UPSC - CSAT Exam

CSAT - A Small Step towards betterment

                 UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) - one of India's biggest examination conducting board has announced the new pattern for the Preliminary Exam, the CSAT (Civil Service Aptitude Test).

            CSAT differs from the old Prelims pattern by having two common papers for all. One paper testing the candidate's General Studies and another one tests the comprehention skills, logical reasoning, data interpretation and numerical ability.

Professional entrance exams like CAT tests these skills for the candidates managerial capabilities and decision making skills. By testing the same in CSAT the UPSC openly admits that they are in need of good administrators. I accept UPSC at last came out of their shell, but not to full appreciation. Again they play the same old level ground in the Mains exam.

                    Prof. Yoginder K Alagh committee admits that testing one's knowledge in a particular subject would only produce specialists, but would not select a candidate for public service. This is the main reason behind the new pattern.

              I doubt that this issue is well suited for the Mains also. Choosing an optional subject of one's will like History or Geography is more advantageous over choosing technical papers like Electronics or Electrical as optional. These papers appears to be more tougher than their GATE exam.

               Levels of correction of these papers by subject specialists differs a lot. This essay type of exams in many optional subjects only increase the 'By-Heart' Mugging-Up pattern of our traditional Indian school education system. 

Suggestions For UPSC

• Keep maximum 4 or 5 common papers for all. No optional papers. Be it essay or paragraph  type. This will ensure equality in all means. 
• If you are selecting a candidate for an administrative service, what's the use of selecting graduates having a background of  Arts, Science, Engg., or Medicine. They are not good at administration. Nowadays we know that how the college admission process goes. Students who don't get admission to professional colleges due to their poor score in board exam enters the graduate courses mainly English, History, or other language streams. How you expect such a person to excel in administration or foreign affairs. If they interested in civil service, they can pursue higher studies in management. So keep the Eligibility for selection as a Master's degree in Management. 
•  A CSAT exam alone can't solve this problem. A candidate appearing for the exam attend a private coaching for three or more months can survive. We all know only by the back score from civil servants keeps the government running, not by the politicians. So bring in that able candidates into the services. If a person enters a Post Graduate studies in Management in any institution can sure be good at economics, commerce, administration, operations and mainly decision making. What else is needed for India now? We need matured people for our services. UPSC should consider this.

           For the past few years, we are seeing the people who survived the UPSC exams are clearly defined in their thoughts of not doing any good for the society but only for them. Corruption engulfs these young minds. The lucrative job in private sector makes these people to envy and gain easy money through corruption. They are not well organised or matured in their mind. 

        I heard from many students who go for UPSC exam had these things in mind - 

• Earn money in every possible way. 
• Pay all loans, debts and try to settle down in their early 30's. 

CSAT - Not a giant leap