“Some days I really feel my dad was right when he told me to prepare for IAS or IFS instead of engineering.”
One line. One tweet. And India's oldest career debate-government job vs private job-is back on the timeline.
It came from X user Shreya, a software engineer, who struck a chord with thousands. Her post wasn’t about salary or promotions; it was about stability.
Some days I really feel my dad was right when he told me to prepare for IAS or IFS instead of engineering.
— Shreya (@shreyacasmalert) October 29, 2025
At least in government jobs, you might not earn crores but you sleep peacefully.
No layoffs. No “reorg” mail at 11 PM. No fear of waking up jobless.
Society respects you.…
"At least in government jobs, you might not earn crores, but you sleep peacefully," she wrote. In her view, the biggest perk is not money but mental peace: no layoffs, no pink slips, and no waking up one morning to find your ID access revoked.
In a world where headlines about tech layoffs are commonplace, job security seems like a myth. From Google to Indian startups, nobody has been left untouched by layoffs.
Shreya's post hit that nerve. She reminded everyone that in government service, even if you don’t become rich, you stay relevant. Society respects you, and there’s dignity in the uniform, or even the desk job.
Her words were, "You have peace of mind."
But while the internet applauded her honesty, not everyone agreed.
Enter Pranav Mahajan, a police officer who has lived the "stable" life that others can only dream of. His reply changed the tone of the conversation.
I understand your sentiments, but the reality inside government service is quite different these days.
— Pranav Mahajan (@pranavmahajan) October 29, 2025
From the outside, government jobs look peaceful.
From the inside, it’s controlled chaos in slow motion.
People still think government service is peace and prestige. In… https://t.co/WiNPdpW19Q
"While people still think government service means peace and prestige," he wrote, "in reality, it's pressure wrapped in protocol."
He didn’t stop there. Mahajan said, “Honesty isolates you and integrity invites trouble. Corruption walks freely, while sincerity walks carefully.”
And then, the line that went viral across platforms:
“It’s not a peaceful life. It’s a silent war, fought every single day.”
That sentence flipped the debate. For many, it exposed the hidden struggles behind the stable façade of a government job.
The thread has now become India's career mirror. On one side, private job professionals tired of insecurity, endless targets, and burnout; on the other, government employees with bureaucracy, politics, and pressures invisible.
Quite simply, it's peace versus purpose, stability versus struggle, security versus stress.
Both sides are right, and both are tired.
The fact is, neither route promises happiness. For some, corporate jobs mean freedom, innovation; for others, anxiety and exhaustion.
Government service provides security, but often at the cost of speed, independence, and transparency.
Maybe the real win is in finding peace in whichever path you choose, with any paycheck coming with its own pressure. So, where do you stand in this debate?
