Recently, I met a young man who had been preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam for the past four years but had not succeeded. Curious about his motivation, I asked why he aspired to become a civil servant. His answer: it was not his personal interest but rather his parents’ dream for him. After completing BE in Computer Science and Engineering, he had enrolled in a coaching academy and had spent around ₹5 lakhs but hadn’t cleared even the Preliminary Examination. While his parents believed in his potential, he was wondering whether it was worth spending another year to prepare and try again or if he should give up.
The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Exam annually to select candidates for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), among others. The exam comprises three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview, with an overall success rate of 0.2%. In 2023, 1.3 million appeared for the Preliminary Exam but only 14,624 candidates progressed to the Mains.
Perpetuating a myth
In recent times, there have been movies glorifying the IAS and IPS services, perpetuating the myth that a career in the civil services symbolises prestige and respect, that those who crack the exams are the brightest individuals in the country, and that these exams are exclusive to those with a high IQ or suitable for those with specific academic backgrounds such as Medicine and Engineering. They also propagate the idea that only those who attend coaching in so-called “reputed” academies can succeed.
The Hindi film, 12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and adapted from Anurag Pathak’s book recounting the real-life journey of an individual who triumphed over extreme poverty to become an IPS, received acclaim for its powerful messages: an individual’s success in achieving the rank of an IAS or IPS officer signifies success for the entire community, and a determined individual should possess a never-give-up attitude. However, the film falsely glorifies the Indian Police Service and perpetuates the myth that attending coaching is a prerequisite to crack the exams.
There is nothing wrong with parents dreaming about their children becoming IAS or IPS officers, as civil service jobs are considered to be prestigious. However, they should be aware of the ground reality and understand their children’s genuine interests and aptitudes. The level of respect that “civil servants” receive from those in power and whether they genuinely enjoy their roles as district collectors, secretaries to ministers, or commissioners of police need careful analysis. There is a growing trend of parents misguiding their children without being informed about the reality, urging them to pursue careers for which they have no interest.
Some aspirants may be highly motivated and have a clear goal. For example, a few months ago, Divya Mittal, a 2013 batch IAS officer of the UP cadre, tweeted, “I am an IAS officer. But my journey has many ups and downs. Have left well-settled paths to struggle From IIT went to IIM. Left a well-paying London job to return Was training as an IPS and doing well. Then started afresh as an IAS…”
Critically examining the tweet, a person commented: “… But why IITians opt for civil services. Aren’t they supposed to bring technological prowess for the country. Hell lit of (a hell a lot of) money is spent by Govt to make 1 IITian.” Thought-provoking questions, indeed! It is possible that Mittal herself was made to believe that becoming an IAS officer was her best option.
Some teachers also mislead their students by stating that civil service jobs are the best for academically successful students because all civil servants possess a high IQ. All fields (teaching, research, media, marketing, and so on) also require people with a high IQ and other quotients such as Emotional Quotient (EQ), Social Quotient (SQ), and Adversity Quotient (AQ).
Many “educated” people seem to believe that IAS and IPS officers and other “civil servants” are individuals with high integrity and dedication and serve as good role models for the youth. However, this is a misconception. Rarely do honest IAS and IPS officers achieve success in their mission of being honest. It is said that, in the civil services, merit and integrity do not matter, and only those officers who can compromise and are ready to be compliant are appointed to high offices.
Educators, parents, and others interested in the development of the nation should motivate students and young people by instilling hope in them that they can serve the nation by choosing any profession they are interested in, not necessarily by becoming civil servants. Everything that glitters is not gold.
Views expressed are personal
The writer is an ELT resource person and education columnist. rayanal@yahoo.co.uk
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