'Don't join civil services if you want to make money': IPS officer to UPSC aspirants
The post quickly went viral on social media, drawing a range of reactions from users.
- Dec 16, 2025,
- Updated Dec 16, 2025 3:34 PM IST
A question from a civil services aspirant on social media has drawn a candid and detailed response from senior IPS officer CV Anand. In his response, Anand explained that his original preference order was IAS, IPS and IFS.
The interaction began when a student addressed Anand as a “leading and senior bureaucrat in Telangana” and asked why he chose the IPS despite having preferences for other services. The aspirant also sought guidance for younger candidates, asking what factors should be considered before choosing a particular branch of the civil services and whether he had any specific advice for students.
The senior IPS officer wrote on X, “The preference given by me was IAS -IPS- IFS in that order. For my rank of 77, IAS stopped at 74, and I was getting IPS Home state due to me being first from AP (erstwhile). I was advised that this is better than going into IAS in some other state - so I joined.”
The senior officer then addressed a common concern among aspirants — the motivation behind joining the civil services. He also gave a billion-dollar advice to the younger generation preparing for civil services exam.
“My advice to the younger generation preparing for the exam is that if you want to make money and it’s important to you, then don’t waste your time coming into civil services,” he said.
He also cautioned against unethical practices after joining the services. “Coming here and then doing negative practices, will bring you a bad name,” Anand warned, while calling the civil services as a meaningful opportunity to serve society.
Anand concluded by urging aspirants to reflect deeply before embarking on the demanding preparation journey. “Sit back and think properly about this even before starting preparation,” he said.
The post quickly went viral on social media, drawing a range of reactions from users.
One user said, “I highly appreciate your advice to young generation Mr. Anand. I think parents must follow your advice before pushing their children into civil services preparation. That era has gone long back.”
A second user commented, "Sir , Very insightful and honest advice. Thank you for reminding aspirants that civil services are about service and integrity, not money. Truly inspiring."
Another user wrote, “Civil Service now is for minting money. Not of small quantum but running into hundreds of crores. The most dirty profession now.”
A third user commented, “Sir, how much political intervention is there in these services and how do people handle?”
A question from a civil services aspirant on social media has drawn a candid and detailed response from senior IPS officer CV Anand. In his response, Anand explained that his original preference order was IAS, IPS and IFS.
The interaction began when a student addressed Anand as a “leading and senior bureaucrat in Telangana” and asked why he chose the IPS despite having preferences for other services. The aspirant also sought guidance for younger candidates, asking what factors should be considered before choosing a particular branch of the civil services and whether he had any specific advice for students.
The senior IPS officer wrote on X, “The preference given by me was IAS -IPS- IFS in that order. For my rank of 77, IAS stopped at 74, and I was getting IPS Home state due to me being first from AP (erstwhile). I was advised that this is better than going into IAS in some other state - so I joined.”
The senior officer then addressed a common concern among aspirants — the motivation behind joining the civil services. He also gave a billion-dollar advice to the younger generation preparing for civil services exam.
“My advice to the younger generation preparing for the exam is that if you want to make money and it’s important to you, then don’t waste your time coming into civil services,” he said.
He also cautioned against unethical practices after joining the services. “Coming here and then doing negative practices, will bring you a bad name,” Anand warned, while calling the civil services as a meaningful opportunity to serve society.
Anand concluded by urging aspirants to reflect deeply before embarking on the demanding preparation journey. “Sit back and think properly about this even before starting preparation,” he said.
The post quickly went viral on social media, drawing a range of reactions from users.
One user said, “I highly appreciate your advice to young generation Mr. Anand. I think parents must follow your advice before pushing their children into civil services preparation. That era has gone long back.”
A second user commented, "Sir , Very insightful and honest advice. Thank you for reminding aspirants that civil services are about service and integrity, not money. Truly inspiring."
Another user wrote, “Civil Service now is for minting money. Not of small quantum but running into hundreds of crores. The most dirty profession now.”
A third user commented, “Sir, how much political intervention is there in these services and how do people handle?”