By Ummar Jamal
In Indian society, only few achievements hold as much sway and reverence as cracking Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. UPSC is often hailed as the gateway to a prestigious career in the civil services, promising power, influence, and a sense of societal impact. However, amidst the fervor and frenzy surrounding this exam, it’s essential to acknowledge the reality: UPSC is over-hyped, and it’s not the end of the world if one doesn’t crack it.
While UPSC is a prestigious service but we must understand that there are many other which are far better. Had it not been so, Syed Sabahat Azim, Rajan Singh, Pravesh Sharma, Roman Saini, Vivek Kulkarni, Sanjay Gupta, GV Roa would not have left civil service to become entrepreneurs. Our youth must understand that while UPSC may have an upper limit to take a stipulated number of civil service aspirants per year, there is no limit as to how many youth may become entrepreneurs per year.
It’s crucial to recognize that UPSC is just one avenue among many for ways for serving and making a meaningful contribution to society. There are countless individuals who, despite not clearing UPSC, have excelled in their respective fields and brought about positive change in their communities. Success should not be measured solely by one’s ability to clear a standardized exam but by the impact one creates in their chosen sphere of influence. Had Kapil Sibal not left civil service to start a career in law, he would never dreamt of achieving what he achieved after leaving the service.
UPSC is quite over-hyped. For instance, this year, two Kashmiris achieved a monumental feat by receiving the prestigious Rhodes scholarship, considered the epitome of academic excellence globally. Despite its significance, all major local newspapers overlooked this achievement. Had it been about UPSC, headlines would have flooded the papers. The disparity in coverage raises concerns about society’s fixation on UPSC, overshadowing other remarkable accomplishments. Securing the Rhodes scholarship is as noteworthy as cracking UPSC, yet our societal narrative remains fixated on the latter. If a person who finds his name at the bottom of selection list makes headlines, why doesn’t a remarkable feat like getting Rhodes scholarship even find mention in the last pages of newspapers? This reflects as how we as a society has become obsessed with UPSC, which is taking a heavy toll on intellectual growth of our youth. They are not able to think beyond UPSC.
We should leave the over obsession with UPSC. There are innumerable ways though which we can do a lot for society and for ourselves. There are numerous avenues where individuals can make a meaningful difference, be it in entrepreneurship, research, arts, social work, or even in unconventional fields like sports and entertainment. There are limited number of seats in UPSC CSE examination. Lakhs of students every years prepare for the exam and only few hundreds make to the list. While we should recognise the hard work and competence of those who qualified, we must not make the unsuccessful candidates feel failure in UPSC was end of their world. And the basic issue is we must not over hype UPSC to a way where our youth find UPSC as the only thing to do in world. Glorification of UPSC often overshadows the multitude of career paths available outside the civil services. While being a civil servant is undoubtedly prestigious and impactful, it’s not the only way to contribute to society or achieve success.
The focus on UPSC as the ultimate measure of success perpetuates a narrow definition of achievement. Success should not be solely defined by one’s ability to clear a particular exam or enter a particular profession. It’s about personal fulfillment, growth, and the positive impact one can make in the world, regardless of the career path chosen.
UPSC requires a particular skillset and qualities from an Indidual _ say patience, consistency etc. A person may be intellectually very sound, but would well still flunk in UPSC examination. We have over-hyped UPSC to such a level that those who fail to qualify it, society starts judging their intellect and competence, which in turn pushes them to self-doubt.
It’s essential to debunk the myth that failing to crack UPSC equates to failure in life. Many successful individuals have pursued alternative careers and thrived, contributing significantly to society in their own capacities. Each person has unique strengths, passions, and talents that can be channeled into diverse fields, beyond the confines of the civil services.
While UPSC undoubtedly holds significance in the Indian context, it’s crucial to recognize that it’s not the be-all and end-all of one’s journey. It’s time to dispel the over-hyped narrative surrounding UPSC and embrace the multitude of opportunities available. Success comes in various forms, and it’s essential to carve out a path that aligns with one’s passions, values, and aspirations, irrespective of whether it involves cracking a particular exam or not.
- Author is a Kashmir based columnist . He tweets at ummar_jamal and can be reached at [email protected]
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