Indian Administration Services (IAS) - As a career option

“With great power comes great responsibilities.” - Uncle Ben (of Spiderman)

That well-ironed uniform, that tone of subtle confidence, and a genre of power twice removed from mediocrity. Yes, we are talking about the position of an IAS officer. Let’s face it, all of us have at least once in our lifetime have fancied the power that comes with the position of an IAS, especially in a nation like ours.

From outside we can only perceive the comfort, benefits, and luxuries of this life but on the inside of this position, things work differently. While it is IPSs who are the Batmen in our society; an IAS plays the role of Alfred. For those who did not understand the reference, must watch BATMAN.

On a more serious note, IAS officers are those integral channels in our societal structure through whom the government implements their policies, and who later in their service supervise the policy-making procedures. As the authority of IAS officers is beyond any limits, so is the expanse of their job responsibilities, and any lapse in their working can cost them most dearly.

Is UPSC the most difficult exam in the country?

People are often influenced by their peers, family members, etc. about the terse syllabus and study of Civil Services. We do not mean to diminish the seriousness with which one must approach the civil services examination, but hard-work and perseverance are two such elements that remain constant in the pursuit of any target.

Similarly, to clear the civil services examination one needs to simply remain focused and devote as much time as one deems fit. The amount of practice and study varies from person to person. There have been cases where people have cleared the examination in their very first attempts, while some have not been so fortunate even after having devoted themselves completely to preparing.

Preparing for civil services develops an all-around knowledge of what’s happening around you and opens up your vista to a great event. The key is to be alert and aware. No knowledge that one gathers goes to waste during the preparation of IAS. Basically, the job of an IAS is to administer the department appointed to him/her.

This will require fundamental understanding in fields like:

• Politics
• Sciences
• Current affairs
• Sociology
• History
• Reasoning, etc.

Eligibility Criteria to become an IAS

+2: Students from either stream (Science, Commerce, Arts) are eligible.

Bachelor’s Degree: Bachelors in any discipline

Master’s Degree: Masters in any discipline

The standard requirement for applicants planning to take the civil services exam is a graduate level degree in any subject. However, with the aid of civil service applicants, a lot many coaching institutes have surfaced over the years to prepare students that are planning on appearing for civil services. These institutes train and familiarise applicants with the various patterns of the civil services examination through exercise, tests, lectures, etc.

Apart from these, there are textual guides available in the market that help provide a holistic experience of the examination. As General Studies is a crucial topic of study in term of civil services, the Manorama Yearbook makes up an essential part of the mandatory syllabus.

Structure of UPSC Exam

The civil services examination is divided into three parts:

• Preliminary
• Mains
• Personality Test

The preliminary stage tests all applicants on a general level and acts as an entrance test, divided into two. The first part includes general studies and the second part is an aptitude test.

Once an applicant successfully clears this level, they move on to the mains which comprise of 9 papers; two for language, one for the essay, four for general studies and two optional papers (as per the choice of the applicant).

Lastly, selected applicants to appear before the interview board for their personality test, to make the final leap towards one of the most life-changing experiences in the life of an IAS.

Having cleared the three hurdles, applicants are admitted to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (Mussoorie) for a period of 9-10 months. Here they are further polished for the responsibilities that await them after the completion of their training.

But that’s not all; in the last phase of their training procedures, applicants are set out on an all expenses paid, the two-month expedition of the country to understand the nation that they shall administer in the near future.

A Day in the life of an IAS

Hello. I’m an IAS officer and I’m posted in a rural district, at a moderate region of the country. My job is to administer policies made by the government for the benefit of people in my district. The jurisdiction of my job involves law and order, traffic, public welfare, etc.

There are days when I have no time for family, friends and even myself. There is no hour when I could not be called for duty. But in return, I obtain the best available hospitality from the central government.

I have the power and authority to make decisions that make or break situations for upcoming policies in the district and later in the country. Here’s how a day in my life goes by:

7:00 AM: It’s time to wake up and exercise.

7:30 AM: I’m fond of tennis and play the game on almost a daily basis unless I’m working on something that keeps me from home.

8:30 AM: Now would be a good time for breakfast and then, off to the office.

10:00 AM: My present office is at the District Secretariat. Here my work is to ensure a legitimate and smooth marshaling of affairs. This involves making decisions upon pending cases, acquiring statuses of the various sectors of the district through the district’s Police and settling disputes between the varying compartments of civil society.

12:00 PM: I’m now on my way to the meeting room where I will join other government officials. Our Chief Minister is to visit the district on account of an upcoming rally.

Thereby administrative officials must ensure that a) the rally meets the purpose; b) the civic life is not affected, and c) the Chief Minister feels welcome.

2:00 PM: We’ve discussed things at length and they have a basic outline of our plan of action. Now, we must prepare. But a little lunch shall do no harm.

3:00 PM: People in big numbers will come for the rally tomorrow and assemble at a nearby location that has been decided by the jurisdiction. The problem is the conveyance of these people which will affect the commuting of the people of the district. I must visit the site to see what we could do about it.

4:00 PM: I’m at the site and the security of the place looks quite alright but we still haven’t figured a way to deal with the traffic problems that will arise in all likelihood tomorrow, as the ground is centrally located and will affect almost the entire city’s traffic.

6:30 PM: The Traffic department has come off with an idea of diverging the traffic through another route. Although the plan looks promising, we still need a plan B.

7:00 PM: Back at the office now. The state government has come up with a scheme for the aged and is providing free medical check-ups to all people over the age of 60 on World Health Day. The project is just in its initial phase but has a lot of potentials. Let’s see how we can derive maximum utilization of our resources.

9:00 PM: Seems like we’re done for the day. Dinner and family awaits.

This is how a typical day in my life looks like. We hope this article has added something valuable to your research about this profession. Have your say in the comment box below. Enjoy Reading!