Enough is said about the decline in standards of education when measured, traditionally, by the result of the CSS examination. About 23,000 applied for it this year and 372 could get through. Little, however, is known of the other side of this story. That so few could pass the test is a sad indeed. But sadder still is the fact is that so many applied for it. Why is CSS among the top priorities of our youth when they cry murder about the red tape and officialdom that is impeding progress of this country? This is a system of governance that produces more problems than solutions. Despite all the pomp about the tough standards of examination and criteria for selection, it remains a sordid reality that the volume of corruption is increasing in our country. To boot, inefficiency has marred our government offices to a point that they have become a burden on the state. The problem is with the system which fails to find the right man for the right job. A doctor is looking after law and order situation of a city and a woman with a degree in English literature is put in charge of customs collections. The result is before us – utter chaos, which we all detest. But then we envy the powers that these officers wield. People stand in front of them, heads hung and hands joined. They hold open courts and decide who gets what and what not. The level of their popularity is obvious from the fact that we see banners and ads strung in our streets bearing their photos; thanking them for doing what they simply are supposed to do. Mindful of their powers and envy of the masses, they have set up shop in every nook and cranny of the country where they sell false promises to our youth. Chasing this mirage, our youth pays them high fees for test preparation and their precious time. The young aspirants should know that reading one single book is more meaningful than cramming 100 to get in this rat race as they can do better than this. *