After watching the UPSC results today, I felt compelled to share my personal journey of pursuing IAS.

When I was 13 years old, a District Collector visited our school as the chief guest, and it was during his inspiring speech that I first learned about the term "IAS" (Indian Administrative Service). He spoke passionately about the central government-sponsored schools, including my own school JNV (Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya), and Rajiv Gandhi's vision for these institutions.

Age 13: Aspiring to become a Collector

His words deeply resonated with me, and like many of my peers, I felt a strong sense of motivation to give back to society by becoming an IAS officer. I was captivated by the respect and admiration associated with this position, and it became my dream.

Age 15: Education choices and cracking IIT

However, in India, our career paths are often chosen by our parents, and so I followed their guidance to join a renowned coaching institute with the aim of cracking the toughest exam IIT (Indian Institute of Technology). At that time, I believed that pursuing IAS would come after completing my engineering studies, and I devoted myself to preparing for the IIT exams.

Age 18: College experience and a shift in perspective

With one extra attempt I have successfully cracked the entrance exams for IIT, AIEEE, and BITS, I enrolled in BITS to pursue computer science.

During my first two years of college, the allure of IAS faded into the background as I became more involved in extracurricular activities and formed strong friendships. Academics took a backseat during this time.

Age 20: Convincing my parents to pursue IAS

In my final year again I started dreaming of IAS again, I started to convince my parents to allow me to pursue my dream of becoming an IAS officer instead of a job.

My parents tickled my ego with their doubts about me clearing the exam and in that moment of conviction, I wrote a declaration on paper saying that I will clear the IAS entrance examination.

Age 23: Dissatisfaction with the job and a brief pursuit of IAS

After finishing my computer science degree, I quickly landed a good-paying job in the IT industry. Initially, I thought I would pursue the IAS (Indian Administrative Service) exams later, as everyone said it was an amazing opportunity not to be missed.

However, after working for a year in the corporate world, I realized that my true calling lay in pursuing the IAS. I made the difficult decision to resign from my job and dedicate myself to preparing for the IAS entrance examination.

Age 24: Understanding the reality of IAS work through interactions with officers

During the intense six months of preparation, I immersed myself in studying NCERT books and relevant materials and suddenly felt the same way of preparing for IIT/BITS for long hours but I wasn't sure about what happens after I clear the exam. I wanted to be absolutely certain that pursuing the IAS aligned with my aspirations, so I started interacting with actual IAS officers to understand the realities of their work.

To my surprise, their experiences didn't match my imagination of the role. I realized that the ability to effect meaningful change was very limited, regardless of the power and position it bestowed.

Age 24: Shift in perspective towards entrepreneurship and its potential impact

At this juncture, a childhood friend Dheeraj approached me with an entrepreneurial idea called Washapp. Intrigued by the concept, I decided to join him in this venture, which led me into the world of entrepreneurship.

Looking back after eight years, I can confidently say that embracing entrepreneurship was the best decision I made. I firmly believe that our country needs more entrepreneurs and good politicians than IAS officers.

Age 30: My thoughts on IAS now:

With 600 million young people and the brightest 1 Million people pursuing IAS for 800 seats and giving 3-4(years) attempts on average. This is absolute nonsense that has to be addressed.

There are friends of mine who cleared UPSC and regret their choices and our society makes it very tough to change career paths later. Unless you are truly inclined don't prepare for UPSC.

Many friends of mine who have cleared the UPSC exams later regret their choices, and our society often makes it challenging to change career paths.

Additionally, individuals who do not clear the exams may feel compelled to attempt them multiple times, leading to wasting more time.

I urge all aspiring IAS candidates to thoroughly understand the job and its realities before they start preparing for it.