No dream job, after all: A private bank employee at work

Power still counts and so do those who wield it.

A survey has assailed the notion that civil service is losing out to the corporate sector as the first career choice of the youth.

About 80 per cent of the 300 young executives in the private sector — those who bagged jobs in recent placements — responded to an Assocham survey by saying that civil services continued to attract the best talents. What is remarkable is that the pull remains strong despite the fuss over salaries and falling standards.

The findings go against the popular belief about a flight of talent towards the high-paying private sector amid big strides in liberalisation, the Assocham study said. Clearly, boardroom berths haven’t dimmed beacon lights.

“The assertion that civil services are loosing their sheen and lustre is malicious and disparaging. In fact, all aspirants can’t withstand the rigours of these examinations,” Assocham chief Venugopal N. Dhoot said.

According to him, 65 per cent of the executives polled were of the belief that while other opportunities of employment have sprung up, particularly in the technology sector, it would be wrong to conclude that “first-grade” talent is attracted to these industries alone.

In fact, the survey has underlined what many already knew about private sector jobs — the lack of security. More than 70 per cent of the respondents believed that these jobs don’t provide security, an aspect that has often been overshadowed by the fat packages.

More than half of those polled felt that the political system often discourages the youth from picking civil services as a career option. Much of the aversion is caused by the way politicians are seen meddling in the work of bureaucrats and the need to comply with their diktats.

A majority of executives who took part in the survey suggested that the Centre’s directorate of audio-visual publicity — the arm of the government that comes out with government ads — should do all it can to highlight the positive aspects of civil services to draw the best talents.

Another proposal was to set up civil service grooming centres in state capitals, where young boys and girls can be motivated and trained for a career in the bureaucracy.