UPSC aspirants learn from achievers to face challenges in their journey towards civil services

Unacademy and The Hindu host summit for civil service aspirants with prominent speakers discussing governance and preparation tips.

Unacademy and The Hindu jointly held a two-day summit for civil services aspirants during the weekend in which over 30,000 aspirants participated. The speakers touched up on many aspects of governance and what UPSC aspirants should expect in their preparatory journey.

The summit had former cricketer and Indian coach V.V.S. Laxman, actor Shefali Sh ah, Congress leader and MP Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari, former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and All India Congress Committee general secretary Sachin Pilot, political activist and academic Yogendra Yadav, Indian Olympic medallist Mary Kom, Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Telangana, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat; Diplomatic Affairs Editor of The Hindu Suhasini Haidar, senior IAS officer in the Tamil Nadu government J. Radhakrishnan.

Ms. Shah spoke about her film career and the importance of believing in oneself. Mr. Laxman engaged the participants in an interactive session urging candidates to have a positive mindset. Mr. Ramesh dwelt on the environmental challenges in India that are impacting the health of people. “COVID-19 was also a reflection of imbalance and loss of habitat and biodiversity that increased the vulnerability of humanity,” he said.

Speaking on ‘What will India’s infrastructure look like in 2030?’, Mr. Gadkari said the country was undergoing a massive transformation and pointed out that a pilot project with electric vehicles for public transport was underway in Nagpur.

Dr. Radhakrishnan spoke about the role of an IAS officer and the challenges in disaster management and public policy. Ms. Kom spoke of her boxing journey and gave tips on tackling stress.

Mr. Bhagwat, a police officer, explained the various career paths through UPSC exam and the responsibility of Indian youth. He offered tips on preparation; time management and challenges students may face while preparing for the career.

Mr. Yadav spoke about the idea of India, the challenges and the way forward. Mr. Pilot’s talk was on Indian democracy in the 21st century with the challenges and opportunities in the country.