Dreams Come at a Cost: An Analysis of Stress-Causing Factors Among TNPSC Group Services Aspirants in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) is one of the oldest recruiting bodies in India and was established in 1929. Every year, thousands of degree holders move to cities such as Chennai and Coimbatore to prepare for competitive examinations conducted by the Commission with hopes and aspirations of entering public service. While TNPSC recruits candidates for several specialist services, generalist services such as Group I, Group II, and Group IV have remained the aspiration of many candidates. The present study focuses on the stress-causing factors among TNPSC aspirants (Group 1, Group II, and Group IV) during the preparation process. Among the various factors, digital factors, particularly extended screen time and social media usage, emerged as the major source of stress and were reported by 90% of the respondents. This was followed by family expectations to clear the examination (56.7%), and factors such as long gaps in the recruitment process, financial dependence on family, prolonged preparation without income, and guilt associated with depending financially on family (53.3% each). Interestingly, a majority of the respondents reported that they used social media as a stress buster during preparation; however, increased screen time, comparison with other aspirants, and exposure to success narratives eventually contributed to higher levels of stress rather than reducing it.