Had he been better at taking exams, he might well have followed his father’s initial wishes and joined the ICS, but his modest level of academic achievement made it clear he stood no chance of succeeding in the demanding ICS examinations. If he had joined the ICS, a career in the upper reaches of the civil service might have followed, rather than in the political fray. Officials did not become statesmen; it is one of the ironies of history that had Jawaharlal Nehru been a higher achiever in his youth, he might never have attained the political heights he did in adulthood.
