Indian Administrative Services (IAS)

The Indian Administrative Services (IAS) is the premier administrative civil service of the Government of India. IAS officers hold key positions in the Union Government, State governments and public-sector undertakings.The Civil Services Examination for getting into IAS is conducted by the UPSC. It has three stages (preliminary, mains and interview) and is considered to be extremely challenging. Entry into the IAS is considered very difficult. Almost all of the applicants rank IAS as their top choice because of the high prestige and diversity of career it offers.

The IAS officers handle affairs of the government. At the state and central level, this involves the framing of the policies and its implementation. At the district level, IAS is concerned with district affairs, including developmental duties. At the divisional level, the IAS officers look after law and order, general administration and various developmental works.

Members of the Indian Administrative Service hold various administrative posts like District Collector, Heads of Departments, and Head of Public Enterprises at the state level. They can also be posted on deputation to the Central Government to various posts.

IAS being an ‘All India Service’ follows the Cadre system. In this system officers are allotted to state cadres, not necessarily to your home state. So for all practical purposes you belong to that state service but may be deputed elsewhere in the country. However you’ll always be recognized by your allotted state cadre. This system though very useful tends to positively and negatively affect the careers of an IAS officer. The cadre system is allotted on a basis of lottery and only the toppers of each state may get a chance to serve their home state if they have opted for such a preference.