Abu Uwach: Answering the Why - Part II

The Indian Civil Services - Answering the Why - Part II


The Wrong Reasons?

I ended my last post with a few questions about what a bureaucrat really does, and whether one’s personality is really suited to be a bureaucrat. KK commented that my somewhat cynical references to the real reasons (the ‘lal batti’ syndrome) why candidates appear for this exam cannot be divorced from other, more genuine reasons. I agree with him on this point as my ‘cynical’ references were meant more as a provocation to thought as why one wants to write the exam. But more on that later. There are really no absolute right reasons for writing the exam. We must all choose our own right reasons for writing the exam. But I will insist that there may be some wrong reasons for writing the exam. Writing the exam for monetary gain, for example, would fall clearly in this category. Government service offers enough opportunities for illegal gratification but if money is really one’s true aim, there are enormous legitimate opportunities in the private sector for those with the will and creativity. Writing the exam so that one can actively serve the interests of particular groups or sections within the nation, to the detriment of others, whether they may be on the basis of caste, religion or region, I believe is another wrong reason.

This brings me to the controversial issue of the last post: How far should status and privilege motivate one to join the civil services? The Indian Civil Service has traditionally enjoyed huge status on account of the colonial legacy where Whitehall’s writ was executed by the ICS officer on the ground. The notion of the ‘administrator as ruler’ that underpinned this colonial position continues to have a powerful hold on the public imagination. To my mind at least, if the civil service must play a constructive role in pulling India into the 21st century, it must actively seek to break this mould, and this is the most difficult question that both aspirants and civil servants must ask themselves today. Would you still choose the services if it did not perpetuate a semi-feudal ruling elite, but was merely an ordinary part of the executive that was responsible for sensible policy making and effective policy implementation? Would it still be so attractive without its attendant perks, but was merely an agent of change that would empower citizens to depend less and less on the civil servant himself?


The Right Reasons

Undoubtedly, the ‘diminished’ civil servant may not be the ideal person to motivate one for this exam, but here then is the rub: Why then write this exam at all? In spite of all my ‘cynicism’ I do believe that may be some good reasons to give this exam. As I pointed out before, each one will have their own right reasons but here is a checklist of questions that one could ask of oneself before making a final decision. The logic is simple: find out what a civil servant (and here be more specific - IAS, IFS, IPS, etc) does and figure out whether this is the kind of job that you would want to do, and would have a reasonable chance of success in.

1. Is your understanding of a civil servants job based upon perception or
reality? If it is the latter, would discussing his or her day to day job
(even spending some time with an officer if possible) give you a clearer view?

2. What is your defining interest/motivation in life? Is it to make money, for
example and have a reasonably comfortable life, or is it to attain some degree of fame or to contribute to society in some meaningful way, or even to pursue knowledge for its own sake (not to suggest that any of these objectives are mutually exclusive)? Each of these have particular correlation in different fields, just as some of them may find expression within the services? Do you believe that you can utilize your interest while working for government while acknowledging that it may not give you the returns that it would have, had you pursued it exclusively?

3. What kind of aptitude do you have? Is it amenable to working in a fixed hierarchical system where merit may not always be a priority, although there may be other intangible rewards? Do you have an aptitude for ‘hands on’ public interface or do you prefer to work in a more rarified office atmosphere?

4. And finally, what is your death bed story? As morbid as it sounds, I personally rate it as the most important question when deciding whether or not to join the services. When you look back at your life from your deathbed, how would you have wanted to live it? Are you willing to take someone else’s dream and live it as your own, or are you willing to find your own?


The questions listed above are only indicative of what a decision making process could look like. Points 2 and 3, I wish to mark out since they not only help you decide whether to write the exam, but indicate how successful you may be in the service. The government works in a peculiar environment that everyone may not find comfortable. Your aptitude and your motivation, if appropriately suited, will determine your ability to persevere and succeed. Your aptitude will also help you choose the right service, an issue I hope to deal with in a later post.

A final personal note on the last point: I knew that, personally, when I looked back, I would have wanted to spend a considerable part of my life representing this extraordinary country, representing more than a billion people, and being in part responsible for its rise in the global comity of nations. If I can achieve even a small part of that story as a member of the civil service, I will be a happy man. 