THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A panel discussion on the topic ‘Relevance of civil services as a Career Choice Amidst Changing Aspirations of Kerala Youth’ was conducted by Pathways Academy, an IAS training academy in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
The programme was held on the final day of ‘Drishti’, the tech fest of the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET). The panelists included Prasanth Nair IAS, Mir Muhammed Ali IAS, Nidhin Raj IPS, Jeeva Maria Joy IFS, and Remya Roshini IPS. Prasanth Nair highlighted the increasing number of civil services aspirants in Kerala.
“After Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram is chosen as the centre by many which is something to be proud of,” said Prasanth Nair. He added that civil services is a profession which is non-monotonous and that every day is a new learning opportunity.
Mir Muhammed Ali praised Kerala’s egalitarian perception of bureaucrats compared to Tamil Nadu’s hero worship and expressed comfort with the state’s atmosphere, speaking of his posting outside his cadre. Jeeva Maria Joy, an ex-CETian and IFS officer, shared her satisfaction with the profession, “Almost 8 years into the profession, I am really happy to have chosen IFS. I feel like it suits my personality. It lets me travel and interact with people. A service that helps you in your overall personal growth.”
Nidhin Raj, DCP of Thiruvananthapuram, said that IPS holds the fulfilling feeling of serving people in need despite the initial apprehensions associated with police duty.
Talking to the students of CET, Mir Muhammed Ali said, “One can really go out of the way to bring good to the society being in civil services. It has endless opportunities. In case of confusion, remember, one thing about engineering is that we do it to understand what we really want to do,” which sparked laughter among the audience.
Prasanth Nair described Civil Services as a vast canvas for making an impact, while all panellists dismissed exaggerated portrayals of political interference.
Talking of media involvement, Ali said that it is necessary to engage responsibly with the media to avoid sensationalism. The discussion concluded with reflections on the advantages and drawbacks of civil services while encouraging students to consider civil services as a means to contribute positively to society.
‘Drishti’, the three-day tech fest concluded on Sunday with various talk sessions, an auto expo and a concert by singer Monali Thakur.