How to become an IAS Officer in India?


Indian Administrative Services is the most-prestigious All-India Services and the candidates are recruited by the Union Public Service Commission. It was formerly known as the Indian Civil Services which was renamed as IAS after 1947.

IAS officers contribute in nation-building, national integration and cooperative federalism and hence, are considered to be the backbone of Indian Administration. Qualifying for IAS requires an immense amount of dedication, hard work, discipline along with proper training and guidance. Following are some points for the aspirants who wish to become an IAS officer:

Eligibility (Qualifications and Disqualifications)

To appear for the examinations, the Candidate has to be minimum 21 years of age and maximum 32 years of age. The minimum educational qualification is graduation in any stream from a recognized university by University Grants Commission. The candidate should not have a criminal background and should not be affiliated with political parties.

Written Examination

The recruitment is conducted by UPSC starting with the competitive examinations. This is considered to be one of the toughest in the country. The Written Examination is divided into two sections – the Prelims and the Mains. The Prelims exam comprises of General Studies I and General Studies II and is an objective-based exam.

Once the candidate qualifies the Prelims, s/he is selected for the Mains Exam where the candidate has to attempt different subjects with essay type answers. It includes Indian Language, English, Essay, General Studies-I, II, III and IV and Optional Subject (Paper I and II).

Interview

The candidate, who qualifies the stages of Prelims and Mains exam, is further selected for an interview by the UPSC. In the interview, the panel comprising of distinguished experts in the field of Administration check the caliber and potential of the candidate, the ability to take decisions, problem-solving capacity, etc. Once qualified, the Candidate with the highest scores are selected to the Indian Administrative Services.

Training

The Candidates selected for Indian Administrative Services are given training for a period of two years. The training includes fours spells - the Foundational Course, Professional Training-I, District Training, and Professional Training-II. The training molds the probationers with ground-level experience through field work and site visits along with equipping them with the theoretical knowledge about different subjects like politics, Public administration, Society and Culture of India, Indian Economy, etc.

Updated on: 13-May-2022

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