The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is one of the premier services of Government of India, becoming an IAS officer is one of the most sought after, challenging, prestigious and respected professions in our country. An IAS officer job offers several perks and privileges that no other job can offer, made it a popular career choice. In this article, you will get to know about how to become IAS officer, Job Profile, skills, career path, Duties, perks and Responsibilities.
HOW TO BECOME AN IAS OFFICER:
Getting into Indian Administrative Service and becoming an IAS officer is not that easy task as there is a lot of competition involved. However, one with a right attitude and approach can become an IAS officer. For becoming an IAS officer, a candidate must qualify UPSC civil services exam that consists of three stages – Prelims, Mains, and Interview.
The eligibility criteria for the IAS examination is the same as for other civil services conducted by UPSC. One of the primary criteria is that candidate must hold Bachelors degree in any stream from a recognized university and final year students can also eligible to apply.
Clearing all the above three phases of UPSC exam successfully is not enough. You should score well, because candidates with highest of all the rank holders are only asked by UPSC to join IAS. After that you would be required to join LBSNAA(Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration). The life of an IAS officer during training is very disciplined and starts at 6 am sharp. The following is the schedule usually followed at academy.
- One hour training at 6am, consisting of horse riding and exercise.
- Next two hours, free time for morning activities till 9am.
- From 9:30am onwards, next 8-10 hours comprises academic activities including lectures, sports and extracurricular activities.
- Later officer trainees are left free before and after dinner to socialise and prepare for the next day.
- Outdoor activities such as treks to nearby rural areas to learn to cope with adversity and to understand the lifestyle of rural India are an integral part of the training. The training of IAS officers also includes Bharat Darshan (a study tour of India).
Once a trainee graduates as an IAS officer, their schedule changes according to their allotted post. A typical day for an officer posted in the field would begin at 9 am and would involve going through various daily reports, supervising multiple daily tasks of the department or district,visiting different areas to review the implementation of developmental activities and meetings. These activities can stretch into the late evening and usually end by about 9 pm.
During emergencies such as natural disasters, riots etc. an IAS officer might put in continuous work coordinating response and relief teams well beyond regular duty hours.
Skills needed for an IAS Officer:
- You must have an inquisitive mind.
- Incisive analytical ability to quickly weigh the pros and cons of any issue.
- Ability to put through data to focus on the essential.
- Clarity of approach, coupled with the talent of planning by balancing present and future requirements.
- Dedication and capability to work hard.
- Being a people’s person is an added advantage to you.
CAREER PATH:
The following is the path that most IAS officers take. Generally the career paths diverge after probation, depending on the cadre allotted.
After training at LBSNAA, there will be training at district level as per the allotted cadre. Then, foreign attachment for a week on a diplomatic mission will be there.
Next three months, there will be nominal position of an assistant secretary for a central government attachment.
Then, you will get position as Joint Magistrate or SDM or Sub Collector.
Next as a Municipal Commissioner, CDO or DDO.
After that you can secure the post as Collector or DM.
Next, you will be posted at the state secretariats at the Director or Joint Secretary level.
An IAS officer can opt for being deputed to the Central Government, after few years of serving.
Then you will get role of additional secretary in the state secretariat or central secretariat.
After that you get all power to become Chief Secretary for a state.
Next is the highest position an IAS officer can aspire is to become an Indian Cabinet Secretary.
Finally Chief State Secretary is the highest designation you can rise up to, as far as the state bureaucracy is concerned.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
IAS officers’ functional roles depend on the type of assignment they get. There are three types of assignments given to them:
- Field
- State Secretariat/PSU
- Central Secretariat
The field assignments are considered the most challenging roles that an IAS officer may be called upon to fulfil. The following are the essential functions of Civil Services:
- Handling affairs of the government, including framing, implementing and reviewing policies.
- Consulting with various departments and elected representatives for the above functions.
- Management and disbursement of various funds of the central government allocated for different schemes.
- Supervising the implementation of various schemes and policies of the government.
- Responding to emergencies such as natural disasters, major accidents and riots in their jurisdiction and coordinating relief activities.
The assignment specific roles that civil servants perform are discussed below:
- Field Assignments: An IAS officers’ first posting after training is usually a field assignment. The various levels where they work have their complexities.
- Sub Divisional Functions: As a Sub Divisional Magistrate, maintenance of law and order, overseeing developmental and administrative activities within the Sub -Division.
- District Level Functions: As a District Magistrate, Collector or Deputy Commissioner, perform the same functions as an SDM at the district level and also supervise SDMs in their role.
- Field assignments usually end at the district level for most IAS officers. Many of them move to positions within the state government and work in the State Secretariat.
- State Secretariat Assignments: State Secretariat postings involve using the experience and expertise gained in the field to advise elected representatives formulate policies and make decisions regarding government processes.
- Public Sector Undertakings: Many officers get posted to PSU cadres on deputation and become part of the higher management of various Public Sector Undertakings such as power stations,
- Central Secretariat Assignments: Secretarial level postings at the level of the Central government deal with policy review, formulation and implementation for different ministries.
- Many IAS officers are also deputed to international bodies such as the United Nations. There are provisions to depute IAS officers to private organizations for short tenures as well
- Subsidised government accommodation. District level postings get the best houses among any government service in India.
- Household help such as cooks, gardeners etc. depending on the requirement.
- Security cover depending on the requirement.
- Central deputations have less vehicular facilities extended to IAS and only officers above a certain rank get government vehicles.
- Mobile, internet and telephone charges are reimbursed.
- Free stay in government rest houses and bungalows during duty.
- IAS officers are also entitled to a monthly pension after retirement based on their rank and length of service.
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) also allows officers to proceed on paid study leave for up to two years to study at any reputed university in India and abroad.
The life of an IAS officer is both challenging and satisfying for a driven individual. It is the perfect opportunity for youngsters to directly participate in the administration and development of their country.