Smitten by the charm of Civil Services

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Seeing red could translate differently depending on your region, colour, gender, religion, nation and even species. But place it atop a white ambassador in India and it will mean only one. Power. Relentless, unyielding, lustful, that drives young professionals to give up their cushy corporate hallows and enter into the swampy marshland that is the UPSC examination. Ever since recession shook the foundations of cosy office cubicles, the number of IAS examinees increased from 3 lakhs a year to 4.5 lakhs. And all of them are guessed to be professionals who couldn’t resist the lure of a lal batti.
But not all of the mystery lies behind the power points. Some shine can be credited to a desire to change. Harsh Vardhan Sahni gave up his seemingly exciting, but taxing job as a crime reporter to prepare for the civil service examination. “I was working over 12 hours a day, but still not getting the sense of satisfaction I was looking for, besides I had reached a stagnation already. I realised if I was working so hard then might as well direct my efforts to a better end,” he says.
But for IIM graduate Siddharth Kaushal, it took corporate drudgery to realise his true calling in life, giving up his job with an MNC to prepare for the exam. “There are so many out there who hate their jobs, but refuse to do anything about it. In a matter of eight months, I realised I had to get out of this corporate structure. Though it took a fair bit of courage, but once the decision was made, everything else came easy,” he tells us.
For some, the IAS exam is a ladder to reach higher and how. Gunjan Wadhwa, who works with the United Nations, wanted to enter international diplomacy. But literally starting out a “paper pusher”, she realises UPSC is an easier way above. “Most senior people working with the UN are from the IFS cadre, which I realised only after I started working. So, instead of taking the longer route, I find the Civil Services a much more effective way,” she tells us. Though one can’t discredit that the recent pay hike by the pay commission has made government jobs, specially the Civil Services more lucrative than ever. D.P. Singh, who is a counsellor with the Rau’s IAS Study Circle, tell us, “In our institute, more than 40pc students in any class are students with professional degrees. And this trend has risen even more so in the past two years.”