(Survey) IAS - Youths First Choice To Begin Career With: ASSOCHAM

Despite complaints of falling standards and relatively lower salary, Indian Administrative Services continue to be preferred option for majority of youths as these provide with visible & invisible perks, social status and benefits with 100% job security, which remain totally incompatible with their private sector counterparts, according to The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
In a Survey carried out by ASSOCHAM on Have Civil Services Lost their Charm with Advancement in Liberalisation, 80% of 300 young executives opted for placement in corporate sector and responded to the Survey said, “IAS, IFS, IPS go on drawing the best available talent in them contrary to surfacing impressions that flight of talent has shifted more towards private sector with fast advancing liberalisation”.
The assertions that civil services are loosing their sheen and lustre are totally malicious and disparaging as every aspirant cannot withstand the rigors of layers of civil service examination, said ASSOCHAM President, Mr. Venugopal N. Dhoot.
Releasing the Survey, Mr. Dhoot said, “65% of executives, however, felt that since other channels for employment have opened up, particularly in information, communication and technology as the wave of liberalisation has advanced but it would be wrong to conclude that the first grade talent is being attracted in these sectors and it is the only second hand talent that is opting for civil services”.
Over 70% said that private sector does offer handsome package to young and bright executives for career making in which certainty for sustenance is always missing and it has a negative impact on personality making. While, in civil services, confidence building is a regular exercise as a result of continuous learning process with no element of uncertainty befalling any civil servant.
70% of respondents, however, regretted that impressions have been gaining ground that mediocrity has been prevailing in civil services. This is totally false and that private sector has been attracting brains cannot be substantiated with facts as for vast majority of young men and women, getting into civil services still remain the first priority.
55% of respondents have blamed the system for discouraging brighter and brilliant young men & women for opting for civil services due to often reported interventions of politicians in civil servants day to day routine life as this could be one reason which amount to demotivation.
75% of executives argued that private sector does pay them higher salaries with lot of perks but the sword is always hanging over their heads in case their non-performance is noticed and the element of job security is hardly there as no one in private sector is too sure that he will be able to retain his job despite working hard and long period of time.
Majority of executives that took part in the Survey were unanimous in endorsing a suggestion that Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity which normally comes out with government advertisement should occasionally print what the civil services are all about to attract talent in it. A special drive is called for to fuel and ignite youngsters interest in the civil services for reasons that they carry high growth prospects, decent conditions for jobs particularly for those that have honesty of purpose.
A suggestion was also mooted during the survey period saying that each state headquarter should have academy to train young boys & young girls for career making in civil services. These academic institutions should be entirely be managed by state governments with proper funding facilities and also facilities for giving stipend to those that belong to vulnerable section of society and cannot afford literature that go into preparation of civil service examinations. With the suggested move in place, the contribution of each state in the list of successful candidate for civil servants will enhance and that candidates from metros alone will not be there among successful candidates for civil services.
It may be mentioned here that Indian administrative services which came into effect slightly before India obtained her freedom continued to be cynosure for young and bright educated youth for many decades but from 1992-93 onwards, it was somehow felt that the brighter and more intelligent young populace have been preferring other professional avenues in corporate sector rather than concentrating in making priority career in Indian adminsitrative services, commented Mr. Dhoot.
The Survey also concludes that in the last couple of years, forward looking states in terms of intellectual input, their percentage in civil services has declined substantially. Demotivation and general apathy of good and educated lot towards civil services in the absence of right publicity exercise has been the primary cause for this.

Courtesy: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. (ASSOCHAM) web: http://www.assocham.org