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The Civil Services, is the permanent executive branch in the Republic of India. The civil service system is the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country.

The civil service is a subdivision of government which is usually grouped with the Executive, and without which governments cannot function. These are men and women who establish the permanent staff of the departments of governments. They are expert administrators.The civil service is the term used to designate servants of the state or the central government employed as civilians. It does not include ministers or cabinet members or the Judiciary

There is immense importance of the civil service system in the administrative system which acts as most vital tool for governance of India. In post-independent, India civil service was reorganised.

There are three tiers of administration that include Union/Central Government, State Government, and Local Government. Gradually, with time, the role of civil services has transformed that depend on the schedule of the governance of that specific period.During British period, enforcement of law and order and collection of revenue was major duty of civil services officers. After Independence, civil services has imperative role in implementing national and state policies of welfare and planned development.

 

About Civil Services 

Throughout the country, these services have been the most sought after careers by youngsters. The Civil Service forms the backbone of the Indian government structure. It is the service, which heads all the major departments which run the state and central administration. The three types of services recruited through the Civil Services Examination are All India Services, Central Services, and State Services.

Here is the complete list of the civil services jobs for which combined examinations are held. The UPSC rank allotment decides which service you will get. Students are asked to list the services as per their preferences. The higher your rank the more you get a post of your choice. UPSC ranks and services almost go hand in hand. The upsc rank structure has been followed all along and your position in that upsc rank list gets you into these services. You do get to write the exam again but once again upsc rank wise post for that year is alloted.

The services can be broadly classified into three categories namely, the All India Services, Centralo Civil Services Groups A and B.

All India Services

Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

• The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is an All India Administrative Civil Service of India.
• IAS officers hold key and strategic positions in the Union Government, States and public-sector undertakings.
• IAS is a permanent bureaucracy in India. It forms a part of the executive branch of the Government of India providing stability and neutrality to the administration.
• Unlike other civil services post, once a candidate is appointed for Indian Administrative Services or Indian Foreign Services, he/she becomes ineligible to take the civil services examination again unless the job is relinquished.
• After being selected in the UPSC Exam, candidates undergo training at LBSNAA, Mussoorie for IAS.

The IAS is the most sought-after service among all the services. Apart from the IAS salary and perks which are attractive, the power and prestige enjoyed by an IAS officer in society is indeed inspiring.

Indian Police Service (IPS)

• The Indian Police Service (IPS) is not a force itself, but is responsible for providing leaders and commanders to staff the state police and all-India Central Armed Police Forces. Its members are the senior officers of the police.
• IPS officers are recruited from the state police cadres and from the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission every year.
• The training of the candidates appointed as IPS officers is conducted at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad. Read more on IPS training.
• IPS officers rise up to be the commanding leaders of the various security and paramilitary forces in India such as the IB, CBI, SSB, etc.

Group ‘A’ Civil Services

Indian Foreign Service (IFS)

• The Indian Foreign Service or IFS is the administrative diplomatic civil service under Group A and Group B of the Central Civil Services of the executive branch of the Government of India.
• It is one of the two premier Civil Services (other being IAS), as appointment to IFS renders a person ineligible to reappear in the CSE.
• The IFS is a Central Civil service as Foreign policy is the subject matter and prerogative of Union Government.
• Some of the offices held by the members under this service are Ambassador, Consul General, High Commissioner, Foreign Secretary and Permanent Representative of India to the UN.
• An IFS probationer first gets training at the LBSNAA, after which he/she receives a more detailed training at the Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi in various subjects imperative to diplomacy, including international relations theory, Foreign Policy of India, trade, diplomatic practice, History, administration, International Law, hospitality and protocol.

Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS)

• The Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS) is an Indian Central Government service under the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and free of control from any executive authority.
• The IAAS Officers serve in an audit managerial capability and are accountable for auditing the accounts of the Union and State Governments as well as Public Sector Organizations and to maintain the accounts of State Governments.
• IAAS officers are trained majorly at the National Academy of Audit and Accounts in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
• After training, the Officer Trainees are posted as Deputy Accountants General (DAsG) or Deputy Directors (DDs).

Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS)

• The Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) is one of the Civil Services of India under Group “A”. ICAS operates under the Department of Expenditure in the Union Ministry of Finance.
• The ICAS officers are trained in three phases.
  • First, for the 10 months at the National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM), Faridabad and National Academy of Direct Taxes at Nagpur together with the officers of Indian Defence Accounts Services, Indian Postal-Telecom Accounts and Finance Services.
  • After NIFM, the second training begins at the Institute of Government Accounts and Finance (INGAF).
  • The final and third phase of training is On-The-Job-Training (OJT).
• The cadre management of Group ‘A’ officers of the Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) falls under the Controller General of Accounts who take care of their entire personnel management recruitment, transfers, promotions, training, etc. both abroad as well as within the country.

Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS)

• The Indian Corporate Law Service or ICLS is the governing service for corporate sector in India.
• ICLS officers function under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs of the Indian Government.
• The chief function of ICLS is to empower and govern the corporate sector of the country and to defend the rights of the investors, particularly small investors.
• Training for this service is at Manesar, Haryana Campus of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) where they are trained in finance, accounting, management, law and economics.

Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS)

• The Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) is one of the Central Civil Services under Group ‘A’, which is primarily responsible for auditing defence accounts.
• The IDAS officers are defence civilian officers who function under the Ministry of Defence.
• The appointed candidates undergo training in grounds at Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Meerut, and Pune.
• The three defence services that the IDAS works for are DRDO, BRO and Ordnance Factories. It also serves other inter-services organisations.
• The Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) is the head of the Indian Defence Accounts Service and functions as internal Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer to the three services chiefs (DRDO, Border Road Organisation, Ordnance factories).

Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES)

• IDES officers work at the Defence Estates Organization (DEO) whose primary mandate is to manage and administer the civil affairs of cantonments and defence land in the country.
• The selected candidates undergo the training at the National Institute of Defence Estates Management (NIDEM) located in New Delhi.

Indian Information Service (IIS)

• The IIS officers are the “media managers” of the government.
• They serve the vital purpose of acting as a communications agent between the government and the people.
• They work under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in various media units such as Doordarshan, Press Information Bureau, All India Radio, etc.
• After the initial basic training, the IIS officers undergo specialised training at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) for nine months and are later attached with different media units like DDN, DFP, DPD, NSD:AIR, PIB, RNI and NMW of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
• At the apex level, the IIS officers become heads of the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)

• The Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) is one of the Group ‘A’ civil services of the Government of India.
• IOFS Officers are Gazetted defence-civilian officers under the Ministry of Defence.
• The IOFS officers are accountable for the management of the Indian Ordnance Factories. These factories engage in the production of defence equipment and arms/ammunition.
• The appointed candidates undergo training for 64 weeks at the National Academy of Defence Production (NADP) in Nagpur. The officers are trained with induction and re-orientation courses in various areas like management, public administration, and technology.

Indian Communication Finance Services (ICFS)

• This service was previously known as the Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS).
• This service provides accounting and financial services to the Indian Posts and Telecommunications departments.
• Officers allotted this service undergo specialised training at the National Institute of Financial Management at Faridabad.
• After the completion of the training successfully, the officers are offered placement in the Department of Post or Department of Telecommunication in the Junior Time Scale Grade.

Indian Postal Service (IPoS)

• IPoS officers are responsible for running ‘India Post’, the largest postal network in the world which provides services ranging from traditional postal services to banking and e-commerce services.
• It also provides non-commercial services such as disbursal of old age pensions and MGNREGA wages.
• The IPoS are the higher grade officers of the post office hierarchy in India.
• The officers allotted this service are given specialised training at Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy (RAKNPA) in Ghaziabad.

Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS)

• IRAS officers are responsible for maintaining and managing the finances and accounts of the Indian Railways.
• After the recruitment, the probationers of the IRAS undergo training programme for two years at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur; Railway Staff College in Vadodara; and specialized training institutes along with on construction organizations, division, manufacturing establishments of the Indian Railways, and zonal railways.

Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS)

• The officers under this service are accountable for managing the Human Resources of the Indian Railways.
• After the recruitment, the IRPS officers undergo general foundation training as probationers at one of the training academies like LBSNAA; National Academy of Direct Taxes; RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration; Dr. Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource Development Institute.
• Later, the officers undergo Railway Foundation Course at Railway Staff College in Baroda which is now renamed as National Academy of Indian Railways.

Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS)

• The Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) is a systemized Group ‘A’ service of GOI.
• The officers of this service are liable for managing the Transportation-Operations and Commercial Wings of the Indian Railways.
• IRTS acts as an interface between the Railways and the public plus the Railways and Corporate sector.
• The IRTS is also accountable for the generation of revenue for the organization.
• Following the basic training as probationers, officers study the Railway Foundation Course at the Railway Staff College in Baroda.
• Later the probationers undergo professional training at the Indian Railway Institute of Transportation Management (IRTM) in Lucknow.

Indian Revenue Service (IRS)

• The Indian Revenue Service or IRS is the administrative revenue service of the Central Civil Services of the Indian Government.
• The IRS operates under the Department of Revenue in the Union Ministry of Finance and is responsible for the collection and administration of the various direct and indirect taxes ensuing to the Union Government.
• After the Foundation Course at the LBSNAA, officers undergo a dynamic training in dedicated areas of convention tax administration (Direct Taxes) along with explosives, unarmed combat, and weapons at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur or the National Academy of Customs, Excise & Narcotics in Faridabad.

Indian Trade Service (ITS)

• The Indian Trade Service (ITS) is a Group ‘A’ Civil Service and is formed as a specialized cadre to deal with India’s International Trade & Commerce based on the recommendations of the Mathur Committee.
• The cadre Controlling Authority of ITS is the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce, which plays an important part in the India’s Foreign Trade with its policy creation and implementation.
• After selection, the candidates undergo training at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) in New Delhi.

Railway Protection Force (RPF)

• The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is a security force of India accountable for the protection of railway passengers and railway property.
• It is commonly known as para military force and the only Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
• The Cadre Controlling Authority is the Ministry of Railways (India).
• After recruitment, the candidates undergo training at the Jagjivan Ram Railway Protection Force Academy in Lucknow.

Group ‘B’ Civil Services

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service

• Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services (AFHQCS) is a service responsible for providing civilian staff, secretarial, housekeeping, clerical, and support services to the headquarters of Indian Armed Forces and Inter-Services Organizations (ISOs) under the Ministry of Defense (MOD).
• The Defence Secretary is the Cadre Controlling Authority of AFHQCS.

DANICS

• The Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Services or DANICS is a Group ‘B’ Civil Service of GOI.
• The officers under this service are liable for various administrative functions of the National Capital, Delhi and the Union Territories.
• They form a feeder cadre of the Indian Administrative Service.
• DANICS Officers are initially posted as Assistant Collector (District Administration, Delhi).

DANIPS

• DANIPS is an acronym for “NCT of Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service”.
• It is a federal police service in India, administering Delhi and the Union Territories of India.

Pondicherry Civil Service

• Candidates who are selected through the civil service examination are appointed to the Pondicherry Civil Services.

Pondicherry Police Service

• Candidates who are selected through the civil service examination are appointed to the Pondicherry Police Services.