The Civil Services Examination has been considered the toughest and most selective competitive examination since the times of the British. The numbers speak for themselves. Of about two lakh who actually appeared for the exam in 2009, only 875 could make it to the services. In recent years, the trend for the best and brightest to opt for the Civil Services has continued in spite of the lucrative private sector jobs available. The changes brought about in the examination pattern by the Union Public Service Commission will further strengthen this trend. Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) has replaced the Preliminary examination conducted every year in May as a qualifying exam for the Mains. Now all candidates have to appear for two common qualifying papers instead of an optional subject chosen from a list of 23 subjects. The Second Administrative Reforms Committee, Prof. Yoginder K. Alagh Committee and others have recommended that testing a candidate's knowledge in a particular subj