KOZHIKODE: With 26 candidates from Kerala making it into the final list of one of the most coveted and competitive exams in the country, the civil services, the state’s popular bureaucrat N Prashant has a word of caution for them.
He had welcomed the successful candidates to the Civil Services through a Facebook post which has now gone viral. The young bureaucrat, who is now private secretary of the Union Minister of Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam, starts his post with a word of caution saying all of them will be pricked when they do something right, but not in favour of the powerful. It warns them that they will be portrayed in the wrong way when those in power dislike them and they will be transferred if they don’t agree with those in power.
At the same time, his Facebook posts advise the successful candidates that the civil services is not a mere job but they should consider this as their destiny. “It is a very rare opportunity. Remember, over 10 lakh people have tried for the same, but only a handful is selected. You must remember this. You should not let the value of this profession down. No other job will give a bigger canvas than this. Remember this,” wrote Prashant.He concludes with a tongue-in-cheek punch, “I have only one thing to say. Be civil. Civil servant. Civil engineer. I welcome you all to this underworld.”
Shining on a different stage
Meantime, N Prashant who was fondly called Collector Bro when he served as the District Collector of Kozhikode, has more reason to be happy. His directorial debut in the short film industry Daivakanam will be featured at the prestigious Cannes festival. Daivakanam is about an astrologer who sees the future and tries to freeze time to prevent the inevitable. The film depicts man’s struggle to cope with the knowledge of the future. Prashant told Express it is an honour that his film will be screened at Cannes. “It is really motivating. Cannes is the Mecca of cinema. It is thrilling to be there and be part of the festival,” he said, adding he is making a full-length feature on the same subject. “I have started working on the script. The subject is of great importance. It is a women-centric movie.”