Career in Civil Services and Different Groups Involved

Civil Services are losing their shine as a career option day by day.  It is seen that they are not given so much importance and reputation today as they were given in past. One should be aware of the fact that civil services are still a high ranked career option for young students. Civil Services constitute all non-military departments of the government that run State Administration. The duty of the Central and the State Civil Servants is to ensure that the constitutional guarantees and entitlements are brought within the reach of every citizen.

Besides the lure for power and perks, civil services provide enough scope for a dynamic person with zeal and desire to bring qualitative changes in the functioning of the government. These services even provide opportunities that can ameliorate the lives of millions of Indians. The most attractive part of this service is the benefits and the comforts provided by the government. The social status that is established by this government job as a civil servant provides you prestige and reputation within the society. Civil services get you the job security which is the major positive point of this service.

Civil service at present is a legacy of the British. ICS officers during the British Raj were bestowed with immense administrative powers. Their main tasks were the preservation of law and order, dispensation of justice and collection of taxes. However, civil servants today operate within the framework of a democratic welfare state focusing on development and progress of the country. To be frank one can say that unlike many other occupations civil service is more of a vocation than a job. You can be sure that success will follow you, if you are self disciplined and self confident. If you are a civil servant, you should make use of your time properly and productively, and have qualities of a professional.

Civil services gets you the most important and reputed jobs that every individual look for. Candidates for several central and state services are selected through the Civil Services Examination. These candidates are selected by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The services provided to these candidates include Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

IAS and IPS are All India Services. If you are selected for these services then it means you have achieved a big goal. Such services provide safeguards for national unity and ensure the uniformity of the administrative system throughout the country. This is done to maintain the minimum common administrative standards. Candidates selected for these two services are appointed to different state cadres. They can also be moved to Central Government jobs on deputation if required.

The remaining civil services are categorized in two Central Services that are Group A and Group B.

The Group A includes the services like:

Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS)

Indian Railway Protection Force (IRPF)

Indian Railway Traffic Services (IRTS)

Indian Railway Accounts Services (IRAS)

Indian Postal Service

Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS)

Indian Revenue Service (IRS)

The Indian Information Service (IIS)

Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS),

Indian Defense Estate Service (IDES),

The Indian P &T Accounts & Finance Service

Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IA &AS)

Indian Defense Accounts Service (IDAS)

The Group B Services for which recruitment is made through civil services are the following:

Central Secretariat Service, (Section Officer Grade)

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Group B (Assistant Civilian Staff Officer Grade)

Railway Board Secretariat Service (Section Officer Grade)

Customs Appraisers’ Service Group B.

The Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Civil Service Group B.

The Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Police Service Group B.

Pondicherry Civil Service Group B.

Tags: Civil, Civil Services, Civil Services Examination, IAS, ICS, State Administration