Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist and part of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PM-EAC), has shared his opinion on whether it’s worth studying hard for the competitive Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam.
He stated spending 5-8 years studying for civil service exams isn’t a wise use of young people’s energy. Sanjeev Sanyal feels that it’s alright to sit for the UPSC or similar exams, but only if one wants to be an administrator.
Expressing his concern, Sanjeev Sanyal says taking multiple UPSC attempts is not a wise decision for the youth. It is an entire waste of energy he shared in a series of posts on social media platform X.
Sanyal also said that it might be unexpected, but the majority of bureaucrats who have cleared the exam also hold the same notion.
“Appearing for one or two attempts is fine if you’re genuinely committed, but spending your entire twenties on it is something which is not advisable,” said Sanjeev Sanyal.
As mentioned, it perfectly fine to attempt the UPSC or other such exams, but only if the person wants to be an administrator. The problem is that lakhs of people are spending 5-8 years repeatedly doing this exam as a “way of life”. This is such a waste of youthful energy— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) March 26, 2024
The economist highlighted how students are extremely dedicated to achieving their goal of clearing UPSC including entire cities like Kota, to an exam where success is achieved by less than 1 per cent of applicants.
“He said it happens every year. Just think about all the effort going into something else,” he said.
Former IAS officer G Sundaram responded to his statement, saying, “It’s absurd. India is a large country. We aim for a united India, which is why Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of Independent India, launched services like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. They are working well.” He also mentioned, “There may be some problems, but they can be worked upon.”
While S K Sarkar, former secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training, also disagreed with his statement, calling it unnecessary. “I don’t think it’s a waste of young people’s energy or resources. I don’t agree with what he said,” said S K Sarkar. He is an IAS officer from West Bengal, who graduated in 1979.
Every year, UPSC conducts the civil services exam in three stages: preliminary, mains and personality tests (interviews). The exam helps in choosing officers for the posts of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) and other positions.
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