‘Decide First-Think Twice-Then Opt for IAS/Civil Services Career’- Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP IAS Tells Students during a Seminar ‘ CIVIL SERVICE AS A CAREER’ held at Robert Sequeira Hall, St Aloysius College, hosted by St Aloysius Institute of Civil Services in collaboration with Rotary Club of Mangalore
Mangaluru: The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a nationwide competitive examination in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to various Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. It is conducted in three phases – a preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II also popularly known as Civil Service Aptitude Test or CSAT), and a main examination consisting of nine papers of conventional (essay) type, followed by a personality test (interview).
A Seminar ‘CIVIL SERVICE AS A CAREER’ was held at Robert Sequeira Hall, St Aloysius College, hosted by St Aloysius Institute of Civil Services in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Mangalore. The programme began with a prayer song by the college choir, followed by a welcome address by Rtn Dr Arjun Nayak -Director, Vocational Services, Rotary Club of Mangaluru. The programme was inaugurated by lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries on the dais, namely- Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP IAS, as a chief guest; joined by guests of honour- Dr Sankarganesh K IRS-the Assistant Commissioner, Income Tax range-1, Mangaluru; Smt Meera Pandit S- Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Tax, Admin, DGSTO, Mangaluru; Mahesh Kumar- Acp, Mangaluru City Police; Rev Dr Praveen Martis SJ-Director, St Aloysius Institute of Civil Services/Principal, St Aloysius College, Mangaluru; Rtn Kishan Kumar-President, Rotary Club of Mangalore; Rtn Dr Siddarth Shetty- Secretary, Rotary Club of Mangalore; Rtn Naveen R- Chairman, Career Guidance, Rotary Club of Mangalore, among others.
In an interaction with the students DC Mullai Muhilan who received a bunch of queries from the student audience, answered them elaborately and clarified their doubts about being in a Civil Services/IAS career. DC said, “To take an IAS career you don’t have to look good or have a great personality but have great interest, dedication and commitment towards the job. I was active in college in various activities, with leadership qualities, and it was my parents’ full support that I opted for civil services. In civil service, you start from scratch, and you will make many mistakes, but with effort, you will overcome them and succeed. IAS gives you lots of opportunities to meet people and learn more things”.
“The IAS job is a different journey, and through experiences, you’ll understand various civic problems. Mangaluru I feel is an amazing place to be, lots of things to; earn, and people come to me with various issues. IAS job takes lots of your prime time and energy. My journey as an IAS professional has been sweeter, transformative than any destination You’ll be a transformed person through transformative experiences. As a civil servant working in the domain of public administration, I graduated as an electrical engineer before leaping into the Government Sector out of sheer passion. I tried my hands in a Public Sector Bank but soon enough, I realised my heart did not lie there and I continued my preparation to crack the Civil Services exam and got good grades,” added DC.
DC further said, “I changed my job from other jobs to work in the field through teaching and interacting with a variety of people. I want to tell you that the UPSC exam is only a reflection of the job one is up to. Therefore, let me tell you four important qualities with my examples: interest in everything; empathy for all; maintaining anonymity in the job; and lastly binding it with courage. You need to be willing to serve society, and not just be greedy for salary. Civil Services are considered symbols of great power and prestige. Job Security: Civil servants cannot be fired easily and that offers them a deep sense of job security. Once selected, civil servants work till the age of 60 and it is possible to get an extension. The number of applicants appearing in the Civil Services Exam (CSE) of India has more than doubled in the last few years”.
When it comes to career choices, the Civil Services of India has always been considered the best career choice for Arts graduates! But, of late, graduates and young professionals from Science, Commerce, Business Management, etc., all have started appearing for CSE to get into the prestigious Civil Services of India. The wide variety of jobs within the ambit of the Civil Services offer a greater sphere of authority and power than any other services in India. Civil services offer the rare opportunity to satisfy personal ambition as well as indulge in social welfare. The Civil Services Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is one of the most prestigious exams in our country. Every year lakhs of aspirants appear for the exam. Ever since the 90’s when the country’s economy opened up, immense opportunities have knocked at the doors of youngsters across the country. The IT and ITES industries have fulfilled the dreams of young and old alike and this field continues to employ thousands of people every year”.
“And when it comes to government jobs, the IAS is king. Many students opt to enter into the field of civil services after their graduation which offers them a challenging and rigorous career with ambitious opportunities. It gives the chance to gain power and authority, all the while being compassionate to serve the country. This is why increasingly many students are opting for the dream career of being an IAS. The top reasons that make IAS a lucrative career option are repaying the nation by serving it with dignity and honour, prestige and glory associated with civil services matches no other, IAS is the epitome of state power, excellent perks and salary, job security, work-life balance, the feeling of worth. Prestige, Power, Charm, Glory – Civil Services has it all. One has the opportunity to serve the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor”.
“Stop Consulting, Stop Thinking, Stop Acting, IAS is a career to explore through experiences. It is not an easy job, so before you opt for an IAS career, decide first, think twice, have clarity, and then only go for it. All said and done, the IAS provides you with an option to seek your road to salvation. You can not only choose your road; you can redefine ‘salvation’. The reason to become an IAS can be anything but should be strong enough to keep you determined while you prepare for the job and dedicated to your duty once you join the service. A person who wants to participate closely in the process of building society and wants to bring about positive social change should certainly try for Indian Civil Services. There is nothing better than this!” concluded DC Mullai Muhilan.
Smt Meera Pandit also gave a motivational talk, which inspired the students to make the right decision when they take up the IAS career. Dr Sankarganesh K IRS who was also supposed to interact and address the students had to leave due to an assignment planned. Rev Dr Praveen Martis SJ encouraged and urged the students to follow in the footsteps of the speakers during the seminar and make the right decision and choice. The vote of thanks was proposed by Ms Janis Vas programme coordinator, at St Aloysius Institute of Civil Services, and the programme was meticulously and eloquently compered by Ms Mayolla Nazareth- the mentor at St Aloysius Institute of Civil Services.
