Monday, May 07, 2012

10 Corridor Tips to UPSC topper Shena Aggarwal and her batch-mates

Shena Aggarwal: A pencil sketch
IN A few months, UPSC topper Dr Shena Aggarwal will undertake a 1040-km long journey, from Nagpur’s Chhindwara Road to the hill town of Mussoorie. Shena, who cleared UPSC last year and became an IRS probationer, is currently undertaking training at Nagpur’s National Academy of Direct Taxes. But after standing first among 910 successful candidates in civil services exam, 2011, Shena will now take up IAS as her career and move to Mussorie for training.
An MBBS from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Shena probably does not need any prescription from anyone, but BoI has listed out 10 Corridor Tips for Dr Shena and her would-be batch-mates. Here are the tips:
1.    As an IAS, you are an icon and will remain so. Try to retain your clean image for the next three decades and more.
2.    The journey is such that non-performers can remain in the system, safely. But make conscious attempts to become a doer. Try to be a Tendulkar or a Dhoni, and not someone who does not know whether he is playing the next game.
3.    Don’t go with a great socialist spirit that you will work only for aam aadmi. As the DM, of course you will handle MNREGA and many pro-poor schemes, but as a generalist, you could be asked even to anchor a state-run company. In that case you will have to think about top-line, bottom-line and shareholders’ value.
4.    There will be times when you will not agree with your political boss. Don’t be suicidal by opposing your boss tooth and nail. Be smart, use tactics. Yet, never become your political boss’ rubber stamp. Remember, your one signature could lead you to Tihar jail.
5.    Now, file-notings come under RTI. That means, any sentence you write on a file could be under public scrutiny even at a much later stage. Also remember, your detractors within the system may officially “leak” stuff through RTI.
6.    You will serve in an era of citizen journalism, high-voltage activism, and social media. You don’t need to get scared by any one of it. But don’t leave any loose end. Remember, every mobile phone is a powerful camera and also video recorder.
7.    In the first few years, just check out what interests you more. And accordingly make your next moves. You should be at the right ministry when you come on a Central deputation for the first time as a deputy secretary.
8.    During your career, you must choose a good government-funded scholarship for a proper masters or PhD course from a highly reputed foreign university. You should not randomly chose the university or the course. It should be strategic, and must align with your possible future postings.
9.    As a civil servant, you are not expected to be super rich. A successful doctor will earn 10 times more than you even after 7th Pay Commission. Don’t compare your wealth with that of college days friends.
10.    Sooner or later, private sector specialists would be allowed to make lateral entry into bureaucracy. That means you will have to compete with more energetic private sector talents. So, retain your spirit of UPSC preparations all throughout your career. Have the spirit and energy of a start-up.
Congrats. Party hard, but work harder.
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14 comments:

  1. Good tips even for those who are already in corridors. good sketch of the UPSC topper

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  2. A good prescription for a doctor!

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  3. much appreciated!

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  4. Many of our readers have written to BoI to congratulate UPSC topper Shena Aggarwal. BoI hereby conveys the best wishes of our readers to Ms Aggarwal.

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  5. These should not called tips they should actually be called the golden rule for all bureaucrats! Indeed it does not pay you as much as the private sector as their intentions are to make more money whereas a true public servant works for the public of the country and holds the position on their trust.

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  6. An AIIMS trained Doctor to a Government executive is a very very bad trade off in all respects. I wonder what Shena must have said when she won, through her hard work of course a seat at the prestigious AIIMS. This is some what reminiscent of Miss India contests where before winning the crown all are Mother Teresa wannabes and then chase films and money afterwards. Almost all the smart folks who work very hard and devote many years of their prime are wanting to nest themselves cozily in a life time of entitlements & growth with relatively poor accountability. It can be safely said that most candidates desire to escape the punishing schedule of Doctors or the On toes performance in an MNC / Corporate to retire into a Govt job for next 35-40 yrs.

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  7. "It can be safely said that most candidates desire to escape the punishing schedule of Doctors or the On toes performance in an MNC / Corporate TO RETIRE INTO a Govt job for next 35-40 yrs."
    Cant agree with you more. See the shortage of Army Officers and VRSs from the CRPF etc.. This wouldn't happen if we had citizens willing to devote their entire careers to the Nation, such ideal Rams dont exist anywhere. Like the erstwhile Rajas etc and abolishing of Privy purses these generalist services should also be transformed into domain verticals where there is a possibility of formulation of KRAs and performance monitoring. As things stand today i don't know whether these busy bodies daily work is productive at all for the nation.

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  8. Dude both u guys r right - one must think why a doctor from aiims was ok in becoming a tax officer which ms aggarwal was training to become. something is seriously wrong somewhere.
    whats so great in being a govt executive as compared to a doctor and least of all a tax officer?

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    1. dude, just have a look once in resident doctor's life who is studying for MD, working for 16-18 hrs and doing all the work that nurse/wardboy should do, and probably u will come 2 know that why 10% of medicoz choose other field....

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  9. how could the author be sure that there will be direct entry from private sector into the bureaucracy????

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  10. I think a doctor gives much more service to the society and poor at large than a Civil Servant or bureaucrat.Good doctors and in large numbers are very much needed in a country like ours with such a pathetic public health system where even today so many people die of diseases like dysentery and malaria either due to lack of resources or basic medical facilities.Anyone can sign files for 30 yrs of his/her service as a bureaucrat in India but a doctor is much more precious and a specialized profession.I hope Shena is not joining the bureaucracy under the disguised and lame pretext of serving the country and its people but, rather, for her own benefit and in pursuance of an easy,cozy and much less challenging life.Just thought about the oath she would have taken at time of passing out from AIIMS!

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    1. absolutely true... millions dying of diarrhea n and govt spending its research on immunology and biotech field... Its pathetic, and just a mere copy of western universities, but they fail to understand that western counterparts have already controlled majority public health problems....
      1 monoclonal antibody(offering only temporary relief from disease) = 10,000 ORS packets... :-)

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  11. GUYS THESE LAST FEW COMMENTS SHOULD BE EXAMINED IN DETAIL BY POLICY MAKERS. SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE ELATED WITH JOY JUST LIKE AT HAVING WON A LIFE TIME LOTTERY.

    AT PREMIER INSTITUTES HAVE SEEN PEOPLE GET EMPLOYMENT WITH MAJOR ORGANISATIONS. NO ONE, EVEN AT VERY HIGH SALARIES IS ELATED LIKE IAS AND OTHER CANDIDATES. THEY ALL HAVE A QUIET SATISFACTION AND A KEENNESS AND APPREHENSION TO FIT THE BILL AND REMAIN RELEVANT EVEN WHEN FOUND SUITABLE FOR A MILLION DOLLAR PKG. BUT OUR CIVIL "SERVANTS" KNOW THAT THEY CAN NOW "RETIRE INTO A JOB" - "ASSURED PROMOTIONS, ASSURED INCREMENTS" FOR 30 TO 40 YEARS!! WHY? JUST ON ONE EXAMINATION!

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  12. DO EVERY FRESH I.A.S GETS A RED LAMP OR ONLY SENIOR I.A.S OFFICERS ARE AWARDED WITH THE SAME.

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