The 73rd Annual Report 2022-23 by UPSC gives insights into the various exams conducted by UPSC, which includes the CSE(Civil Services Examination) 2021 as well. While over 10 lakh candidates(10,93,984 to be precise) had applied for the Preliminary examination, only 5 lakh candidates(5,08,619) appeared for the actual exam.
Therefore, it could be safe to say that despite a candidate slogging day in and day out, reading-recalling-revising the thousands of facts and figures, there’s a good 50% chance that he/she ends up not going to the exam centre itself!
That it is a recurring trend every year is also an interesting aspect to ponder upon..
But why does it happen this way? What makes the Prelims exam so powerful that it gets the better of even the best?
A normal conversation with a UPSC aspirant, especially as the Prelims gets closer, gives an idea of the general reasons. From a persistent feeling of under-preparedness, to a lack of syllabus coverage, to getting overwhelmed by the humongous current affairs materials in the market, to a looming fear of wasting a precious attempt, and many other ways in which the human mind decides to wreck havoc of a being!
Anyone who has attempted the preliminary exam before, has most probably experienced this overwhelming phase for sure. For even the top rankers say that the biggest relief after witnessing their name in the coveted rank list was the realisation of not having to attempt another Prelims..
But is there no solution to this? A panacea to this agony, to the anxiety, to the pain, to the fears.
A lesson from the Bhagavad Gita might perhaps help:
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.
The Gita asks one to “conquer the mind”. It may be interpreted as learning to control the mind. It is a skill perhaps, learnt over a period of time, by consistent practise of subjecting the mind to similar conditions so that it familiarises itself, strengthens itself, empowers itself to face the toughest of the situations and yet emerge victorious.
As a UPSC aspirant, one could apply this principle in writing mock tests and solving PYQs. The mind is subjected to an exam-like external environment regularly so that it can gradually learn how to engineer a conducive internal environment.
On an ending note, I thank each one of you for reading through this and wish the best for you.
Let us all sweat more in peace, so that we bleed less in war and emerge victorious in this game that we’ve chosen to ace 🙂
