The UPSC results announced on 22 April brought a quiet sense of humility and resolve in me. Securing an All India Rank of 150 in the Civil Services Examination meant a likely place in the hallowed Indian Police Service for me.
Even in 21st-century India, the UPSC exerts a gravitational pull unlike any other exam. The best and brightest of India are drawn to the challenge like moths to a flame. Yet it’s often asked—why do top performers voluntarily subject themselves to such a punishing test, with abysmal selection rates (only about 0.08 per cent of candidates are ultimately selected)?
The more cynically inclined among us dismiss the exam as a vestige of the colonial state setup (mai-baap sarkar) and see any mention of good intentions as a tragic consequence of flatulent romanticism. Such people believe that those who write the UPSC exam do it for money, power, and authority.
These cynics are wrong. Let me bust some of these myths and give answers here.
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It’s not always about personal gain
Many argue that the UPSC is not a means to serve the nation but an end in itself for most aspirants.
This might be true in certain cases, but making this a generalisation is grossly unfair. Entry into the civil services is, more than anything, a chance to steer the ship of the nation. The Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), among others, offer roles where decisions can create ripples across millions of lives.
The great poet Kabir once mused, “The river that forgets its source dries up.” This sentiment resonates with many aspirants, with the UPSC acting as a riverbed channelling their desire to serve.
In a country of 1.4 billion people, it should not boggle the mind that there are people who are genuinely interested in social change and welfare. Is it not ironic that the most common refrain in Indian society is that the youth are disinterested in nation-building? Yet, when they do engage and strive to make a difference, they are often ridiculed and criticised.
Not a cushion, but a crucible
A favoured jab from detractors is that the UPSC entices risk-averse youth with the prospect of a permanent government job, safely anchored against the tempests of the private sector. True, civil servants are guaranteed tenure until the age of 60, but that’s the only ‘cushion’.
IAS and IPS officers manage districts of millions, juggling policy, politics, and public pressure, often under a media microscope. The perks are modest compared to corporate windfalls in MNCs. And in recent years, several civil servants have been dismissed from service due to purported cases of corruption, malfeasance, unethical behaviour, and so on.
The real attraction, thus, is not the chimera of job security but agency. The agency to address the systemic issues plaguing our country—education, healthcare, rural development, law and order. And to do so at a scale few other careers can match.
Multiple attempts are part of the quest, not a trap
Clearing the UPSC exam often requires multiple attempts. It is almost Sisyphean in nature. With six attempts allowed for general category candidates (up to the age of 32) and more for reserved categories, the journey can span a few years in the best case, or to a decade in the worst. Only about 15 per cent of candidates succeed on their first try, with the rest needing two or more attempts.
Critics call this a soul-crushing trap. Coaching centres, a Rs 3,000-crore industry, are also blamed for perpetuating this cycle.
There are two aspects this critique misses. First, the exam is inherently difficult—multiple attempts are not a bug but a feature. Passing it offers a rich and rewarding career in public service, which makes multiple attempts worth their weight in salt.
Second is the idea of fortitude and resilience. The exam builds not just knowledge, but character too. As Ghalib wrote, “The heart is tempered in the fire of trials.”
Failure doesn’t mean dead-end
Critics also argue that those who fail to clear the UPSC are left unemployable. That their knowledge of arcane historical facts and mastery of answer-writing techniques are worthless in the job market. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Those who don’t clear the exam often thrive elsewhere, whether in policy roles, NGOs, or startups, with their preparation having honed skills like critical thinking and perseverance. And more than anything, it produces polymath active citizens — aware and involved, not aloof and disenchanted.
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The pilgrim’s path
The UPSC exam is no stroll through the veritable company bagh; it is a trek across the Himalayas, with peaks of triumph and valleys of doubt. Cynics may sneer at its demands or question its fairness, but for the over 1 million who apply yearly, it is akin to a pilgrimage.
It is a forge that shapes the leaders of tomorrow’s India. And the scepticism surrounding it is largely misguided, driven by popular outrage rather than rational reflection. UPSC was, is, and will continue to be a lighthouse—guiding the audacious and dextrous to strive, shine, and serve.
Pranav Jain will soon join the civil services and is also a columnist. Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
Congratulations to the author. Once he becomes a police officer, hope he:
-Doesn’t get a protruding belly.
-The car in which he travels follows 100% of all traffic laws.
-His subordinates wear riot gears instead of cricket pads and helmets.
-Makes beat police do their jobs.
-Nil police corruption in his jurisdiction.
-Follows by-the-book policing.
-Not misuse his position in the society.
-Remains humble and not act act like a goon.
Why does the improvement in the India’s problems not happening fast enough? The situation on ground is mostly same. The politicians are basically controlling everything, and the corruption is all time high. The civil servants can not do much .
Why are the brightest candidates going in civil services in India or Indian subcontinents?
1. I am one of those who attempted the Civil Services Exams 36 years ago and did not succeed. It was difficult for me from a remote location in Uttarakhand without any coaching, especially with my slow snail-pace writing skills.
2. However, as stated here, I believe I learnt a lot simply by preparing for it. Later, as the founding director of a foreign-funded non-governmental organisation, my preparations for CS assisted me in writing proposals, assessments, and reports that linked social dynamics to historical, economic, social, and political realities.
3. Those days Until 26 years of age, only 3 attempts were allowed for Gen Cat.
4. I believe that CSE like the medical and engineering exams, should require a minimum of a 12th grade education. It will save the lives of those who are currently in their mid-late thirties and could not clear CSE. The “Catch them young” approach will also provide extra time for learning about the system. Modern civil services do not require a ‘spark’ but rather someone who grows with the system.
Disclaimer: I am extremely pleased that life gave me opportunity to be an NGO social activist