'I would like to use private sector practices in administration'

The Inquirer

Shubhra Saxena, 30, has topped the UPSC examination this year. She was married and had a cushy IT job but a burning desire to make a difference to the world around forced her to leave the job. She succeeded in her second shot at this long and difficult examination. Saxena, whose family belongs to Bareily in Uttar Pradesh but grew up in Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, says her husband is her pillar of strength. She spoke to Praveen Donthi of Deccan Herald at her Ghaziabad home about her journey to the top.

Did you expect being the topper?

This is something so big that you can’t expect it to happen; you just hope it will happen. Of course, everyone wants to top. But honestly, I didn’t expect to top.

When did the thought of the IAS cross your mind for the first time? Was it a childhood ambition?

I thought about it for the first time in 2004 but my job didn’t let me pursue it further. Over the next two years, it took concrete form and I realised I just have to do it. I left my job in August 2006 and started my preparation. Before that my family members used to say that I will become an IAS officer one day etc, but I never thought about it consciously as an option. In college, I just thought of the private sector. But gradually, I have realised that is not what I wanted to do in life. I told myself that I am not going to keep working and feeling frustrated. If something has to be done, it has to be done now as I won’t have any attempts left.

How did you go about it after you decided?

My first job was to demonstrate that I could work hard. My husband said, many people think they can make it but are unable to work hard. So let’s see what you can do and then we can decide if you can resign from your job or not. I started studying for six hours everyday apart from my job. I did that for a month and then he said I could resign. I went to Rajinder Nagar as it is the hub of all coaching centres. But I didn’t get much help,  it was mostly self motivated study.

Why did you choose psychology and public administration as your optionals?

Psychology is a very interesting subject. I went through the syllabus, read the books and I realised that it suits my aptitude. I also had just three and a half months after the prelims. I needed an expert like Mukul Pathak to guide me otherwise it’s tough to get there on your own. Public Administration was a very conscious choice. I wanted to know first hand, what I was trying to get into, to understand the nuances, the problems and the challenges faced by the government machinery etc.

You took to this exam pretty late. What do you think of second administrative reforms which have proposed reduction of age limit for UPSC examination?

I think these reforms are in keeping  with the idea that younger people are easier to mould. I think they will bring about more efficiency, much better talent as compared to now. I think its very good idea. But I am lucky that it didn’t happen during my time.

What do you think of the pattern of this examination? Its highly unpredictable and takes a lot of time.

A civil servant in India has to have certain qualities and these are tested in the very duration of the examination. If we make it short and quick, we wouldn’t be able to distinguish who is perseverant and who is not. They are trying to find people who are stable, perseverant and strong. Last time I didn’t make it, if I had collapsed I wouldn’t have been here.

What is your vision for civil servant of today? What is one thing you would like to change in the bureaucracy?

An ideal civil servant for today’s scenario, or for that matter any scenario, is that he/she should be a civil servant not a master. This mai baap attitude the British cultivated in colonial times has gone on for too long. I think the administration is supposed to go to the people, be accountable, transparent, efficient, smart and honest. I would like to use the practices of private sector. I have many ideas but I don’t think it is appropriate now to talk about them.

What is one thing which nobody told you about this exam but you've learnt it yourself during the process?

When you are selecting an optional, people tell you different stories about which subject is best for scoring etc. I have realised all subjects are good but you have to keep in mind what suits you the best.