Indian Administrative Service: the Indian Administrative Service (abbreviated as IAS) is the elite public management cadre of Government of India. IAS officers hold key positions in the Union Government, State governments, Public-sector Companies and other statutory regulatory institutions such as the Central Bank (RBI), SEBI, and Election Commission. Once known as the Imperial Civil Service (ICS) under the British Raj, this service was on the top 5 highest paid jobs on earth in pre-World War II era – working for the British Crown. Post-independence it was restructured in 1947 as the IAS and the members of this Service enjoy unparalleled access to the highest offices of the largest democracy of the world. IAS officers are recruited by the Union government through a very rigorous examination procedure and are appointed by the President of India for a permanent term. The officers carry high respect and stature in the society coupled with the significant task of administering public offices, making it one of the most desirable jobs in India (if not ‘the most desirable’). In addition, the IAS has protections in the Constitution of India from any arbitrary action by the elected executive. In short they hold their position in the IAS till they retire i.e. till they attain the age of 60! The Civil Services Examination for getting into IAS is conducted by the UPSC. It has three stages (Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam, and Personality Test/Interview) and is considered to be extremely challenging. Entry into the IAS is considered very difficult. The exam is taken by nearly 10-11 Lacs graduates from different fields and backgrounds. Only the candidates who are above 99.90 Percentile in the examination are selected for this coveted position. The average age of entry is 21-32 years and they very quickly progress into their IAS career by holding hugely powerful positions comparatively at a younger age. IAS is widely popular among Indian masses due to its visibility and rich history as the ‘Steel Frame’of Government.
Civil Servants are the people behind implementing government and developmental policies, keeping law and order, and act as a link between the masses and the government. They hold power and are immensely respected for the job they do. UPSC Civil Services has various job positions with different job profile.
Career Opportunities in Civil Services
| Pathway 1 | |
| Step: 1 | Clear Class XII in any stream (Better subjects are political science, public administration, psychology, sociology, English literature, economics, History) |
| Step: 2 | · Any graduation program, better subjects are
Political science, psychology, sociology, Economics, Public Administration & History etc. · Reading Newspaper, Read Grade 11 & 12 NCERT Books · Listen All India Radio for News & Reviews |
| Step: 3 | Clear UPSC Examination |
Civil services are an attractive and a challenging career for the talented, ambitious and aspiring students. Indian Civil Services creates opportunities for an IAS, IFS or IPS officer.
A country’s future relies on the hands of the youth. They hold a solid promise for a better tomorrow, and what better could be an opportunity than to serve the nation? Today, several of the country’s young minds wish to hold a position in one of the most prestigious services in India through the Union Public Service Commission Examination or UPSC.
Indian Civil Services is not only one of the most prestigious fields but is also amongst the toughest exams to be clear. Even then these remains as the dream job for aspiring youngsters who desires to bring a positive change in the outlook of the Indian society.
