A System in Liminal Space
The recent Supreme Court decision approving the UPSC’s plan to release provisional answer keys is a significant moment, not just for the aspirants who have long campaigned for this change, but for what it signifies about our institutions. I came across the news through the diligent reporting of journalists like Utkarsh Anand of the Hindustan Times and saw the public sentiment reflected in online discussions, such as those shared by Raj Inamdar. It feels like we are witnessing a system caught in a state of liminality—a transitional phase between an old, opaque order and a future that demands accountability.
This isn't merely an administrative tweak; it's a fundamental shift in the relationship between an institution and the people it serves. For decades, the UPSC operated as a black box. You entered your efforts and received a binary output—success or failure—with little to no insight into the process. This move, however tentative, cracks open the door. It introduces a dialogue where there was once only a decree.
Beyond Information, Towards Solutions
Reflecting on this, I'm struck by how it mirrors a prediction I made over a decade ago. In a blog post from 2010, which I revisited in Future of Search Engines, I wrote about a future where people would no longer search for mere "information." Instead, they would present their "problem" and expect a ready "solution / answer / advice."
The core idea I wanted to convey then is incredibly relevant now. The demand from UPSC aspirants was never just for a document called an "answer key." It was a quest for a solution to a critical problem: the uncertainty and potential fallibility of their evaluation. They weren't seeking a list of links or raw data; they were seeking the right answer and a fair resolution.
Seeing this unfold validates that earlier insight. The world is moving past the paradigm of keyword searches and lists of results. Whether it's through conversational AI like I've experimented with and written about in posts like Google, watch out – here comes ChatGPT, or institutional reforms like this one, the expectation is for directness, clarity, and actionable solutions. The old model of hiding the methodology is becoming obsolete.
This decision, therefore, is a step toward transforming a monolithic institution into a more interactive system. It acknowledges that in an era of unprecedented information access, opacity is no longer a sustainable policy. The path forward is one of dialogue, verification, and transparency. This is just the beginning of that journey, but it is a profoundly important start.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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