America doesn’t have IAS! What Happens Without Merit-Based UPSC Exam? Dr. Mrunal Patel's insights

👉 Set Reminder Now: https://youtube.com/live/-fDgSr7rRdc?feature=share 🚨 *Unacademy Shikhar 2026 | Civil Services Day Special* 🔴 LIVE on 21 April | 5:30 PM 📺 On @upscunstoppables __________________ In this short lecture, Dr. Mrunal Patel, UPSC Educator and Economy Subject Expert and a PhD scholar on Public Administration, draws a sharp comparative between India's IAS system and the American civil services model — a topic directly relevant to UPSC General Studies Paper II (Polity and Governance). Key concepts covered: USA Spoils System: In the United States, there is no equivalent of India's IAS. Historically, government jobs were awarded not on merit but on political loyalty or patronage — this was called the Spoils System or Patronage System. If you supported the winning President's party, you got a job. Otherwise, you did not. Garfield Assassination and Civil Service Reform: President Garfield was assassinated by a member of his own party who was denied a government job. This event forced the US government to announce merit-based recruitment — but only partially. Spoils System Persists in 2026: Even today, approximately 4,000 top-level posts in the US government are filled without any merit examination. These positions change hands every time a new President is elected, destroying institutional memory across departments. Dr. Mrunal cites a recent statement by Donald Trump as a live example of patronage-based hiring. Institutional Memory Deficit: Because senior American officials are political appointees rather than career civil servants, the US has repeatedly made the same foreign policy errors — Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran — because there is no continuity of institutional knowledge. Career meritocratic officers are absent from decision-making. Uganda Comparison: After British withdrawal, Idi Amin appointed tribal loyalists instead of merit-selected officers. The country collapsed. This is offered as a contrast to India's deliberate choice to retain a merit-based civil services structure. India's IAS Origin: At independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel insisted on continuing the British-era ICS framework under a new name — the Indian Administrative Service. On 21st April 1947, Patel addressed the first batch of IAS officers. In memory of that address, India has observed Civil Services Day on 21st April ever since 2006. Civil Services Day 2026: Unacademy is hosting a special live event featuring UPSC toppers sharing practical preparation advice for Prelims 2026. More details at Mrunal.org. Useful for: UPSC CSE, SSC-CGL, State PSC, RBI Grade B, IBPS, Banking, CAPF, CDS, ACIO, APFC. ALTERNATIVE TITLES: 1. America Has No IAS Equivalent — Spoils System Explained for UPSC 2. Civil Services Day Special: IAS Origin Story and Sardar Patel's Role 3. Why USA Repeats Foreign Policy Mistakes: No Merit-Based Bureaucracy TAGS: IAS vs USA civil services, spoils system UPSC, Indian bureaucracy polity, UPSC GS Paper 2, civil services day 2026, Sardar Patel IAS history, American patronage system, institutional memory governance, UPSC polity lecture, Mrunal economy, UPSC free lecture, governance UPSC, RBI Grade B polity, SSC CGL general awareness, UPSC 2026 prelims, State PSC governance, IBPS GK, ACIO APFC preparation, Unacademy UPSC, comparative governance India USA