UPSC: Not a distant dream

By RK Rishikesh Sinha

The recent 61^st Annual Report of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), one of the custodian of all-India level competitive exams in India, in its report said only 2 candidates from Gauhati University appeared for Mains Exam of Civil Service.  (the fact and figure might be wrong, and it cannot be checked, the web link of the report has gone dead). However, it is certain that the figure was not rosy.

In the contour of participation of candidates for the UPSC-held examination like Civil services and the like many exams, it is understandable the affair of students in the state of Assam.  UPSC do have relaxation for SC/ ST/OBC, but how many take up the challenge to crack the exam. If 2 students are the sample data, nothing could be said about the marginalized community.

What are the reasons that our students surrender without taking up the cudgel?

#Classical view: First and foremost, the immediate and the first-contact person of a student that includes parents, friends, teachers, they hold a classical view about the exam with a fuzzy, Vidyasagar-type stories about the students who have cracked this coveted exam.

They forget that, this is 21^st century. A student has to meet the objective of UPSC. And exam is an exam, nothing more or less. Any good student can crack this exam.

#Lack of Guidance: Another reason is the lack of guidance in the preparation. Any graduate knows how to pass the graduation exam. It is something like, clear the concept, practice hard, practice previous years question papers, and you have scored in the bracket of 40-50 in that subject very easily.

The same funda applies to the UPSC exams. There are techniques in terms of what to read, how to read etc. etc. Master the techniques, if any, work hard, and leave it to the God. Even if, a student fails, he or she becomes a good resource person. And what exacerbates the morale of the student community is that we don’t have resource persons to guide.

Let 1000 students participate in the exam. Let all of them fail. It is sure, 1001th will clear the exam.  At least we will have 1000+1 resource person who can give appropriate guidance. 

#Parents’ support: At the end, it doesn’t need explanation much; it is the economic and moral support of the parents, the first stepping stone for any success.