India could have more billionaires, Olympic gold, scientists if kids don't waste time on UPSC: PM economic advisor Sanjeev Sanyal
Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist and advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has ignited a debate by suggesting that preparing for the UPSC exam might be an inefficient use of time unless someone is genuinely interested in administrative roles. Instead, he argues that India needs more entrepreneurs aiming to become billionaires like Elon Musk or Mukesh Ambani. He suggests that the energy spent on preparing for the UPSC could be better utilized in fields such as sports, entertainment, medicine, entrepreneurship, or science.
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), expressed his views during "The Neon Show" podcast hosted by Siddhartha Ahluwalia. He advocates for a shift in mindset among young people.
He argues that too many young individuals are investing their prime years preparing for the UPSC exam, which he believes yields limited benefits given the small number of positions available. “I'm not saying you don't want people to take the exam. Yes, every country needs a bureaucracy, that's perfectly fine. But I think lakhs of people are spending their best years trying to crack an exam where a tiny number of a few 1000 people actually are going to get it makes no sense,” he said.
Sanyal emphasized the need for more first-generation billionaires who can drive job creation and innovation. He advocates that young people should look at other alternatives. “At the end of it if you must dream, surely you should dream to be Elon Musk, or Mukesh Ambani, why did you dream to be
