Guess why the Indian bureaucracy failed tremendously? In fact, the stench of this deteriorating so called bureaucracy has been a big put off for some sensible people or the like minded few. Maybe the system is incorrigibly corrupted or probably the wrong type of people got into civil services. Blame it on the UPSC’s system of evaluation or whatelse! One’s overall personality is decided by a memory based written examination depending on who is at best interpreting bookish knowledge and of course a half hour interview session with a bunch of so called experts.

Civil servants need not be very bright or intelligent but they definitely should be skillful administrators and managers. The system of evaluations adopted by the defence services are note worthy and much more reliable. In India, there are three basic criteria for getting into civil services - a lot of luck, a basic knowledge of the subject with a bit of common sense and finally a very good memory power.

The motives behind for joining the service is well understood. The competition grew tougher by the day, but quality hardly matters. People don’t mind spending so much of their time, energy and money for coaching classes. Once they got through, they don’t have to worry about their life-socially, economically. They are bureaucrats in the making. Where is the time for the poor, society.?

Don’t you think that’s too much of civilian affair? So far how many civil servants stood up to fight against the social evils. If anyone does that he or she has to pay the price for that. That’s what had happened recently in Bihar, someone has to pay for his life for trying to expose the corruptors.

The other side of the story- thousands of soldiers lost their lives for the cause of national security in Kashmir, North east etc. Everyday we hear about killing of jawans and security personal elsewhere. But for what and for whom?

The administrative side of the country is a mess because it is governed by over qualified not-supposed- to- be administrators who are engineers, doctors and supposed to be professionals and scientists. It doesn’t mean that they are unfit for the job as such but the motive is just well understood. For instance, what the heck a mechanical engineer from IIT is supposed to do as an IPS officer in Nagaland or Manipur?.

If you asked me why I didn’t go after civil services. My answer would be- simple, I don’t want to study. I don’t have the patience or the capacity to slog and mug-up things which I find hopelessly boring and uninteresting whatever the reward maybe, besides bearing no practical implications or values in one’s life. Sometimes, I really wonder how many people really remember or make use of their bookish knowledge in their civilian duty.

Nevertheless, life is not just a matter of finding high profile job. It is not about seeking fame or popularity. It is not about becoming rich or powerful either. Life without value is worthless no matter what you’ve become. So, in order to bring out this value hidden in us we must understand and know ourselves to depth . We must find out what we love and what we are meant to be and not to do something out of mere pressure.

When we don’t know ourselves we don’t know our values and thus we are living not for ourselves but for others. So, decide whether you want to live for others or for yourselves. After all, it’s your life and your life belongs to God. First, know yourself and know God’s soul purpose for you That’s the basic of all civil services. Don’t be afraid to take the roads less traveled. Because you never know how many roads a man has to walk down before they called him a man.