A Career in the \’IAS\’ and Other Civil Services
Goans have been known to engage in public life, through the gaonkaris (precursors of the comunidades). Even during our colonial period, Goans held important positions in other Portuguese colonies such as Angola and Mozambique. However, despite possessing all of the “raw material” and a high literacy rate, young Goans currently living in Goa have not been much involved in the country\’s civic life since independence, a prominent Indian civil servant has said.
Anthony de Sa, a retired IAS official who rose to become the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh in 2016-17, has been giving a series of seminars around Goa to educate the young about jobs in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and other public services.
The Collaborative Learning Cafe, a programme started by the Friends of the Jesuits of the Goa Province and supported by the Goa Jesuits, facilitated the discussions, which are available to students from Std XI onwards. Online material is also being generated, such as recordings of the talks.
In fact, the CLC itself began almost exactly a year ago, on June 5, 2021, with a talk by Mr de Sa, on the same service – careers in the IAS.
One such talk was held for the young at St Jerome\’s Church (Milagres) in Mapusa to ignite a spark within them to pursue this prestigious post to serve the public honourably.
\”IAS is the steel structure frame of India,\” Mr de Sa said, quoting Sardar Patel, the \”Father of Indian Civil Services\” and \”Patron Saint\” of IAS.
The IAS is a generalist service whose primary responsibility is to supervise, monitor, and coordinate, and one can work in a variety of management departments from rural development to urban development, education, and health, he pointed out. One can get transferred to any diverse branch, from one to the other. The primary responsibility is to lead and manage the team.
Goa is part of the so-named AGMUT cadre which includes Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and the Union territories. The minimal prerequisite is a bachelor\’s degree from a recognized institution. With the exception of a few more years for the reserve category, the age restriction is 21 to 32. And everyone\’s retirement age is the same. Mr de Sa is of the view that getting in at a younger age gives the advantage of gaining a higher position by the time of retirement.
Mr de Sa addresses subjects such as academic choices, the multi-layered selection process, and the numerous departments of the Indian civil service in his lectures.
Mr Sa guides the young minds on how to prepare for the civil service test and focuses on what counts the most. He advises them to, “be solid in academics”, make smart academic choices, and also instructs them on the dos and don’ts of the interview process.
He adeptly tutors them on ways to impress the wide interview panel. Most importantly, he urges students to be consciously motivated, to read and keep up with the daily news, to practice writing neatly and fast during examinations, and to keep their minds active by solving puzzles and brain teasers. Best of all, the programmes are held free of cost and are open to all interested (subject to seat availability), like all the other CLC programmes.
It is interesting to note that the 2021 batch had a majority of women, i.e., 51%. This is astonishing when compared to just around 20% of women selected in 1980.
Mr de Sa addresses the power and prestige that escorts the post of an IAS officer. He demonstrates the pay and the good treatment. But he also makes it a point to mention that one has to love and enjoy serving the public to sincerely pursue this job as a career. One needs to have a desire to make things better for the society, especially the poor and deprived. This benevolence will in turn provide tremendous job satisfaction.
When questioned on the issue of corruption, he takes a stand and says boldly that an IAS official who says he or she can\’t do anything about corruption is being economical with the truth. With so much authority and at such a level of superiority, that individual should be able to deal with issues like this with utmost seriousness. Of course, politicians and ministers will put pressure on you at times, and it will be tough to cope with, but these challenges are a part of every profession, he contended.
What counts is how you deal with it. What will make a significant impact is one’s commitment to one’s intentions and goals. The ability to accept transfers is critical because it demonstrates how well you are aligned with your goals. Local politicians may be more receptive to you as a result of this, as they too need results to get re-elected, he said.
Mr de Sa appealed to many Goans who are interested in the IAS as a path towards bringing about much-needed change in society, to be pioneers of change by challenging them to be a part of the civic life and administration of the country.
By way of background, the Collaborative Learning Café, a venture initiated by the Friends of the Jesuits of the Goa Province and supported by the Goa Jesuits, has been organising a series of talks in June 2022 to introduce young people to the possibility of a career in the Indian Civil Services.
It is open to students in Std XI/XII, those pursuing graduation/post-graduation, in the 15-25 years age group. One session was held at Mapusa on June 7 (Sunday). Upcoming sessions are at:
At MARGAO Holy Spirit Church Hall, June 15, 2022 6.30-8 pm. (Wed)
At PANJIM, Immaculate Conception Church Hall, June 17, 2022 6.30-8 pm. (Fri)
At ALDONA, Aldona Institute, June 19, 2022 from 6.30-8 pm. (Sun)
You can register at http://bit.ly/ias-training Check out an audio recording at https://bit.ly/anthonydesa
Following these sessions, bright and intellectual students who would be serious and committed in pursuing a career in the IAS will be selected and shortlisted for further training/coaching, course material of which would be designed with reference to the existing one at Delhi or Chennai.
Coaching classes will be conducted by teachers specialized and qualified in subjects related to this field. This will groom and assist the aspiring students to be well prepared to clear the IAS Preliminary and Main exams as well as to answer the personal interview, thereby enabling themselves to successfully enter the Indian Administrative Service.
-Ms Rejoy Fernandes