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Career option in Civil Services

The Indian Administrative Services (IAS), which was previously known as the elite Indian Civil Services still attract one of the best talents competing with each other every year. These services constitute the top echelons of the entire machinery of the government and together with Judiciary and Legislature constitute the third pillar of the democracy. Today the sheen of these services has reduced to some extent due to availability of various other career options such as MBA and so on. Still there are candidates who dream to have these three little letters after their names- IAS or IPS.

Constitutions of Indian Civil Services
There are around 27 services for which a common examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year. Out of these services, IAS, Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Revenue Services (IRS) are the top of candidates choice and hence the competition is stiff. Apart from that, you can join other group A services such as Indian Railways Accounts Services, Indian Railways Traffic Service, Customs and Central Excise Services, Indian Defense Accounts Services, Indian Audit and Accounts Services among others. Certain group B services such as Central Secretariat Services etc. are also a part of the same examination and candidates who are lower on the merit lists generally join these services.

Educational Qualifications
Though the minimum educational qualification for taking the UPSC test is a bachelor degree, it is found that a post graduate degree is generally useful for writing the examination. Engineering graduates and medical graduates are also eligible to take the test and constitute a good portion of candidates selected to these jobs.

Entrance to the services
Entrance to services is through passing a three stage test conducted by UPSC. The first stage is the preliminary stage where you have to choose one optional subject such as history, commerce, geology etc. A general studies paper is common for all candidates. The test is objective and those who qualify have to appear in Mains examination, where you have to choose two optional subjects (two papers of 300 marks each subject), two papers in General Studies of 300 marks each and an Essay paper of 200 marks. Those who qualify in Mains have to appear in the personal interview, which carries a maximum mark of 300. Thus your overall merit is determined based on your performance in a total of 2300 marks and determines which service you are entitled to join.

Work Profile
These services provide bureaucrats for top posts. Generally an IAS joins as Additional District Magistrate of a district and rises to become a DM within 8 years. Thereafter he may become a Commissioner and can also join the Union Government as Director. They can rise to become Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary and Secretary to the Government of India or State Government and rise further such as Governors of a state, Chief Election Commissioner etc. Similar is the career graph in police services and revenue services, where one joins as Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax and can rise to become Deputy Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, Additional, Commissioner and Chief Commissioner. He can rise further to become member of Central Board of Tax or its Chairman.

Remuneration
While salaries in Governments are not that high compared to private sectors, these services contain an aura of prestige, power and authority which attract the best talent to compete. The starting salary for a bureaucrat may be Rs. 20000/- per month. But the very sight of a lavish and magnificent DM bungalow or an SSP bungalow at a district head quarters in itself is a motivational factor for many a candidate to put in long hours preparing for the toughest examination of the country where lakhs appear but only a few hundred finally make it.

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