Without cracking UPSC, here are ways to still get into LBSNAA
LBSNAA in Mussoorie, home to trainee IAS and IPS officers, also offers internships, mid-career training and educational tours to those who have not cleared UPSC.
The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, LBSNAA, in the hills of Mussoorie is best known as the training ground for IAS and IPS officers. Every year, lakhs of aspirants dream of reaching this campus by clearing the tough UPSC exam. But it is possible to get into this prestigious institute without clearing UPSC.
Many assume that only trainee officers from select civil services can go to LBSNAA, but that is not true. The campus is not just a training centre for IAS, IPS and other officers, it is also a hub for the country's biggest administrative and policy discussions. Several programmes run here that allow entry without clearing UPSC.
The first route is an internship. Even without clearing UPSC, an internship is the best way to experience the LBSNAA environment closely. The academy's National Centre for Law and Administration, NCLA, has started a four-week academic internship for final-year law students. Through this, students get a chance to research governance and administrative law alongside the country's top administrative officers and faculty. Besides this, project-based internships are also open, through different centres, to young people working in public policy, social sciences, media and research.
The second route is mid-career training programmes. This is another way to enter LBSNAA without UPSC. Senior officers from various central services such as IRS, IPS and IFoS, as well as experienced officers from state civil services, or State PCS, are sent to Mussoorie for refresher courses. Besides this, experts in management, economics and technology from India and abroad are invited here as guest lecturers, consultants or researchers.
The third way is an educational tour. Many people wonder whether ordinary members of the public can visit LBSNAA. It is not a regular tourist spot, so direct entry is not allowed. However, students from select universities and research institutions can visit through educational tours with special permission. LBSNAA is not an ordinary building but a temple of knowledge, where entry through these select routes depends on one's merit and ability.
