As the 2026 cadre policy determines allocations for 25 state cadres, parallel state bureaucracies operate under different rules with no all-India dimension.
We select individuals capable of becoming Formula One drivers. Then we give them rickety Maruti 800s on potholed roads and expect championship lap times.
India’s civil services were once called the ‘steel frame’. But steel is forged in fire, not moulded in a coaching class. While dilution has made the exam easier, it has also made it harder to find the game-changers we need.
The story of UPSC isn’t just that of an exam but about how India defines merit, opportunity and fairness. Over the last 100 years, its journey has been one of constant churn, reforms and resets.
The new and improved Pratibha Setu portal isn’t just a lifeline for UPSC candidates. It also offers ministries, PSUs, and private companies a database of talented individuals.
Aspirants have come and gone but Pushpendra Shrivastava remains confined in his one-room flat in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar. His next test is the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission interview.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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