New Delhi: Retired bureaucrat Subhash Chandra Garg (IAS: 1983, Rajasthan cadre), former Finance Secretary of India, has candidly described the significant gap between the expectations of young IAS officers and the ground realities they encounter in the service. Speaking on a podcast with entrepreneur Raj Shamani, Garg said many officers enter the civil service with a superficial understanding of their roles.
Lofty Aspirations vs Real Responsibilities
According to Garg, IAS aspirants often imagine a linear career path: “They think they will become an SDM, then a Collector, and then a big officer. That’s about it,” he noted. However, many do not truly understand what a Collector does or the actual responsibilities of an IAS officer.
Garg emphasized that officers largely learn their roles only after joining the service, whether at the district level or later in the Secretariat. “When responsibilities start coming, you first spend time discovering what your work actually is,” he said.
He added that disappointment arises when officers cling to rigid expectations instead of focusing on public interest and execution. “If you understand what the work is and where public interest lies, challenges will come, but disappointment doesn’t,” Garg explained.
Real-Life Example of the Gap
Reflecting on his early posting as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Garg recalled handling land allotment under ceiling laws. While the policy was well-intentioned, aimed at providing surplus government land to poor farmers, “when you reach the ground, you see that large farmers have already occupied much of this land,” highlighting the clash between idealism and ground realities.
About Subhash Chandra Garg
Subhash Chandra Garg (b. 16 October 1960) is a retired IAS officer of the 1983 Rajasthan cadre. Over a distinguished 36-year career, he held several key positions in both the Union Government and the Government of Rajasthan:
Union Government: Finance Secretary, Economic Affairs Secretary, Power Secretary, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Director in Department of Economic Affairs.
State Government: District Magistrate and Collector of Rajsamand, Principal Secretary (Finance), Commissioner (Investment & NRIs), Secretary (Budget & Expenditure), Managing Director of RSRTC and Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation.
International Experience: Served as Executive Director at the World Bank (2014–2017).
He also held roles in policy research institutions, including the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP).
Post-Retirement and Authorial Work
Since retiring from the IAS in October 2019, Garg has transitioned into roles as a policy strategist, commentator, and author. He frequently writes opinion pieces and appears on TV channels discussing economic and governance issues.
He has authored several books on India’s governance and economy:
- The $10 Trillion Dream: The State of the Indian Economy and the Policy Reforms Agenda (2022)
- We Also Make Policy (2023)
- The $10 Trillion Dream Dented (2024)
NO, MINISTER: Navigating Power, Politics and Bureaucracy with a Steely Resolve (2025)
Key Takeaways for Young IAS Officers
Garg’s insights serve as a reality check for aspiring civil servants:
- Understand the actual responsibilities before joining the IAS.
- Adaptability matters more than rigid expectations.
- Learning happens on the ground, and true service lies in focusing on public interest rather than titles or prestige.
