UPSC mentor gets ‘thank you’ note from Pakistani aspirant; social media reacts

Shekhar Dutt, a renowned Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) mentor, recently shared a heartfelt message he received on X (formerly Twitter). The sender, a sociologist from Pakistan, expressed their admiration and gratitude for Shekhar’s motivational content.

Preparing for their upcoming Central Superior Services (CSS) exams in February, the individual revealed it was their second attempt and mentioned their struggle with confusion despite thorough preparation.

In their message, they highlighted how Shekhar’s tweets and insights had been a source of inspiration and guidance throughout their journey.

“Hello! Hope you are doing well.I am from Pakistan, and also a Sociologist. I know you are mentor for UPSC. I am just sending you this message to get your best of luck for my coming CSS exams, in February. It is my second attempt,” said the message.

“I have prepared well. But, I am still confused, confused and very confused. I daily come across your tweets. and I ackowledge your thoughts and words. I learnt a lot from you. THANK YOU!!” the Pakistani aspirant added.

Pakistan’s CSS is considered equivalent to India’s UPSC examinations. Both serve as competitive exams for recruiting candidates to various prestigious civil services in their respective countries.

Social media users shared heartfelt reactions to the message from the other side of the border.

“Knowledge knows no artificial boundaries. It's universal,” wrote one user, while another commented, “Yes, knowledge has no boundaries.”

“This shows...in pakistan... there is a dearth of good online teachers!” pointed out one user. Another suggested, “You should visit him in Pak.”

Shekhar Dutt on the 90-hour debate

UPSC mentor Shekhar Dutt, in a separate tweet, commented on the ongoing debate about working 90 hours a week. The debate on work-life balance surged after L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s comment in a viral video. He suggested employees should work 90 hours a week.

This follows the 70-hour workweek debate. Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy earlier suggested that Indian youth work 70 hours weekly.

“Guys, I have done the Maths. A week has 168 hours. And even after giving 90 hours to L&T and 70 to Infy, we’d still be left with 8. And that’s the exact amount of sleep doctors recommend for a healthy person,” Dutt wrote in an apparently-sarcastic post.