On 6 March 2026, the Union Public Service Commission announced the final results of the Civil Services Examination 2025. Nine hundred and fifty-eight candidates will join the IAS, IPS, IFS, and other central services. The number sounds large — but the question for Hajipur and Bihar is bigger.
Service or power?
Dr. Ashutosh Singh asks: are these officers prepared to serve citizens, or to embody power? The civil services were meant to serve the Constitution — but when files move while people wait in queues, the gap is visible.
Does a colonial mindset still survive?
Dr. Singh's analysis holds that administration still carries a mindset where addressing an officer as ‘Sahib’ feels compulsory. If post-selection training does not build empathy, accountability, and regional understanding, the outcome stays the same — distant, cold, unreachable government.
What should be measured alongside merit?
Selection by merit is necessary; but merit must be paired with a spirit of service and ground-level sensitivity. In towns like Hajipur, people feel this gap in hospitals, drains, schools, and revenue offices every day.
What kind of officers does Bihar need?
Dr. Singh believes Bihar needs officers who answer RTIs, attend public hearings, and show alternatives before saying ‘not possible’ — whether from UPSC or state services. Civil service will remain respected only when ‘service’ appears ahead of power.