Everything about Becoming an IAS Officer

Introduction: Full Form of IAS

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is one of the 24 civil services that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and organizes Civil Services Examination (CSE) for selecting eligible candidates.  

An officer recruited for the Indian Administrative Service has an opportunity to a wide range of positions, including collector, commissioner, head of public sector entities, chief secretary, cabinet secretary, and so on. The opportunity to create significant changes in the lives of millions of people in India makes IAS a distinctive career decision.

Eligibility Criteria for IAS Applicants

1. An Indian national must apply.
2. The UPSC Civil Services Exam requires a baseline age of 21 years. The maximum age restriction for the unreserved category is 32 years, whereas for OBC it is 35 years, and 37 years for SC/ST.
3. An unreserved category applicant may take up to 6 UPSC CSE examinations. The number of chances allowed for OBC applicants is nine. SC/ST candidates would have an unlimited number of tries until they reach the maximum age limit for UPSC CSE.
4. The academic requirement for UPSC CSE is a bachelor’s degree (graduation) in any discipline. Final-year students are also eligible to apply. Aspirants can read the article to learn about the qualifying requirements for taking the UPSC CSE test.

Work & Duties of an IAS Officer

This is categorized under three duties:

• Field Duty
• State Secretariat Duty
• Central Secretariat Duty

Filed Assignment

Some of the IAS tasks and responsibilities associated with field postings are as follows:

1. Administering affairs of state, including policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation.
2. For any and all duties, communicate with multiple agencies and state legislators.
3. Administering and disseminating several Union Government finances for various programs.
4. Monitoring the execution of various government programs and policies.
5. Giving quick aid in situations such as natural catastrophes, severe accidents, and civil unrest situations.
6. The initial posting given to IAS officers is primarily in the field. Most IAS officials’ field postings finish at the district level. Many IAS officials are assigned to the state government and serve in the State Secretariat.

State Secretariat Assignment

Under States Administration assignments, IAS officials are required to apply their field knowledge and skills to advise elected officials on policy formulation. Furthermore, several IAS officials are deputed to PSU ranks and have the opportunity to be a participant in the top administration of various PSUs like power plants and industrial sites, among many others.

Central Secretariat Assignment

IAS officials assigned to secretary-level positions in the Central government oversee evaluations of policies, development, and execution for several divisions. Several IAS officials are also assigned to foreign organizations like the United Nations. There are other regulations that allow IAS officers to be transferred to private organizations for a brief duration.

How to Become an IAS Officer?

To become an IAS officer, applicants must pass the Civil Services exam with the highest possible score. The Civil Services Exam has 3 phases of shortlisting: preliminary, mains, and personal interview. Applicants should plan ahead of time if they want to pass the IAS Exam. 

While most viable candidates begin their preparations months before the exam date, some applicants obtain high rankings with just a very few months of diligent study. All selected candidates have one thing in common and that is a focused mindset, as well as a desire for serve the country.