The IAS/IFS dilemma

The time has finally come to make a decision.
The Civil Services mains application form has finally arrived.
Been thinking off and on about this for a long time now, and its time to indicate one’s preference for the various services on offer under the combined Civil Services.
The choice between Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Administrative service is what is giving me sleepless nights.

When it comes to the IFS, I certainly find the idea of seeing the world very exciting.
But I worry about my children growing up with un-Indian values.
The idea of a life long paid holiday sounds too good to be true. But then, power and responsibility go hand in hand. Don’t they? If it’s a life long holiday, I am more likely to be powerless and irrelevant, and I wouldn’t be able to make a difference.
The prospect of getting the least political interference on a day to day basis is exhilarating which is true for the IFS.
Is the lack of interference because one is not doing anything terribly significant?
A Foreign posting, to whichever part of the world it’s going to be, will be in the best cities of that nation.
Should I not be worried about losing my roots in the long run?!
Will I really enjoy all the cultural differences and climatic variations around the world?
Will I miss the power and prestige associated with the administrative services? Will I not be able to do for my folks if I’m in India?
Can I not always go on a holiday abroad opting for the IAS service instead?
Does the IAS not give opportunities for foreign travel?
All other things go right and I make it to the IAS …will I be assigned a lawless State?

India is going to change in unforeseen ways in the next two decades. Do I want to miss out all that action by being away? India in these times is not the India of a few decades ago …which is why one finds less and less top rankers opting for the Foreign Service. Two decades ago, the Foreign Service was the automatic choice of the top twenty rankers. Not anymore, the majority are making the administrative service their automatic choice lately.

It’s a complicated thought process and I need to make a decision and SOON.