Tech-savvy engineers thrive in Civil Services

♦ Top rankers, including Uma Harathi, have engineering degrees from prestigious institutions like IIT

♦ Engineering students choose Civil Services out of personal ambition and a desire to make a meaningful impact

♦ Rigorous academic training and competitive exams like JEE Mains and Advanced contribute to the success of engineering students in UPSC exams

Hyderabad:Tech-savvy individuals have embraced the Civil Services as their coveted career path. A significant majority of triumphant candidates in the UPSC examinations hail from engineering disciplines. They assert that opting for the Civil Services supersedes pursuing an IT profession, as it offers the prospect of securing esteemed positions through the UPSC and the unique opportunity to serve the populace at the pinnacle of governance.

Experts have observed a consistent surge in the number of successful UPSC rankers hailing from engineering backgrounds in Telangana over the past five years. In the current year as well, approximately 60 to 70 percent of the rankers are from engineering disciplines, predominantly from one of the branches of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Notably, even the top third ranker, Uma Harathi, holds an engineering degree from IIT Hyderabad. Recent data indicates that a significant portion of engineers opting for the Civil Services examination are selecting Humanities and Geography as their preferred optional subjects.

Elaborating on why engineering students are increasingly opting for a career in Civil Services, Vivekananda, the director of Dr. Vivekananda Reflections IAS academy, expressed his observations. He believes that a significant number of engineering graduates are choosing civil services not due to a lack of opportunities in the corporate field, but rather out of personal ambition and a genuine desire to make a meaningful impact. The rigorous academic training and competitive exams such as JEE Mains and Advanced, which engineering students undergo even before college, contribute to their success in the UPSC exams. Additionally, their pragmatic approach to problem-solving plays a role. He further noted that in recent times, the number of students opting for engineering courses has increased in Telangana, with fewer individuals choosing arts disciplines. Despite the corporate sector’s allure of higher salaries, Kanti Kumar Reddy, a mentor at an IAS academy, emphasised that a career in civil services offers greater job satisfaction as it allows individuals to work for the welfare of society.

Utkarsh Kumar, who secured AIR 78 in 2022 and graduated from IIT Kharagpur, shared his reasons for opting for the Civil Services. He highlighted the unique nature of civil services, where individuals are entrusted with leadership roles from the beginning and given responsibilities for the welfare of a large number of people—an opportunity not commonly found in other careers. He also emphasised the increasing focus on e-governance in civil services and the need for engineers to contribute to the digital transformation of India.

Similarly, Sri Sai Ashrith, who secured AIR 40 in 2022, echoed the sentiment that success is not solely determined by one’s background but rather by hard work and focusing on core areas.