded format, they represent his latest detailed sessions. Key Features
Ethics Crash Course - ENG – IAS Mains Course by Drishti Learning App
A section where Dr. Divyakirti shines. He explains EI as the "bridge between the heart and the head."