Last week’s results prove that the civil services still attracts India’s brightest students
The increasing number of women holding prominent positions in her state prompted this Chandi-garh girl to sit for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) and she got second rank. Twenty-four-year-old Gurneet Tej’s first choice was the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) as she feels that “it covers a huge gamut of areas which would enable me to serve better”.
Although careers like management and IT are gaining popularity amongst the country’s youth, the civil services has still not lost its appeal. Even those from the IITs and IIMs give it at least one shot. And within the civil services, IAS continues to be the one most sought after.
The increasing number of women holding prominent positions in her state prompted this Chandi-garh girl to sit for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) and she got second rank. Twenty-four-year-old Gurneet Tej’s first choice was the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) as she feels that “it covers a huge gamut of areas which would enable me to serve better”.
Although careers like management and IT are gaining popularity amongst the country’s youth, the civil services has still not lost its appeal. Even those from the IITs and IIMs give it at least one shot. And within the civil services, IAS continues to be the one most sought after.
Reasons D P Singh, counsellor at Rau’s IAS Study Circle, “Though a lot of historical bias is attached with IAS, one cannot rule out its merit in terms of power and opportunity to work in varied departments. Other top choices include the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS).”
Agrees Alok Ranjan, deputy secretary, department of administrative services, “IAS has always been considered as one of the most prestigious services and ropes in people from all academic disciplines. It has amazing promotional avenues and the working conditions are also extremely encouraging.”
Explaining the changing scenario, 1996 batch officer Manisha Saxena, deputy commissioner, South-West zone, New Delhi, says, “Though not much has changed in terms of vacancies and training, the idea of ‘catch them young’ has surely gone for a toss. With the increase in the age-limit we are getting more experienced and mature brains — a trend, which has its own pros and cons.”
Well, IAS may be the most coveted, but one cannot turn a deaf ear to the lobby arguing about the lack of parity in the civil services. “Though other services are usually treated at par with IAS, there are some grey areas. No other service allows one to work with leading private sector entities like the Tatas or Reliance on deputation. But an exception has been made for IAS officers,” reveals a source.
Says S K Rao, director-general, Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, “Post-reforms, civil servants have become specialised leaders. However, there has to be an exclusive training academy to train and match them according to the trends in the financial economy, environmental policies, etc.”
IPS surfaces as the second best option due to the “prestige and social recognition” attached. Says deputy commissioner of police (North-East) Devesh Srivastava, “IPS has always been popular. For instance, in my batch (1995), out of the 83 who received training, 42 were engineers and 10 doctors.”
Another service gaining prominence is the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). According to Singh, in the last three years, IRS, earlier sixth or seventh as per the order of preference, is the fourth top choice. “Economic policies today are the most important component of the overall policy framework. The service is further being evolved in sync with the latest developments and market trends. For instance, a new section on international taxation has recently been introduced to address the growing complexities of tax administration,” informs a source.
Think trends in civil services and one aspect that cannot be missed out is the concentration of students from Bihar. According to an estimate, of the 5,000 IAS officers, about 15-20% are from Bihar. “Those with a patriotic bent of mind may opt for the services but many go by the glory associated with IAS officials in a feudal state like Bihar. They are still addressed as Mai Baap,” says Sunil Jha, an IAS aspirant from Patna.
As Gopalkrishna, director, Braintree, a coaching centre, says, “The civil services is much more popular in the north than in the south. In the south, people prefer the private sector, work for a while and then think of joining the civil services. They realise the reach and the ability to make a difference is much more in the civil services.”
Agrees Alok Ranjan, deputy secretary, department of administrative services, “IAS has always been considered as one of the most prestigious services and ropes in people from all academic disciplines. It has amazing promotional avenues and the working conditions are also extremely encouraging.”
Explaining the changing scenario, 1996 batch officer Manisha Saxena, deputy commissioner, South-West zone, New Delhi, says, “Though not much has changed in terms of vacancies and training, the idea of ‘catch them young’ has surely gone for a toss. With the increase in the age-limit we are getting more experienced and mature brains — a trend, which has its own pros and cons.”
Well, IAS may be the most coveted, but one cannot turn a deaf ear to the lobby arguing about the lack of parity in the civil services. “Though other services are usually treated at par with IAS, there are some grey areas. No other service allows one to work with leading private sector entities like the Tatas or Reliance on deputation. But an exception has been made for IAS officers,” reveals a source.
Says S K Rao, director-general, Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, “Post-reforms, civil servants have become specialised leaders. However, there has to be an exclusive training academy to train and match them according to the trends in the financial economy, environmental policies, etc.”
IPS surfaces as the second best option due to the “prestige and social recognition” attached. Says deputy commissioner of police (North-East) Devesh Srivastava, “IPS has always been popular. For instance, in my batch (1995), out of the 83 who received training, 42 were engineers and 10 doctors.”
Another service gaining prominence is the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). According to Singh, in the last three years, IRS, earlier sixth or seventh as per the order of preference, is the fourth top choice. “Economic policies today are the most important component of the overall policy framework. The service is further being evolved in sync with the latest developments and market trends. For instance, a new section on international taxation has recently been introduced to address the growing complexities of tax administration,” informs a source.
Think trends in civil services and one aspect that cannot be missed out is the concentration of students from Bihar. According to an estimate, of the 5,000 IAS officers, about 15-20% are from Bihar. “Those with a patriotic bent of mind may opt for the services but many go by the glory associated with IAS officials in a feudal state like Bihar. They are still addressed as Mai Baap,” says Sunil Jha, an IAS aspirant from Patna.
As Gopalkrishna, director, Braintree, a coaching centre, says, “The civil services is much more popular in the north than in the south. In the south, people prefer the private sector, work for a while and then think of joining the civil services. They realise the reach and the ability to make a difference is much more in the civil services.”
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