Will There Be No Room For Doctors & Engineers In UPSC CSE? Future Of IAS At Stake!

Believe it or not, a review of the UPSC CSE is inevitable now or later! But why is there a need to review it? The answer is one of a great dilemma because to assert who fits best to be a civil servant- an arts student or an engineer or a doctor is not an easy answer to justify!

This conundrum is set to continue but sooner or later, a review of the recruitment process is definitely going to take place. This will come as a bolt from the blue for engineers & doctors as the government vouches to keep them in their field of specialization barring them from taking the civil services. 

Future Engineers & Doctors As Civil Servants Hang In Suspense

In the years to follow, engineers and doctors may be discouraged from joining the civil services. This is corroborated by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice when it pointed out that 2 out of 3 civil servants chosen between 2011- 2020 were either an engineer or a doctor. Also, as per the report on “Review Of Functioning Of Recruitment Organisations Of Government Of India’ tabled in Parliament emphasized that it is high time to re-evaluate the whole process of recruitment to the Civil Services.

Engineers & Doctors To Be Rooted To Their Specialisation

Parliamentary panel working on the review of civil services recruitment pointed out that the maximum number of officers recruited as civil servants are from technical and medical backgrounds. The Panel regretted that the country is losing out on those who could have become good doctors and engineers.

It went on to say that hundreds of technocrats are being lost, who are likely to work in other specific areas which are also a requirement for the nation. It reiterated that many technocrats and doctors were moving away from their field of specialization owing to the allure of the civil services.

Therefore, with bated breath, students from every academic background are waiting what sort of review will be put in place. 

Protest By Engineers & Doctors Against Such Review

The most pertinent question here is, will engineers and doctors agree to such a review barring them from taking the UPSC CS examination? The answer is a `Big No`. Huge protests would likely follow suit should such a review take place. This will in turn disrupt the entire nation, especially the student community. 

Now that this concern has been raised in the parliament, we have to wait and see what comes next. As an anticipated guess, the government is surely considering carefully as to how to go about with the re-evaluation of the UPSC CSE recruitment process in the years to come. 

Experts` Opinion On Engineers, Doctors & Humanities Students

JK Dadoo, a retired senior IAS officer, UPSC CSE provides equal opportunities to students from every stream and is essentially merit-based and that non-engineers are not necessarily lagging in the CSE, since they are as hardworking as the engineers. He further went on to say that the country is not losing out on highly qualified doctors and engineers if they are in the civil services for public good. 

Last but far from least, Dadoo said that the real loss is due to brain drain when doctors and engineers get admitted to Ivy League institutions and serve another country on course completion. 

Abid Haleem, professor-incharge, Residential Coaching Academy, Jamia Millia Islamia is of the opinion that engineers unlike humanities students go through a rigorous four-year BTech degree and constitute the major chunk of professionals in the country. According to him, since the best brains will adapt, learn and find a way to excel even if the exam is modified, engineers may continue to dominate the merit lists. 

Sriram Srirangam, founder and director, Sriram’s IAS quote “The emphasis on technical skills in the CSAT, should be reduced as effective governance requires not just technical skills, but also human values like empathy and soft skills such as conflict resolution.”

Conclusion On UPSC CSE Review Conundrum 

A review or re-evaluation of the UPSC CSE might take time, but it surely is coming. However, barring engineers and doctors from joining the civil services is not a fair deal. It won't be an easy task for the government to make a unanimous and conscientious decision in this regard. Voices of all stakeholders, especially the engineers, doctors and students, must be heard before making any decision that will affect them in the long run.

Also, the wisdom of concerned parliamentary panel and opinions from the general public regarding the review process will greatly help in getting this materialized effectively.

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