IAS Exam Made Easy

If you ask any children in India "What do you want to be in future?". Most of the answers will be "IAS, IPS, IFS ...". The prestige and power enjoyed by the Civil Servants every body to dream of these jobs. The salary, allowances and facilities like healthcare, housing, conveyance etc. also make everyone to desire on it. IAS, IPS and the Central Services, Group A and Group B is through the All India Combined Competitive Examination for the Civil Services conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Anyone thinking of taking up civil service, should have an idea how difficult it is to get in as lakhs of candidates apply for the 500 to 900 vacancies that may arise. So once you decide to appear in civil service exam, one should be prepared to work hard endlessly.

What are posts under Civil Service Exam (Popularly IAS Exam) ?

Services/posts to which recruitment is to be made through the examination are:

(i) Indian Administrative Service.


The IAS Officers handle affairs of the government. At the central level, this involves the framing and implementation of policy. They also represent the government in other countries and in International forums. They are even authorised to sign agreements on behalf of the government. At the district level, it is concerned with district affairs, including development functions. At the divisional level, the IAS officers look after law and order, general administration and development work. In IAS cadre you can be sub-magistrate, district magistrate, joint secretary, deputy secretary etc.


(ii) Indian Foreign Service.


The Indian Foreign Service deals with the country's external affairs, including diplomacy, trade and cultural relations. It is responsible for the administration and activities of Indian missions abroad, and for the framing and implementation of the Government's foreign policy. Probationers at first work at the External Affairs Ministry, then they are posted to the Indian Mission of a particular country, as third secretaries.


(iii) Indian Police Service.


The IPS (Indian Police Service) is responsible for public safety and security. The IPS mainly takes care of law and order, which, at the district level, is a responsibility shared with the IAS; crime prevention and detection ; and traffic control and accident prevention and management. On completion of probation an IPS officer, begins his career as a Assistant Superintendent of Police of a sub-division. The Police service is divided into various departments like Crime Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Home Guards, Traffic Bureau.


They also offer there services to Central Policing Agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Cabinet Secretariat Security, the Border Security Force (BSF), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).


(iv) Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, Group ‘A’.


(v) Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.

 (vi) Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise) Group 'A'


(vii) Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.


(viii) Indian Revenue Service, Group ‘A’.


(ix) Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group 'A' (Assistant Works Manager, Administration)(x) Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’.


(xi) Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.


(xii) Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’.


(xiii) Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.


(xiv) Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’.


(xv) Post of Assistant Security Officer, Group 'A' in Railway Protection Force.


(xvi) Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’.


(xvii) Indian Information Service (Junior Grade), Group ‘A’.


(xviii) Indian Trade Service, Group "A" (GR.III)(xix) Indian Corporate Law Service, Group "A"


(xx) Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade)


(xxi) Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Group 'B'.


(xxii) Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service, Group 'B'.

(xxiii) Pondicherry Civil Service, Group 'B'

(xxiv) Pondicherry Police Service, Group 'B'


What is the Eligibility Criteria for Civil Service Examination ?


Age limits & Attempts :


21-30 years as on 1.7.2011 for General Candidates(4 attempts) , 21-33 years for OBC candidates (7 attempts) and 21-35 for SC/ST candidates(No limit).


Educational Qualifications :

Bachelor’s degree of a recognised university.


Nationality :

For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India


For other services, a candidate must be either :


(a) a citizen of India, or


(b) a subject of Nepal, or


(c) a subject of Bhutan, or


(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India with the intention of permanently settling in India. or

(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Srilanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.


Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.


Provided further that candidates belonging to categories (b), (c) and (d) above will not be eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service.


A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him by the Government of India


What is the Exam Pattern for Civil Service Examination ?

Civil Service Examination has three successive stages

1.Preliminary Examination (See About CSAT)
2.Main Examination
3.Interview Test

Main Examination


Main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory. It will consist of a written examination and an interview test. The written examination will consist of 9 papers of conventional essay type in the selected subjects for main examination. Each paper is of 3 hours duration. Blind candidates will, however be allowed an extra time of thirty minutes at each paper.


Paper I One of the Indian languages to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Scheduled to the Constitution. 300 marks


Paper II English 300 marks


Paper III Essay 200 marks


Papers IV and V General Studies 300 marks for each paper


Papers VI, VII, VIII and IX Any two subjects to be selected from the list of the optional subjects. Each subject will have two papers. 300 marks for each paper


Compulsory Papers


Indian Languages


(i) Comprehension of given passages.


(ii) Precis Writing


(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.


(iv) Short Essay


(v) Translation from English to the Indian language and vice-versa.


English


The aim of the paper is to test the candidate's ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express his ideas clearly and correctly in English/Indian language concerned.


The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows :-


(i) Comprehension of given passages.


(ii) Precis Writing


(iii) Usage and Vocabulary


(iv) Short Essay


Note : The papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature; the marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.


Essay


Candidates will be required to write an essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.


Optional Subjects


Optional Subjects for the main examination can be chosen from 25 subjects, and the literature of one of the 30 specified languages.The subjects include Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Anthropology,Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce and accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science and International relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology.


Literature of one of the following languages: Arabic, Assamese, Bodo, Bengali, Dogri, Chinese, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Pali, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.


Candidates will not be allowed to offer the following combinations of subjects :


Political Science & International Relations and Public Administration


Commerce & Accountancy and Management


Anthropology and Sociology


Mathematics and Statistics


Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science


Management and Public Administration


Of the Engineering subjects, viz., Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering–not more than one subject.


Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science



Interview Test: (300 Marks)


Candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination shall be summoned for an interview. It is usually conducted in the month of April/May every year. The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of his career. He/ She will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms this is really an assessment of not only his intellectual qualities but also social traits and his interst in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.


Final Result


Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and posts.


There is also a medical test, especially rigid for IPS. Out of the final candidates selected top rankers are appointed as IAS officers.


Once appointed, all probationary officers of the All India and Central Services undergo a compulsory foundation training.


All the best !