IAS: Full Form, Exam, Roles and Responsibilities, Eligibility Criteria, Designations, and Salary 2023

IAS Full Form Overview

IAS stands for Indian Administrative Services. The IAS is one of the most desired government services. To be recruited into the IAS, one must pass the UPSC Test, which is held yearly. To understand the underlying concept of this service, one must first learn the entire form of IAS. 

Facts about IAS Officers

Satyendranath Tagore was India's first IAS official.

Anna Rajam Malhotra was India's first female IAS officer. In 1951, a woman qualified for the Civil Service Test.

Kiran Bedi joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972. She is the first Indian woman to be appointed to the Indian Police Service (IPS).

IAS officers are stationed in a variety of settings, including rural, urban, and semi-urban areas.

Ansar Ahmad Shaikh, born on June 1, 1995, is India's youngest IAS officer.

Who is IAS Officer and What is IAS Full Form?

Together with IPS and IFoS, the IAS is one of the country's three All-India services. IAS stands for Indian Administrative Service. It is the primary administrative civil service of the Indian government, which serves as the foundation for the country's bureaucracy and administration. During the British era, it was known as the Indian/Imperial Civil Service (ICS). Upon independence, ICS was renamed IAS (the abbreviated form of Indian Administrative Service). In terms of ranking, the IAS is at the top of the list of 24 services given by the UPSC through the Civil Services Exam (CSE). Positions available to IAS officers include SDM, Collector, Commissioner, Chief Secretary, and Cabinet Secretary, to name a few. Unlike politicians, who are transitory executives, the IAS is a permanent executive branch of the Indian Government.

IAS Full Form Highlights

The following table gives details about the IAS officer-

How to Become an IAS Officer in India?

1. IAS officers serve both the Government of India and state cadres, depending on their deputation. The following are some of the details required to become an IAS Officer in India-
2. A degree from a recognized institution is the minimal educational requirement for becoming an IAS officer.
3. Direct recruits - In India, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is in charge of recruiting IAS officials, as well as IPS, IRS, and other elite Group A (and a few Group B) services. 
4. The UPSC hires officers for the All India Service and the Central Service through the famous Civil Service Test.
5. Promotion from the civil service of the state.

Read more about How to Become an IAS Officer in India?

What is IAS Exam?

The famous IAS Test began in 1858 as the Imperial Civil Service. It was created in 1950 as the Indian Administrative Service, or IAS. The Union Public Service Commission, or UPSC, is in charge of administering the IAS exam each year. Candidates who meet the qualifications may be appointed directly by the Union/State governments or allocated to positions at the district level. Every year, lakhs of prospective individuals from all social strata and classifications take the test. It is divided intothree stages-

Preliminary Examination

There are two examinations (GS I and GS II/CSAT) at this level, both of which are based on objective style questions with multiple choice responses. The prelims test is a qualifying exam that is used to select students for the main exam. The marks obtained in the preliminary exam are not used to determine the final list of candidates. The following are the details of the preliminary examination-

Mains Examinations

The main examination consists of nine papers. There are two required papers (English and Indian Language papers), one essay paper, two optional papers, and four GS papers. Apart from the required two exams, the remaining seven papers are graded to determine the candidate's ranking and Main Stage selection. A candidate is only eligible for the main exam after passing the preliminary exam. The main exam has just descriptive papers. The following are the UPSC Mains examination details-

Personality Test

This is the final level of the UPSC recruitment process. The UPSC board is in charge of it. The major aim of this final step is to assess applicants' numerous personality attributes such as confidence, honesty, integrity, empathy, awareness of ground realities, and so on. In general, the questions posed during the interview stage include situational to evaluate administrative abilities, realistic to test the candidate's honesty, timely to test the candidate's smartness, and current world events to test the candidate's general knowledge and curious mind. It is worth 275 points.

Eligibility Criteria for IAS Full Form 

To be eligible for the IAS test, a candidate must have earned a graduate degree from any recognized university in India. The candidate must be 21 years old and less than 32 years old as of the 1st August of the year of notification, i.e. if the UPSC notice is released in 2023, the minimum age will be computed as of 1 August 2023. The maximum age limitations vary according to the categories listed in the table below-

It is vital to note that your attempt will only be counted if you are present for the test. Just submitting the form does not constitute an attempt. Applicants complete the form but skip the preliminary exam to save their effort in the event of a lack of preparation or other concerns. It is also crucial to note that if a candidate is selected for the IAS or IFS (Indian Foreign Service) and chooses to join that service, he or she cannot retake the UPSC CSE test. An IPS, on the other hand, can retake the UPSC CSE Exam to compete for the IAS rank.

IAS Full Form Nationality Qualifications

1. Candidates for the IAS and IPS services must be Indian citizens.
2. The applicant must be acitizen of India / a subject of Nepal / a subject of Bhutan / a Tibetan refugee who arrived in India before January 1, 1962, / a person of Indian origin (PIO) who has relocated to India to dwell permanently in India.

IAS Officer Duties

1. The most challenging duty is field assignment. This is why the Civil Service Test is so difficult. An IAS officer's responsibilities include managing the concerns of the central and state governments, such as policy formulation, implementation, and revision.
2. Consultations with different departments.
3. Central government funds earmarked for various initiatives are distributed.
4. Supervising the government'spreviously adopted initiatives and policies.
5. Giving quick aid and dealing with emergency events such as natural disasters, significant accidents, and riots.
6. An IAS officer's job is determined by the sorts of assignments they get. There are three categories of assignments-

• Field

• State Secretariat

• Central Secretariat

Read more about the List of Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in India.

Roles and Responsibilities of IAS Officer

The distinguished position of an IAS officer entails a variety of functions and responsibilities. An individual with the highest sincerity, patience, and a wide range of different qualities is picked to serve in this distinguished position. The following are the functions and responsibilities of an IAS officer-

1. The tasks and responsibilities assigned to an IAS officer change as they advance in their career.
2. An IAS official is in charge of many governmental matters spanning from the district to the state level.
3. Traveling to locations where the corresponding policy is to be applied.
4. Creating policies to distribute necessary cash for related matters.
5. If an officer is assigned to complete his or her duties at the state or sub-divisional level during his or her career, he or she must accept law and order responsibilities.
6. The candidate must carry out developmental responsibilities at the district level.
7. They may serve as state secretaries or as heads of government ministries.
8. At the central level, an officer is responsible for developing and executing important policies.

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IAS Full Form Designations 2023

The nomenclature of IAS officers differs by state. This is because the terminology of the state administrative apparatus differs from state to state. Yet, the major responsibilities of IAS officials across the country have remained mostly unchanged. The titles/positions held by IAS officials in their respective careers are mentioned below-

1. IAS officers' designations when on assignment in the field.
2. Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO).
3. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
4. Joint Collector/ Chief Development Officer (CDO).
5. District Magistrate (DM)/District Collector/Deputy Commissioner.
6. Divisional Commissioner.
7. Member Board of Revenue.

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Monthly Salary of an IAS Official in India - 7th Pay Commission

The new pay structure has done away with the pay grade system for the various Indian government services in favor of consolidated pay levels, as recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission. The IAS (Indian Administrative Service) pay scale is now based only on the basic pay plus TA, DA, and HRA.

Read more about the IAS Salary and Ranks and Upcoming Government Exams in India.