A fantastic idea

Mona

God helps those who help themselves. That’s what they say. Or, how else would you define the emergence and subsequent success of Fantastic Fundas?

Five attempts on and a rank in the civil services still eluded Gaurav Garg, a Ludhiana-based law graduate. Frustrated, he started to share all that he had prepared in form of lectures online; and lo and behold, not only he cleared the prestigious exam (in his sixth attempt), as many as 40 of his YouTube channel subscribers too received the good news!

Gearing up for the training in Mussoorie coming week, this Indian Revenue Services and Income Tax officer-in-the- making is dumbfounded at the success of the YouTube channel. A small venture has turned big. Before this article went to the print, it boasted of some 2.5 million hits from as many 145 countries. The 20-25 minutes online tutorials on modern Indian history, polity and current affairs struck the right chord with viewers. “I got lots of feedback saying that I have simplified the topics,” shares Gaurav.

His partner in this venture is IPS officer Raveena Tyagi who is now also his fiancée. While Gaurav has focussed on the lecture part, Raveena has taken up the technology and presentation part. “Gaurav dreamt about taking the nation to an unprecedented glory by moving one step at a time without stopping. It was in this line of thought that he mentioned about a venture, which was later named Fantastic Fundas. We were not ready to wait to be officers first and then serve the nation in a big way. We wanted to serve India right away like all of us can. His lectures motivated people and went beyond teaching by explaining things in a very simplified manner,” shares Raveena.

The beauty of this venture is that it is free of cost and it’s available to all who can access YouTube. And not only lectures but also live podcasts to help clear any doubts about the civil services examination is what makes for videos on Fantastic Fundas. More joined in and became a part of the journey. Surbhi Garg,

IRS shares, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn” that is the essence of Fantastic Fundas. It is a platform that provides ‘smart’ learning, teaching how to study effectively, and that is of utmost importance to crack the civil services exam. We have elaborated the nuances of preparation for the mains in the latest video on this channel. It’s worth subscribing.”

Now that Gaurav would be busy with his training, he is not sure if he would be able to upload more videos but certainly has plans for Fantsatic Fundas!

mona@tribunemail.com