Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D. Subbarao has delivered a sharp critique of the current Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services examination system, labeling it an “abysmal waste” of young talent and calling for urgent and fundamental reforms. He expressed deep concern over the vast number of aspirants dedicating their prime years to an exam with an extremely low success rate.

Subbarao highlighted the staggering figures: over a million young Indians apply for the civil services exam each year, fiercely competing for roughly 1,000 coveted positions in services like the IAS, IPS, and IFS. He lamented that many aspirants spend several of their most productive youthful years—typically their twenties—repeatedly attempting to crack the exam, often at the cost of pursuing other valuable career paths or developing alternative skills.

The former RBI chief argued that this massive diversion of bright minds towards a single, highly competitive exam represents a significant loss of human capital for the nation. He believes that talent which could be contributing to vital sectors such as science, technology, research, entrepreneurship, or academia is instead caught in a cycle of exam preparation with a slim chance of success. Subbarao particularly decried the societal “craze” for civil services, suggesting it disproportionately channels aspirations away from other equally important nation-building endeavors.

He contends that this isn’t merely an individual tragedy for those who don’t make it, but a broader systemic issue that India can ill-afford. The immense effort and resources poured into UPSC preparation by a large pool of candidates, only for a tiny fraction to succeed, leads to what he terms an “abysmal waste of human capital.”

While Subbarao’s detailed reform proposals were not elaborated in this specific report, his call is for a fundamental rethinking of the examination and selection process. The aim would be to make the system more efficient, less wasteful of youthful potential, and perhaps better aligned with the diverse skill needs of a modernizing India. His strong words underscore a growing debate about the efficacy and societal impact of one of the country’s most prestigious and challenging examinations.

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