Coffee shop - late Sunday evening, catching with a few friends who are also civil services aspirants, I met this gentleman. An engineer by qualification, he had two years of experience behind him in a leading software MNC. He wanted be an IAS. My first reaction was that of respect and admiration. A man was ready to drop a career with lots of money and comfort in store, for the dust and sweat and blood of the great Indian bureaucracy. Though feeling too small to ask such a question, I still went ahead, “Why do you want to be an IAS?” And he spoke out the words that changed my reaction to him a complete 180 degrees, “I could either work very hard in an MNC and work my way up the ladder or I could work hard now, and enjoy the Government’s money for life” May be he did not mean what it appears to be, but just the fact such a thought occurs in the minds of young India - the nation’s biggest strength, is disappointing, no, is depressing.

Civil servants just like lawyers, doctors, soldiers ideally should be a motivated bunch of people, driven not by the money or the perks attached to the “IAS” and the “IPS”. The drive should be from within, to face the challenges and make a difference to India, a country which apparently has gone to the dogs. My Dad was telling me one day that in his days, red tapism and corruption was so prevalent in the Indian society that no one could do good work, even if someone wanted. He also mentioned that is changing. That the youth, the people of my generation are not going to conform to the ways of the past. The young ones were doing some good work, so he believed. The youth was motivated to make this country for what it could have been, so he thought. I felt proud to be a part of the same generation that gives way to so much hope and belief. I thought, may be I could play a role in it too. Two hands more could mean so much more. With him, I saw hope... With him, I believed.

I am not disappointed by the fact that people are still attracted towards the civil services due the respect attached with the job, or the perks available or some such. It should be that way and I am happy it is. What kills me from within is, people still see it as a no-effort-job, where performance is optional and yet ironically, growth is mandatory. Time scale promotions are not helping the cause at all. “Why would I want to sweat it out, if someone else who has put in no effort is going to get promoted as well”, they ask, and I have to search for an answer. What about enjoying your work, what about the passion to make a difference, what about feeling good from inside? Do all of these not matter? And then I tell myself, this is why I would want to sweat it out. Because I am different. I dream, I think, I do. I dream about a better tomorrow, an India that is meant to be; I think about what needs to be done about it, what I would be required to do to make India reach there; and I do whatever it takes, in my strength and a little beyond to help make a difference.

A friend of mine once refused to let me enter his room, because apparently, I was too complaining. He wanted me to be proactive and not reactive, because he was just that. I see a point in it now. I see people complaining left right and centre about politics, corruption, poverty and more. This is being reactive in a non-productive way. I also see people coming out to the streets in protests, getting into clashes, hurting people, destroying public and private property. This is worse, being reactive in a counter-productive way. I would love to see people joining the civil services to do something about the wrongs in the system, making changes that are strong and positive. This people, is being proactive, and this of course, if also being productive.