What should I do if my parents don't want me to become an IAS officer?

Your condition is really weird. Most parents in India ask their child to join civil services, work for their own society and country and take care of their parents instead of working for some other country for just the sake of money. Ignore the talks of your relatives who are working abroad. Indians are more unsafe in abroad than in their own country. You must have heard some few years back how some of the Indians were treated in Australia. Some of them were even beaten to death also. Likewise Australia, Indians are treated as low class people and are disrespected in most part of the world especially in Europe and even in America to some extent. Let me tell you about one of my senior friend. His senior brother went to US in Boston University for doing PhD who was murdered near the offshore campus on April 19, 2012. No major inquiry was made into the case. No justice done with him! My senior friend was the top graduate from my college this year and he was offered for PhD from many good foreign universities but he declined as his parents didn't want to take any risk for their only left son. There are many such incidences but they hardly come into light. Moreover, as an Indian, we must work for our own nation. There is no respect in foreign to Indians. On the other hand, IAS or any other officer are treated with utmost respect in India. The pay scale and security are also very high. And lastly tell your parents that it will be easier for you to take care of them if u work in India. So, just prepare for the exam with your best heart and be proud to be an Indian ignoring the ignorant advices of your parents...!! Best of luck!

First of all, make it sure that IAS is your passion, ... if it is, .. then there is no reason to step back, ... if not, ... then there isn't any reason to hold on, ... as far as IAS is concerned, .. it has aura, power, prestige, satisfaction, job security which is not in most of the other corporate jobs, ... but still if you want to please your parents and also want to serve India, .. why don't go for IFS (Indian Foreign Service), ... you'll be in abroad most of the times, ... comparitively lesser threat to your life when compared with IAS,IPS, ... moreover best environment, lifestyle which no other govt job or corporate can provide.

This is a common phobia in Indian parents about their children because of protective love.  Whatever they are trying to tell you that is based on their learnings through out their life. You need to  obliterate the negative feelings from their brain slowly. For that you have to share what better things a living IAS person can do So only way you can convince them is how today is different from yesterday. you should tell them how proudly you can lead your life, how proud they can be. It is all about making them thinking positive and affirmative about IAS. coming to jobs in abroad , tell them how do you feel about being away from home , friends, family,  particularly from own country.Question  them what better can happen if you work in abroad simply for money ? Question them about the risks involved in working abroad. Tell them same money you can earn here with more dignity and self pride. But whatever it is you have to change their paradigm . all this time don't stop your self . Give everything 100% for what you want to be because when you succeed , that can impact and can bring a lot of change in your patents attitude. ADB.