Poverty no obstacle to civil services dream, aspirants told

Senior bureaucrat says distraction levels are higher among rich aspirants

Civil service is a journey and not a destination in one’s life; preparation time is the first part of the journey, Principal Secretary of Backward Classes Welfare department, Burra Venkatesham said.

Sharing his experience with aspirants at a free, mega seminar on ‘How to Crack Civils’ organised by The Hindu Future India Club in association with Krishna Pradeep’s 21st Century IAS Academy, Mr. Venkatesham advised them to cultivate a passion for life. “ Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as you think, so you become). Don’t prepare for civil services for somebody’s interest, including your parents and friends. Go for it only if you are interested,” he said.

He recalled how he, at a very young age, decided to become an IAS officer and began chasing his dreams since his school days. “My father passed away when I was seven and my mother is illiterate. I had clarity about my life and appeared for the civil services exam for the first time in the final year of my graduation in 1989. After I cleared the Prelims, the degree results were announced,” the 1995-batch IAS officer said.

Stressing that poverty can never be an obstacle in the journey of becoming a civil servant, Mr. Venkatesham said it can, instead, have its own advantages. “Disadvantages of being poor are real, but at the same time, there are so many advantages. If you are rich, your distraction levels are high. If poor, you have the advantage of having no distractions. Nobody bothers about you or invites you to parties,” he said, suggesting that the aspirants must make the most of their disadvantaged backgrounds.

Don’t think that the journey to civil services is easy; don’t take it seriously, he said. “Write the exam for yourself. Prepare as if you are already part of the service. Try to take winning subjects and most importantly, don’t try to be somebody else or copy someone,” he said. Even if one is unable to crack the civil services exam, in the process they would end up becoming good citizens and excel in any field they choose, he said, and added that a proper attitude would take them to greater altitudes in life.

IAS Academy director Krishna Pradeep stressed the importance of being a civil servant and starting the journey towards success. “If you start preparing from now, you will have exactly 400 days to appear for UPSC 2023 examination. With the right mentorship and preparation, you can crack the exam in the first attempt,” he told the aspirants.

Earlier, another speaker, Vivekananda, addressed the aspirants on the importance of mentorship and choosing the right optional subjects. The Hindu general manager (AP and Telangana) S.D.T Rao and deputy editor R. Ravikanth Reddy were present at the seminar.