Each year almost close 7-8 lakhs students from all over the country aspiring to become the future bureaucrats appear for the UPSC CSE exam. Only a handful of them are able to clear through the rigours of UPSC Prelims, Mains and the Personality Test. The associated perks, monetary compensation, that respect of being a “Collector Sahab” and everything else motivates ample number of students to divulge themselves into hours of studies day in and day out. But only studies is what all required to be a successful IAS Officer? For instance, a whole district will be looking up to you in times of adversities. We suppose, only studies might not be enough then. You are preparing to be a part of the Government administration, it demands much more than intelligence and academic qualification. UPSC will look for individuals with certain out of the box traits.
Let’s have a look at some of the ‘Must-have traits to become a successful IAS Officer ’.
- Ability to Lead from Front:
An IAS Officer is the face of the Government at the grassroots level. The successful implementation of government schemes and welfare policies depends a lot on the actions of the IAS officers. Being in charge of such a responsibility, the officer needs to show exemplary leadership skills and guide others towards the specified goal in the interest of society at a large; Everyone must be familiar with the sight of an IAS officer from Kerala who was seen with carrying the bag of supplies himself during the Kerala Floods.
- Decisive in Approach:
An IAS officer should be resilient enough to take and adapt to swift changes in the system or the structure, keeping intact the ethical conducts. More often than not, you will find yourself in tricky situation as a District Magistrate which will require quick thinking and a decisive approach to yield a favorable outcome. The decision should be effective both in its conduct and results.
- Honest and Impartial:
If a list is prepared for all the traits that an IAS Officer should possess, Honesty and Impartiality will undoubtedly be at the top of the pile. Being a civil servant, you are appointed to work for the people, anyone who is in distress regardless of his caste, creed and religion. Thus, you should be impartial in discharge of your duties. The IAS Officer’s conduct in all spheres should be honest and transparent enough for everyone to see. You should be the one possessing high moral principles and zero tolerance towards corruption. Most importantly, your political views should be as neutral as possible. Your personal views should not affect the way you serve the society.
- Being Compassionate:
An IAS Officer should always have a burning desire to work towards eliminating the shortcomings of his/her area of influence. We all know, in a developing country like India, the plight of people at the lower rung of the society is of a major concern. There should be a constant motivation from within to improve their lives, without violating the prescribed laws and rules.
- Rationality and Liability:
An IAS Officer should always see to it that daily administration is carried out in consonance with all the laws and legalities. Any decision should be taken with a rational view. The Civil Servant should the one, willingly to morally bear the responsibility of any mishap. He should complete all his governmental commitments and should be willing to apprehend liability as well.
An able IAS Officer or Administrator is one who makes sure utmost standard of excellence in administrative works and action. Being a pan-India service, the biggest challenge for a civil servant is to solve out problems pertaining to diverse culture and norms. One should be able have to have an out-of-the-box thinking to devise effective solutions.
No one can claim to possess all the desired traits. Such are developed over a period of time and more so during the preparation phase. Look out to work on such qualities so that when you become the ‘Collector Sahab’ of any district, people will point you out as the reason behind their happiness and prosperity.
We hope, everything is clear in your mind regarding the kind of individuals, UPSC is looking for. So, get going with your preparation and in the due pick up certain and light up the lives of many in your capability as the future bureaucrat.
