By Aabid Ali Haider for TwoCircles.net
On Saturday, July 4th, 2015, the UPSC had declared the much awaited results of the prestigious Civil Services Examination, 2014, naming 1,236 successful candidates.
The finally concluded results of Civil Services Examinations showed that the performance of women candidates are better than the male aspirants where women have secured top 4 positions. This is also the first time that the Commission has declared the results within the four days of the closing date for the personality tests or interview.
This is also the first time in a decade, that out of top 100 candidates, 4 happen to be Muslims. Out of total 1,236 successful candidates, 38 Muslims have cleared the Examination. Though it is worth mentioning that as compared to the previous results, total number of Muslims Aspirants passing the Examination has improved but overall percentage of successful Muslims Candidates has been hovering around 2.5% to 3% and this time it is 3.1%. It’s clear from the last many years results e.g. for many decades, Muslims candidates (Muslim Aspirants) have never been able to break the barrier of 4%.
The performance of Muslim Candidates is almost same as compared to the results of last few years. In 2009, a total of 31 Muslims were in the list of 791 successful candidates. Likewise, in 2010 among 875, 21 were Muslims. Similarly in 2011 and 2012 about 31 and 30 Muslims respectively cleared the Examinations. This static representation has now become the concern of many Muslim Associations and Organizations which are working for the upliftment and betterment of Muslim Aspirants and for the Community as a whole.
Why this very poor representation and very abysmal performance and what does this poor representation of Muslims in India’s top-most services show? Does it mean that Muslim children are not eager to study? To a layman, it would definitely appear so. However, the reason behind this pitiful state is the lack of accessibility to high quality education, low quality of education among aspirants and economic backwardness.
In recently concluded examination, not all 38 successful Muslim Candidates will be privileged to avail the “royal” services of IAS, IFS, and IPS. Out of total 36 candidates, only 8-10 will be eligible to serve as IAS officers, 1-2 as IFS, 2-3 as IPS and rest as Group A and Group B services depending upon their ranks.
It is a fact today that Muslims have become sandwiched between backwardness and discrimination. There are reasons as well which have contributed to this sorry state of the Muslims:
1. Education is the only panacea of Muslim problems. However, quality education is lacking among the Muslims. They have been denied education. In many Muslims’ institutions and schools, there is lack of modern and quality education. Muslims are not taking advantage of information technology.
2. Due to lack of awareness of various welfare schemes/programmes Muslims have become worst victims of poverty. As a result, they cannot avail even the minimum standards of education. In such a scenario aspiring for Civil Services is meaningless for them.
3. This fact cannot be denied that those already serving in the administrative services face alienation, deprived of due promotions/posts in time and are even designated with assignments which are of low for their rank and file and performance quotient. This serves a deterring effect on the children of such officers and other Muslims aspiring for IAS/IPS. Naturally they are discouraged and are engrossed with feelings that they would not get due promotions, then why to prepare for Civil Services?
4. The poor representations of Muslims either in Parliament or in Legislatures of respective states also contribute to this pathetic representation as there is no one to raise the voice for strategizing and planning for Muslims’ upliftment and betterment. Muslims have been left at the mercy of God and to their own destiny.
Recently Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission result has been declared. There has been 54 Yadav Candidates out of 80 and perhaps there is no Muslim Candidates. Likewise Maharashtra Patwaris Examination was to be held on 19th July i.e. on Eid day. We talk much about Central Services, but what about State Level Services. What we do for getting inducted Muslim Candidates at State Level Services that is more needed as per prevailing communal scenario in almost all states.
In addition to the above mentioned causes, it is very disappointing to mention that the members of the community have also contributed to this menace. For instance:
1. Muslim Children, who have the opportunity to avail best resources like good health and education often lack interest and attitude to attain high education or pursue professional courses. In such a scenario, the whole idea of clearing Civil Services Examination for them is like a hard nut to crack! There is an urgent need to sensitize and make them aware and motivational programmes are to be organized.
2. Euphoria has also been created among the masses that only selective colleges/Universities are good for them. Indeed these institutions have their own importance but the Muslims should learn to appreciate and recognize that there are other better institutions as well and they should aspire to seek admission in them before preparing for the UPSC.
Keeping in view the above and overall scenario, so far as the representation of Muslims in All India Services is concerned, there is an urgent need to conduct a study so as to know as to how many Muslim Candidates are appearing in Civil Services Prelims Examinations. We have to see that Muslims must appear in Exams in proportion to its population strength. In case, they fail to, means thereby their education qualifications are not upto mark and they lack inner drive to appear in such higher Exams. Again we have to conduct study so as to find out how many of them appeared in Mains and finally in personality interview. This will give a real picture as to why we fail and where we lack.
After going through Sachar Commission Report and Raghunath Misra Commission Report, it is crystal clear that the central and state governments have taken hardly any initiatives to improve the pathetic conditions of Muslims in 90 minority concentrated districts of the states. Further, bureaucratic biasness is also contributing to plight and owes of the Muslim Community as they are not taking governmental beneficial schemes to the minority concentrated blocks/tehsils/areas.
All over India, there are about more than 550 universities out which only 8-10 are minority-run universities. Whereas minority-run universities should not be less than 80-100. Therefore, there is an urgent need to open more schools, colleges and universities imparting modern, quality and scientific education especially in Muslim concentrated areas. We have to ensure that all our coming generations must take advantage of modern education and information technology.
Muslim leaders, intelligentsia and social workers especially top ranking officers (those serving and retired) should come forward to organize and conduct seminars, workshops and awareness programmes to clearly highlight the importance and benefits of Civil Services and should further give guidance to clear such examinations.
Moreover, the various Muslim run coaching centres should be financially aided and encouraged which have proven their efficiency and worth. These institutions should be encouraged to give further better performance.
It is also imperative to note and understand that total candidates who have applied for this Examination appeared to be 9.5 approximately and finally 5.50 lakhs appeared in Prelims Examination.
We must know that out of these 5.50 lakhs students, 1.25-1.50 lakhs students have gone rigorous coaching for at least 6 months to one year after completing higher education. Their parents have incurred not less than 2.50 lakhs to 3 lakhs rupees on their wards for one year especially putting them in good coaching centres in metro cities. We have to think and ponder whether, Muslims Candidates’ parents can afford to bear such cost/expenditure or our aspirants are deprived because of paucity of funds, wealth or economic conditions. We have to find out how many of such Muslim Aspirants can afford such costly coaching classes or metro cities expenditure.
Finally in order to improve the overall status of Muslims. The Government in power should implement the recommendations of Sachar Committee now without further delay. It is a pity that even after many years, the Central Government has not come up with any concrete measures to implement it and only lip services have been given by the former Congress Government.
The purpose of highlighting the widespread discrimination targeted against Muslims in Civil Services Examinations, in no way tends to discourage the Muslims preparing for India’s top services but serves as a strong appeal to all community committed people especially politicians, administrators, teachers, humanists and Muslim Organizations/Associations to come forward and work for the betterment of the Muslims aspiring for such services. There is need to create a platform where solutions and measures need to be thoroughly discussed and devised to break the 3% barrier! Finally there is a reminder to all the readers especially Muslims Aspirants that besides, above mentioned solutions, one needs to work and prepare hard enough not to just go by but go well ahead of the others so that discrimination, deprivation, suppression and systematic elimination will not prevent them from clearing Civil Services or any other top services Examination.
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Abid Ali Haider is a Student of B.A. LLB (Hons.), Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur, Chattisgarh. He can be reached at [email protected]