IPS Officer Shashank Jaiswal Reveals Why He Left Lucrative Private Job

“This is a service, not a job.” – Shashank Jaiswal, IPS

Shashank Jaiswal cleared the UPSC civil services exam in 2013 and got selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS). Previously, he had worked in the private sector for many years drawing a comfortable salary of about 2 lac per month. Despite this, Jaiswal chose civil services. Read on to know what motivated him to ditch his “good life” in the private sector and choose UPSC.

What is IPS?

The elite Indian Police Service is not a security force but provides commanders to take higher-level posts in the state police machinery and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Being an All India Service, IPS officers can be employed by the Central Government and the respective States.

The recruiting exam to the police service is the same as for the IAS, IFS, etc. – the UPSC civil services exam. Know the IPS syllabus here.

Why did Shashank Jaiswal choose the Civil Services?

Shashank Jaiswal chose the civil services over a high-paying private-sector job because:

#1: Empowerment

• As officers of the Indian civil services, you will feel empowered rather than just power.
• With this job, you are empowered (legally and with authority) to actually serve society.
• You can solve people’s problems as a matter of routine.
• With a private job, you serve yourself and your organisation and there are great limits on how much you can serve society.

#2: Satisfaction

• It is true that a civil servant’s job especially that of an IPS officer doesn’t follow a fixed routine.
• It is not a regular 9 to 5 job. You can get a duty call in the middle of the night.
• You must be ever-alert and responsive to the responsibilities and work that comes with power.
• In spite of all this, a career in the civil services can give you a satisfaction that no other job can give.
• For instance, Jaiswal talks of cases where he and his team have recovered missing children. For the officers who handle such cases, the greatest reward comes from seeing the tears of gratitude in the eyes of the parents.
• What is routine for you as an officer can be a matter of life and death for the people. You can directly touch lives here.
• You get to save lives which is rarely possible in a private-sector job (unless you are in the medical profession).
• People do talk about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the private sector. But, according to Jaiswal, work in civil services is itself CSR!

#3: Service over the job

• According to Jaiswal, the civil services, as the name suggests is not just a job – it is a service.
• You are here to serve society, people and the country.
• People from all strata of society depend on you.
• As officers, you also get to take an active part in the progress of the country. By doing your job, you are serving your country.

#4: Salary is not an issue

• After the 7th pay commission, the salary of IAS/IPS officers is reasonably good. Apart from the salary, there are other perks as well.
• However, when you are in the services, salary is a non-issue since you are here to serve society and change lives.

To know more about IPS Salary, click on the linked article.

#5: No undue political pressure

• According to Jaiswal, there is no undue political pressure in the Indian Police Service.
• He says that there is ample freedom to do your job to the best of your abilities and that you always get support for good work.

In the table given below, you can read all you need to know about the Indian Police Service (IPS):

Shashank Jaiswal IPS Facts

Some brief facts about Shashank Jaiswal are presented below:

1. Rank: 444
2. CSE: 2013
3. Service allocated: IPS
4. Current posting: Superintendent of Police of Mamit district in western Mizoram
5. Education: Engineering, Delhi College of Engineering; MBA in Finance, IIM, Kozhikode

For more such UPSC success stories for inspiration and motivation, you can visit the linked article.

For more UPSC related preparation materials and articles, visit the links given in the table below:

Related Links