Repeat. Retry. Regret? The human cost of UPSC’s ‘try again’ culture

The exam promises power and prestige — but often leaves behind burnout, debt and depression

In the narrow lanes of Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar, nearly every building is a coaching centre, every hoarding an advertisement for a PG, every basement a dingy library, and every backpack-carrying youngster at a chai corner an IAS aspirant.
On a narrow staircase leading to a small accommodation sits 24-year-old Sheetal, who moved from Ambala two months ago with a suitcase and a dream: to become a civil services officer. But unlike many others, she’s firm about one thing. “I told my family I will stay there only for two attempts, then start looking for other govt exams as options,” she says.