The tale of "Government Jobs" in India is the most potent one that we Indians have all heard.
As a result, our entire society has seen this drama played out in our heads by our parents, our neighbours, and movies.
But the story has a lot of problems.
If you haven't considered preparing for the #UPSC civil services and its siblings, you are NOT from a middle-class or lower middle-class Indian family (RBI Grade B, States PSCs etc).
In India, millions of people undertake the demanding multi-year path in the pursuit of becoming IAS officers.
They live in seclusion in their cramped Delhi apartments, where Laxmikant and the Hindu Newspaper are the centre of their world. As a result, they miss out on holidays, vacations, and ultimately, life itself.
WHY NOT, also?
This exam doesn't care about your class 12th grade grades (#MBA institutions in India do), how expensive your undergrad programme was (McKinsey, BCG, Harvard do), or how much money you have in the bank.
I paid $2 for the paperwork when I took the exam, which included the preliminary, main, and interview portions (the GMAT is $275).
There is NO exam in the world like India's UPSC Civil Services, you will realise if you are successful in "cracking" this exam through a combination of good fortune, hard work, and a strong support network.
Clearing India's Civil Services allows you the chance to head its foreign services, take on ambassadorial missions, and in many cases lead districts—in contrast to the "spoils system" (common in nations like the United States) (of the size of some European countries).
Despite its shortcomings, this exam has improved the lives of countless people.
And at its worst, this exam has destroyed the lives of countless young people who became trapped in the never-ending cycle of appearing for and retaking their dream exams (without paying heed to sunk cost fallacy, confirmation biases, unintended consequences, etc. while taking a decision).
Every day, a lot of kids write to me with their stories and exam experiences.
The common message is that many of them have lost their confidence as a result of their recurrent exam failures, and some unfortunate ones have lost all passion for life (I'm startled by this considering the majority of these students are in their early to late 20s).
There are so many amazing opportunities available to you all.
You may do a myriad of things to make a significant influence, from working for the United Nations to joining McKinsey to getting recruited laterally.
There is a lot of good things that hasn't been created yet, so please don't draw a straight line. It is crucial that decent people join the government, but in 21st-century modern India, there are other paths to public service.
For anyone having trouble, I've added a list of resources in the comments. Save it for later and tell your friends about it.
Run, walk, crawl, but don't stop moving.