In a hostel room in Anna Nagar, shared with three others and where space is scarce, Varadhan S. from Cuddalore district prepares for the TNPSC examinations. During the monsoon, he studies indoors, but for most of the year, his go-to spot is the nearby Kambar Colony playground. “Wherever you turn in Anna Nagar, a new private study hall is coming up, but the affordable ones are already full, and the rest don’t really match our budget or allow group study anyway.”
Mr. Varadhan adds that his coaching centre does not have a proper study hall either, and so many like him resort to neighbourhood parks and playgrounds despite mosquito bites, lack of drinking water, and locked restrooms.
M. Subash, a JEE aspirant, has been studying regularly at Tower Park in Anna Nagar for the past two years. He says he prefers the park to his house to avoid distractions. “After finishing tests at a centre nearby, I come straight here to study. Although it’s airy, I keep shifting from one place to another within the park because it gets noisy, as parks do,” he says.
Seated just a few benches away, Kaviya M., who is preparing for the TNPSC Group I exams, struggles with neck pain from studying with books balanced on her lap. “We just need a small, dedicated space inside the park with chairs and tables under a shed, because this is open and expansive compared to closed study spaces. A shed would suffice, and it would help us during the summer and monsoon,” she adds.
Responding to these concerns, T.V. Shemmozhi, councillor of Ward 104, said that a free study space is currently under construction at Anna Nagar I Block, specifically for competitive exam aspirants. At present, the Naan Mudhalvan study hall in Anna Nagar, run by the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation, is free, and aspirants can use it on a first-come, first-served basis.
Madhan Raj, another TNPSC aspirant from Chidambaram, says that when he visited the space during an exam season, “there was a rush, and the seats filled up even before 8.40 a.m.” He had to sit on the centre’s veranda to study.
Coworking and learning spaces
Another option is Mudhalvar Padaippagam, a coworking and learning space in Kolathur, where 40 people can use the coworking area and 50 students can access the learning space at a time for a nominal fee. In November 2025, a new Mudhalvar Padaippagam was inaugurated in Periyar Nagar. Developed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) at a cost of ₹5.24 crore, it is part of the North Chennai Development Scheme and caters to budding entrepreneurs and competitive exam aspirants alike. The CMDA plans to establish 27 such centres across the city, in addition to the existing ones, according to a press release issued last month.
Centres such as the Manidhaneyam IAS Academy provide free coaching and scholarships for civil service aspirants, and nearly one lakh students from across Tamil Nadu are utilising its online facilities for UPSC exam preparation. “Study halls have become more commercialised by study centres, and so our classrooms in Velachery and CIT Nagar, along with a library space, are where students usually get their studying done,” said a source from Manidhaneyam.
Exam prep at public libraries
Public libraries, such as the Anna Centenary Library in Kotturpuram and the Connemara Public Library in Egmore, remain indispensable for aspirants. “We can bring our own books and study on the ground and first floors,” says Aravindhan, a UPSC aspirant studying at the Anna Centenary Library. “Sometimes we use the seventh floor, where exam preparation materials are available. But for someone coming from the other side of the city, it is not always feasible given the travel time.”
A senior librarian said the Connemara Public Library has been witnessing a significant increase in footfall from civil service aspirants like never before. Around 10% of them bring their own books, but space for that is limited.
For students like Partheepan P. and M. Malasri, both TNPSC aspirants, the issue is one of access. “If every neighbourhood had a free study space, WiFi facilities in all libraries, it would ease the pressure on aspirants like us.”
Published – December 23, 2025 11:18 am IST
