Exactly, 1 year ago, on May 23, 2023 I cleared the UPSC CSE exam and got into the IAS
Exactly, 1 year ago, on May 23, 2023 I cleared the UPSC CSE exam and got into the IAS.
Exactly, 1 year ago, on May 23, 2023 I cleared the UPSC CSE exam and got into the IAS.
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Exactly, 1 year ago, on May 23, 2023 I cleared the UPSC CSE exam and got into the IAS.
Overnight, our lives transformed as we were made to feel indispensable to the nation's progress. Questions like, "Which sector would you like to revolutionize?" and "How will you drive India's development?" were thrown at us as if one result had instantly endowed us with superhuman abilities.
The day reminds me of a lot of different emotions but also gets me thinking about what has changed in 1 year. Is there more to the IAS than what is normally perceived and Have we really arrived?
1 month ago, I completed my Phase-1 professional training for the IAS. It was a 5 month course, and if I include the common Foundation Course (FC) of 3 months preceding it , I have proudly completed 8 months of this intensive training.
There were a lot of ideas shared and knowledge imparted both in and outside the classroom. In our FV, we had the opportunity to interact with Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, economists like Arvind Panagriya, and above all, the Honourable Prime Minister himself.
It was an action-packed 3 months, but little did I know it was just the tip of the iceberg.
During the Phase-1 professional course, I had the opportunity to interact with top professors from leading institutions in India, such as IIMA and IIT Delhi, as well as globally like MIT-JPAL. I was able to explore my interests and pursue courses that I was passionate about, successfully completing a data science course at IIT Delhi and an economics course with the IMF.
Additionally, we engaged with top civil servants, including the Cabinet Secretary and the Secretaries of DoPT, Home, and DPIIT. Their insights encouraged us to think beyond current events and collaborate effectively with various stakeholders, enhancing our contribution to India's development.
The excitement and pride from the UPSC results can make us feel like indispensable leaders, and to place great significance on our individual roles.
But after 1 year of selection and 8 months of training where I have had the opportunity to learn from lectures and experience from the best minds in and outside the country, I realized that I am just one stakeholder in the game. If I perceive that I have arrived, I cannot be any further away from reality.
My perspective has shifted:
We are not the focal point but merely one contributor in India's development, working to create harmony among various stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition. We will face complex challenges and diverse situations for that I need to be equipped with interdisciplinary knowledge. This will enable me to appreciate various perspectives and make informed decisions, even within the limits of my rationality. I will have to not just constantly learn but also unlearn by biases and social conditioning so that I can work with people and industry to deliver to the best of my capacity.
T.S. Eliot wrote, "Between the idea and the reality ... Falls the Shadow."