Merit, Opportunity, and Public Responsibility |
Every year, when the results of the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination are declared, a familiar trend becomes visible. A large number of successful candidates come from institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Their success is often celebrated as the ultimate example of merit triumphing in a competitive democracy. However, beneath this narrative lies an important policy question that deserves serious reflection; does this trend truly reflect merit alone, or does it also highlight structural imbalances in opportunity, access, and the use of national educational resources? India’s civil services exams, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, is widely regarded as one of the most rigorous selection processes in the world. The examination is theoretically open to every graduate in the country, regardless of their educational background. Yet the path that leads to success in this examination is rarely equal for everyone. The journey begins much earlier than the examination itself – often in schooling, coaching facilities, access to mentorship, and the economic conditions of a student’s family.
IIT and AIIMS represent the pinnacle of India’s higher education system. These premier institutes were originally established with a clear national vision. Their purpose was to create world-class engineers, scientists, and doctors who could strengthen India’s technological capacity, healthcare systems, research ecosystem, and industrial innovation. When graduates of these institutions increasingly move into administrative services rather than their professional domains, it raises legitimate questions about the allocation of national resources and priorities. Policymakers must also recognize that this pattern reflects a broader structure of educational advantage that........