'UPSC CSE is world's largest zero-sum game': Ex-IPS officer reveals stark reality of being a civil servant

This Sunday, UPSC conducted the Prelims of the Civil Services Examination (CSE), drawing over half a million aspirants vying for just a few hundred coveted posts. Amidst this fervor, Rajan Singh, a former IPS Officer, has shed light on a lesser-known aspect of the exam, exposing the stark realities behind securing a UPSC job.

Rajan Singh, ex-IPS officer

Recently, a viral video captured a mother fainting and a distraught father as their daughter was denied late entry into the exam hall for the UPSC CSE Prelims exam.?

This incident prompts us to question why the UPSC exam holds such immense significance.

Also read: What Happens When You Don't Crack UPSC? Aspirant Shares Post 'No One Teaches How To Deal With Failure'

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Rajan Singh, an IIT graduate with an MBA from Wharton and a former Indian Police Service officer who served as Trivandrum Police Commissioner, questions the perception of UPSC as a dream job for many Indians.?

Also read: 'Busy Giving Prelims & Mains, Didn't Realise What I Missed': After 73 Prelims, 47-YO Man Still Hopes To Crack UPSC CSE

He highlights several points about life after clearing UPSC and becoming a civil servant, in a LinkedIn post:

• While the early days in these jobs are good, over time, your rank keeps growing while your intellectual capabilities tend to stagnate. Here is a litmus test: "If your job and rank were taken away, what are you capable of doing on your own?"
• Because of the glamour, 100x more people apply for these jobs than what would make sense. And many spend a few years just preparing for these exams. The social and economic cost is mind-boggling.
• The private sector may not be all hunky dory, but the competitive pressure forces you to learn, and learning does compound. And when anything compounds, it has magical power.
• Finally, my pet peeve: People join these services swearing to protect the constitution and uphold the rule of law, not the political party in power. Yet, how many even try?

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In conclusion, Singh describes the UPSC exam as the world's largest zero-sum game, where the majority do not succeed, yet aspirants continue to participate fervently year after year, perpetuating the cycle.

What's your view on this?

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