If you dream of a career that brings lots of authority and power, respect and popularity, a career that makes one an icon, an idol, a career that enables you to contribute to society meaningfully, then Civil Services is indeed a very attractive opportunity for you. The Civil Services, comprising careers in the IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS etc. is the acme of many and most young Indians' ambitions. Many devote themselves to achieving this holy grail of careers; many others are intimidated by the very idea of competing with so many other aspirants and give up on their dreams of becoming an IAS officer because they are afraid that they will not be able to beat the competition. Certainly, Civil Services deserves the kind of reputation that it holds among students. Civil Services provides an unparalleled career opportunity - the amount of authority and the magnitude of responsibilities that even a freshly appointed civil servant enjoys are much higher than those held by people who are well-established in other fields. For this reason, today, Civil Services is the most coveted among career options in India. But, it also means that the competition for the limited number of Civil Services posts is sky high.

Civil Services include all state and central government offices and offer jobs not only in better known sectors like the IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service)and IPS (Indian Police Service) but also select departments of the Indian Railways, Revenue Service, Postal Service, Audits, Customs, etc.

Career Roles & Responsibilities

#1

Effectively communicating on all official matters. For example, as a district magistrate, you may have been assigned a budget to dig wells. Seek the help of the farmers and residents around to understand where it is needed the most. Communicate with governmental bodies to understand the water tables and water levels. Consult other Indian civil servants in neighbouring districts that may have similar projects. This will help create the best possible outcome.

#2

Studying and analyzing information on policies and procedures. Understand their purpose and determine if and how they should be implemented. There are policies like Swachch Bharat Abhiyan implemented at all levels of the government. You could study and understand how a policy like this could be carried out in your department.

#3

Managing a limited budget efficiently and effectively. Most government bodies work within a limited budget assigned to them by planning commissions. It is important that you use that budget efficiently to make the changes in the lives of the people you serve.

#4

Creating high-quality reports on the policies implemented or new systems that you come up with. These can be studied for their effectiveness and then be applied similarly in other places.

#5

Researching and analysing economic and political data. Submit your research findings to your seniors. This data will help you to form decisions for the department you have been assigned.

#6

Keeping an eye on economic and political issues so you are aware of current happenings. This is necessary for you to correctly advise ministers on the steps to take when circumstances change.

Career Education Path Summary

School Level Preparation

• To become a civil servant, one must choose an arts stream with subjects like public policies, administration, political science at a senior secondary level.
• After qualifying 10th, while pursuing your senior secondary classes (10+2), start preparing for public services exams such as UPSC to get the best job in the government sector.

• Graduation Level Preparation

• After qualifying 10+2 exams, you need to have at least 75% to get admitted to a decent college and complete a 3 years graduation degree.
• At the bachelors level, you can pursue BA in Public Policy and Administration or BA in political science.
• It is recommended that post your graduation, you should enroll yourselves for a public services coaching to get some experience about the competition level.

• Post Graduation Level Preparation

• There is no need to pursue a PG Course as the only eligibility criteria to be a civil servant is a Bachelor degree course. 
• But if you want to get in-depth knowledge about the respective field even after that you can start your preparation.
• You can pursue MA in public policy or MA in public administration to become a civil servant in India.