The UPSC Trap: How India’s Youth Are Wasting Their Best Years on an Uncertain Dream?

Introduction: The UPSC Dream or a Nightmare?

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is seen as the ultimate dream for many young Indians. Every year, lakhs of aspirants dedicate their entire lives, their emotions, and their financial resources to cracking this exam. Families stake their hopes on one child who they believe will bring prestige and stability. Societal validation hinges on whether one secures the elusive IAS, IPS, or IFS badge.

But behind this glorified ambition lies an uncomfortable truth. UPSC has become an obsession—one that is consuming the golden years of India’s youth. Instead of channeling their talents into business, innovation, or creative fields, millions of young people are spending their best years memorizing static facts, chasing coaching institutes, and living under immense psychological pressure.

Recently, Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, raised a thought-provoking question—what if India’s brightest minds pursued entrepreneurship, sports, or scientific research instead of being trapped in the UPSC race? Could we have had more billionaires, Olympic medals, and Nobel Prize winners?

This article takes a deep, emotional look into how the UPSC obsession is crushing India’s youth, its economy, and its future.

The Brutal Reality: 99.9% Fail, Yet Millions Keep Trying

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is infamous for its ruthless selection process:

• Over 12 lakh students register for the prelims every year.
• Only around 6-7 lakh actually appear for the exam.
• Merely 13,000 clear the prelims—about 2%.
• Only around 2,500 make it to the final interview.
• Finally, only 800-1,000 aspirants make it into the final merit list.
• The success rate? Less than 0.1%!

For every one student who achieves their dream, thousands walk away heartbroken, financially drained, and emotionally shattered. These are young minds who sacrificed their best years in pursuit of an exam that, statistically, was never in their favor.

The deeper problem is not just the failure rate but the repetitive cycle in which students remain trapped. Many aspirants continue attempting UPSC for five to seven years, with no alternative career plan. By the time they realize the reality, they have lost their most productive years, making it difficult to start fresh.

The Silent Suffering: Depression, Isolation, and Mental Trauma

Imagine spending five years locked in a room with books, surviving on caffeine, isolating yourself from family and friends, only to face repeated failures. This is the reality for lakhs of UPSC aspirants.

• Mental Health Issues: Many students face severe anxiety and depression due to the immense pressure and uncertainty.
• Low Self-Worth: Failure in UPSC often leads aspirants to believe they are “not good enough,” even though they are highly capable individuals.
• Suicides: Over the years, numerous suicides have been reported from Kota, Mukherjee Nagar, and other coaching hubs. The fear of disappointing one’s family, societal shame, and feelings of hopelessness push students to take extreme steps.

No exam should hold so much power over someone’s life that it dictates their self-worth.

A particularly tragic case was of Akhilesh, a 27-year-old aspirant who had been attempting UPSC for six years. He ended his life after failing the Mains examination, leaving behind a heart-wrenching note about his inability to bear the pressure any longer. His story is not an isolated one—countless aspirants suffer in silence, fearing ridicule from their families and society.

The Financial Black Hole: Wasted Years and Empty Pockets

UPSC preparation is not just mentally exhausting; it is an expensive gamble.

• Coaching institutes charge anywhere between ?1.5 lakh to ?2.5 lakh per year.
• Many aspirants spend 4-6 years preparing for UPSC, sacrificing their earning potential.
• The opportunity cost is enormous—if the same years were spent working in private jobs or startups, many aspirants could have achieved financial independence.

Families often take loans or spend their life savings to fund their child’s coaching, only for them to face repeated failure. Meanwhile, those who succeed may enter service at 30+ years of age, significantly behind their peers in corporate or entrepreneurial careers.

And what happens when they fail after years of trying? Many are forced to take up low-paying backup jobs far below their capabilities, simply to make ends meet.

Aspirants who once dreamed of serving as IAS officers end up working as clerks, bank employees, or in unrelated fields, making them question whether it was all worth it.

The Bigger Picture: How India is Losing Its Best Minds

Every year, thousands of India’s brightest students—graduates from IITs, IIMs, and top universities—put their dreams of innovation, research, and entrepreneurship on hold to chase UPSC. Instead of creating businesses, building cutting-edge technology, or excelling in global markets, they are stuck in an endless loop of exams.

What Experts Say

Sanjeev Sanyal made a bold statement:

"If even half of these bright minds diverted their energy into business, research, sports, or creative fields, India would see a massive transformation."

Imagine if the next Sundar Pichai, Virat Kohli, or Ratan Tata was lost to the UPSC cycle. How much potential are we letting go?

Real Stories: UPSC Dropouts Who Made It Big

• Roman Saini: Cleared UPSC at 22, resigned from IAS, and co-founded Unacademy, now a billion-dollar company.
• Anu Kumari: After multiple failed attempts, she became a corporate leader and motivational speaker.
• Thousands of others have found success in startups, consulting, and research after quitting UPSC.

The reality is—UPSC is not the only path to success.

Breaking the Obsession: What Needs to Change?

1. Change the Mindset

• Society must stop glorifying government jobs as the only measure of success.
• Parents should encourage their children to explore multiple career paths.
• Students should realize that their worth is not tied to a single exam.

2. UPSC Policy Reforms

• Limit attempts to prevent aspirants from wasting their youth in a never-ending cycle.
• Reduce rote learning and make the exam more practical and skill-based.
• Introduce more lateral entry opportunities for private-sector professionals into government roles.

3. Encourage Alternative Careers

• Promote entrepreneurship, freelancing, and new-age skills as viable career paths.
• Strengthen skill-based education in universities.
• Highlight role models who achieved great success outside UPSC.

Conclusion: Your Life is Bigger Than an Exam

UPSC is a great career path—but it is just one of many. It should never become an obsession that robs you of your happiness, your youth, and your dreams.

If you are preparing for UPSC, ask yourself:

• Are you truly passionate about governance, or are you just following societal expectations?
• Do you have a backup plan if things don’t work out?
• Is this journey making you happy, or is it only giving you anxiety?

Success is not limited to government jobs. India needs more visionaries, entrepreneurs, scientists, and artists. Don’t let one exam define your future when the world is full of opportunities.

“Chase your passion, not an illusion. The world is waiting for your greatness—don’t let an exam hold you back.”