UPSC CSE 2023 | ‘This result is not about failure’ : A letter to those who did not qualify Civil Services Exam

Missing a century in a cricket match or a goal in an exam hurts. For many of you, the disappointment may be immense. You might think that not clearing an examination is an end to your dream, but ‘champions create chances’. Look at the examples from the world of cricket: Sachin, Dhoni, Rohit, or Kohli. Have they always been winners? Their fall, each time, can’t be termed as failure. They rise and they rise with style. It is rightly said, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” (Confucius)

Then, there will be so much said to you about crying after your results. Crying is normal and so is becoming sad. But before getting upset, dejected, frustrated- ask a question to yourself? Were you satisfied with your preparation? Do you feel that it was good enough? If the answer is emphatic,’ YES’, it means you need to increase the scale a bit to qualify with certainty. Believe me, if you have more chances left, you are still there. If not, let’s see what else can you do in life, not just for the sake of living but for living a life with a purpose. Many of you may hit the state services with courage and conviction. If you feel, it’s not enough, then go for higher studies in reputed institutions that also shape the future of our country like IAS. Contribute to the knowledge economy of this country by doing a PhD or be a business leader of the future by first cracking the CAT exam. Remember, if you do not pursue these careers, someone else will. So why not you? 

Socrates once said that unexamined life is not worth living. So get to know yourself well and the best time to do so is these tough hours. Don’t let your personality remain unexamined. Remember your role models, parents, and teachers. Nobody will like to see you low. If you want to give yourself two years, go ahead. But don’t leave yourself unexamined. You will gradually realise that you are not a failure but a talent that is very near to success. Remember that the minimum distance between failure and success can be only observed by God or by your inner self. So emerge again, evolve in between. You are near to a goal that will eventually value your knowledge and hard work. 

Also, I want to talk to you specifically about the point of ‘failure’. One of the most difficult exams in the world, the UPSC doesn’t say that you have failed. You can’t fail in this exam. The preparation of this exam has given you a wealth of knowledge that will be valued in any profession you choose. You have become a jack of all trades after learning diverse subjects like History, Science, Ethics, Economy, Polity, and the rest. You have developed good reading, writing, and speaking skills and that is why you have reached the final stage of the exam. You have qualified CSAT, one of the most challenging papers. You have prepared for the most detailed syllabus of any competitive exam. You can read a newspaper in just two hours and you are one of the most informed citizens of the country. You will stand out in a crowd for sure. You might have not qualified for this exam, but you have qualified for all the knowledge and aptitude parameters that this nation needs in its ideal citizens.

In the end, I want to share a behind-the-scenes story of my planning for a very close-to-heart series ‘Ethics Simplified’. As you all know I write two special articles in ethics every month for UPSC Essentials in The Indian Express. It isn’t just an article for us. There is a lot of brainstorming behind every topic. Each time it comes down to one important question – how will the topic add value to an aspirant’s journey? I believe the exam journey is a small part of the bigger journey of an aspirant’s life. In ethics, I focus that you are carrying the lessons and virtues not just for civil services but for your life as a successful human being. Similarly, this result shouldn’t determine your future. The lessons and values you have learned are not just for an unfortunate present but for a promising future.

I am reminded of very encouraging lines:

“Girte hain shahsawar hi maidan-e-jung mein. Woh tifl kya gire jo ghutno ke bal chale”

( Only the horseman falls on the battleground, how will that child fall who crawls on his knees?)

With Love,

Nanditesh

(The writer is the author of ‘Being Good and Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’. He teaches courses on and offers training in ethics, values and behaviour. He has been the expert/consultant to UPSC, SAARC countries, Civil services Academy, National Centre for Good Governance, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), etc. He has PhD in two disciplines and has been a Doctoral Fellow in Gandhian Studies from ICSSR. His second PhD is from IIT Delhi on Ethical Decision Making among Indian Bureaucrats. He writes for the UPSC Ethics Simplified (Concepts and Caselets) fortnightly.)

— Edited by Manas Srivastava

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnfA9jdHswE?si=d1ukhvxgIQN7z5U4&w=560&h=315