CSS mishap The writer is a freelancer based in Kandhkot, Sindh. He can be reached at [email protected] A young girl recently committed suicide in Lahore, in her private hostel room, as she did not qualify for the CSS exams despite two attempts. It is ironic that she ended her life in the very room she would work to materialise her dream of becoming a civil servant. Moreover, one cannot imagine the trauma her parents must have suffered. This tragic incident is a grim reminder of our society’s rotten mindset which preys on our youth. First and foremost are the expectations of family and friends towards aspirants that — though not for honest reasons — make the aspirant create a do-or-die situation in his/her mind. Family members often pin their hopes on the aspirants as they are likely to become a source of financial and social protection. They keep reminding the aspirants of the exorbitant investment involved in their exam preparation and that they have no option but to succeed. Though sincere efforts and guidance matters, the CSS exam is unpredictable.