What is the IAS exam?_ IAS or Indian Administrative Service was earlier known as Imperial Civil Service (ICS). It is a civil service exam and one of the toughest competitive exams in India. This exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit officers for the All India Administrative Civil Services. Join the Doon IAS Academy for the best in your career.
Establishment:
- In 1858, as the Imperial Civil Service
- From January 26, 1950, it came to be known as Indian Administrative Services or Indian Administrative Service.
- The Indian Administrative Service is the premier administrative service of the Government of India. Hierarchically – IAS – is the highest administrative post among 24 different services like IPS, and IFS.
- Popularly known as the IAS exam, this exam officially called Civil Services Examination (CSE) is conducted every year by the Union Public Service Commission, the central recruiting agency.
- The IAS is a permanent bureaucracy in India and an important part of the executive branch. It is one of the three All India Services, and its cadre can be employed by the Central Government, State Governments, and Public Sector Undertakings.
- Indian Administrative Service is one of the prestigious services among 24 government services like IPS, IFS (Foreign), IFS (Forest), IP & TAFS, IAS, IRS, IDAS, CMSE, IRTS, IRAS, IRPS, ITS, CAPF-AF has been termed as
- All the above examinations are conducted by the UPSC as Civil Services Examination for the selection of suitable candidates for various services. Every year lakhs of candidates try their luck for these prestigious posts and appear in this exam putting their hard work to the test.
- As an IAS officer, one gets an opportunity to serve in various roles like Collector, Head of Public Sector Units, Commissioner, Chief Secretary, and Cabinet Secretary.
- When an IAS officer is deputed outside India, they may work with various government organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the United Nations (UN), or its agencies, and the ASEAN Can work with Development Bank.
- Before starting the registration it is very important for an IAS aspirant to understand the UPSC syllabus, pattern, eligibility criteria, application process, and other exam requirements in detail.
Highlights of the IAS Exam
UPSC conducts Civil Services Examination every year to shortlist candidates in more than 20 civil services like IAS, IPS, and IFS. On average, more than 8 lakh candidates register for the IAS exam, and around five lakh candidates appear for the exam. The selection of candidates in the UPSC exam is done through three stages – preliminary exam, main exam, and interview/personality test. Like every year, this year also the long selection process will start in the month of May and will end in month of April next year. The final merit list for the CSE exam will be released in May.
- Examination – Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
- level of examination – national
- Organizing Body – Union Public Service Commission
- Exam Type – Offline (Pen & Paper Based)
- Mode of Application – Online
- Withdrawal of Application – Yes, there is a provision
- Negative Marking – Yes, Applicable
- Total number of services – 24
- number of attempts – 6
- Gender – Male / Female / Transgender
- Age Limit – Minimum 21 Years and Maximum 32 Years
- Total number of vacant posts approx – 1105
- Mode of Admit Card – Online
- Number of registrations – more than 8 lakhs
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 Prelims Exam Date
Union Public Service Commission released the exam notification for Civil Services Examination 2023 on 01 February 2023. As soon as the Civil Services Examination notification is issued, the process of receiving applications for the examination will also start. The last date for receipt of applications is 21 February 2023, i.e. candidates can submit their applications by 21 February 2023 for appearing in the examination. Only online mediums can be used for the application.
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 Preliminary Examination will be held on 28 May 2023.
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 Main Exam will be conventionally conducted on the upcoming 15, 16, 17, 23, and 24 September 2023, for a total of five days.
As per the UPSC IAS Exam Schedule 2023, the Civil Services Exam will be conducted in two sessions each day. The morning session of UPSC Civil Services will be held from 9 am to 12 noon and the second session from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Civil Services Prelims 2023 Exam Date
On 28 May 2023, UPSC will conduct the IAS Prelims 2023 exam in pen and paper mode i.e. traditional mode. Candidates may note that the UPSC Civil Services 2023 exam will be based on the calendar released in December.
UPSC IAS notification 2023
UPSC, Notification for Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023 (UPSC IAS Exam 2023 Notification in hindi) was released on 01 February 2023. Candidates aiming for All India Services as well as other services can apply online from 01 February to 21 February 2023. All applications will be received by the Commission till 21 February 2023, 6 pm. UPSC CSE notification has been released for around 1105 vacancies out of a total number of vacancies earmarked for candidates belonging to the Benchmark Disability category. For more details, candidates are advised to refer to the official notification of UPSC.
UPSC IAS Main Exam 2023 Dates
Union Public Service Commission will release the dates for the main exam along with the release of UPSC IAS preliminary results on its official website. IAS preliminary exam results can be announced in August 2023. Only those candidates who qualify in IAS Prelims will be eligible to appear in IAS Mains 2023. The commission conducts the IAS Mains exam for a total of five days i.e. IAS Mains 2023 will be held on the 15th, 16th, 17th, 23rd, and 24th of September 2023. Candidates are advised to check the complete information and timing details regarding the dates of the Civil Services Main Examination 2022.
UPSC IAS Exam 2022 Important Dates
- UPSC Civil Services Exam Notification 2023 01 February 2023
- CSE 2023 Application Start Date 01 February 2023 & Last Date 21 February 2023
- CSE 2023 Preliminary Exam Date 28 May 2023
- SSE 2023 Prelims Result June 2023
- CSE 2023 Main Exam Date 15 September 2023 (for 5 days)
- CSE 2023 Main Exam Result November / December 2023
- IAS 2023 Final Result June 2024
IAS application form 2023
The window for IAS Application Form 2023 will be activated by the Union Public Service Commission on 01 February 2023, candidates fulfilling all the eligibility conditions set by the Commission and willing to appear in the exam can register for the IAS exam by 21 February 2023.
Candidates need to fill out the application form for IAS carefully. A single mistake made in the IAS application form can lead to rejection of the candidate’s candidature and they may have to apply again next year. So, we advise all the candidates to check the UPSC Online Application Form 2022 page of Careers India for detailed steps.
Following are the steps to fill out the IAS Online Application Form 2023 –
- Go to the official website of UPSC www.upsc.gov.in
- Go to Apply Online Tab
- Click on Apply Online for Various Exams
- Search Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam
- Start IAS Registration with Part-1
- Fill in all your personal details like name, gender, category, nationality, your educational qualification, etc. After that go ahead. (Note that it is mandatory to fill in the fields marked with a star.)
- Pay the prescribed application fee (Rs 100)
- Select Exam Center
- Upload photograph, signature, and photo ID
- Click on the Declaration check box
- Recheck all the details and submit
- Download the IAS Application Form and take a printout of it for your future reference
What will be your role as an IAS officer?
An IAS officer, as a District Collector, has the responsibility of handling the administrative command of the entire district.
An IAS officer represents India at the international level in bilateral and multilateral negotiations.
Following are the detailed details like eligibility criteria, role, responsibilities, etc. for the upcoming Civil Services Exam 2023.
main course
introductory course
Eligibility criteria
1. Nationality:
For Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, and Indian Police Service, the candidate must be a citizen of India.
A candidate must be a citizen of India, Nepal, or Bhutan
The candidate must be a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 01, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
The candidate must be a person of Indian origin who has come to India with the intention of permanently settling in Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam,
Note: The candidate covered under the above-mentioned points must have the eligibility certificate issued by the Government of India in their favor.
A candidate who is required to produce the eligibility certificate may be admitted to the examination, but the offer of appointment may be made to that candidate only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued by the Government of India.
2. Educational Qualification:
A candidate applying for the Civil Services 2023 exam is required to fulfill the following criteria –
- The candidate must have a graduation degree from any recognized university.
- Candidates who have appeared for the qualifying exam and are awaiting results or who have not yet appeared for the qualifying exam are also eligible to appear in the UPSC CSE preliminary exam. Such candidates will have to submit the certificate of passing the said examination along with the application for the Main Examination.
- If the candidate has a professional and technical qualification recognized by any Government or equivalent, they will also be eligible to apply.
- Candidates who have passed in the final year of MBBS or appearing in the final year of any medical examination but still have not completed their internship. They can also appear in the main examination. However, they will have to submit a certificate from the concerned university that they have passed the final professional medical examination.
3. Age Range:
As on 01 August 2022, the minimum age of a candidate should be 21 years and his maximum age should be 32 years. But they should not have been born before 02 August 1990 and not later than 02 August 2001. Necessary action will be taken to make corresponding changes in the rules/regulations related to various services.
The following candidates will be given relaxation in the upper age limit prescribed above –
- For Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) – Maximum relaxation of 5 years
- For Other Backward Classes (OBC) – Maximum relaxation of 3 years
- For Defense Services Personnel – Relaxation up to a maximum of 3 years
- Maximum 3 years relaxation will be given if the candidate has been disabled in military action during hostilities or hostilities in any country or disturbed area and has been discharged as a result of these incidents.
- Commissioned officers and ex-servicemen including ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered military service for at least five years as on August 1, 2022, will be given a maximum relaxation of 5 years.
- In the case of ECOS/SSCOs – A maximum of 5 years
- Maximum relaxation of 10 years will be given for blind, deaf and hard of hearing, orthopedically handicapped persons.
- Maximum of 5 years in case of Emergency Commissioned Officers/Short Service Commissioned Officers who have completed an initial period of 5 years of military service as of 1st August 2022 and in military service thereafter extended beyond 5 years and in whose case a certificate from the Ministry of Defense is to be issued that they can apply for civil employment and on selection in civil employment they will be relieved on notice of 3 months from the date of receipt of an offer of appointment.
4. Number Of Attempts:
The restriction on the maximum number of attempts is effective since 1984.
- The number of attempts till the age of 32 years is 6 for general category candidates.
- There is no limit on the number of attempts for SC/ST candidates till the age of 37 years.
- For OBC candidates the number of attempts till the age of 35 years is 9.
- The number of attempts is 9 for Physically Handicapped candidates in the General and OBC categories, while there is no limit for Physically Handicapped candidates in SC/ ST category.
Various Category for Candidates
Number Of Attempts SC / ST OBC PWBD
Unlimited 09 for General 09/ EWS/ OBC and Unlimited for SC/ ST
Roles and Responsibilities
The role of an IAS officer is a very prestigious one, it carries a lot of responsibilities along with respect and honor. It is very important for an officer to be physically and mentally fit to handle the pressure of his work area without any stress. The roles and responsibilities of an IAS officer on deputation are as follows-
- Handling government affairs, including the formulation and implementation of policies in consultation with the minister concerned.
- Implementing policies through supervision and travel to sites where approved policies will be implemented.
- Disbursement of funds through personal supervision in implementing the policies.
- Accountability to Parliament and State Legislatures for violation of any rule while on duty
- The tasks and responsibilities differ at different career levels.
- Initially, IAS officers join the state administration at the sub-divisional level and then resume their services as sub-divisional magistrates, looking after law and order, and general administrative and development work in the area assigned to them. Are.
- The post of District Officer is also known as District Magistrate or District Dandanayak, District Collector, and Deputy Commissioner. It is a highly respected and responsible post for IAS officers.
- At the district level, an IAS officer handles the district-level affairs along with implementing the development programs.
- An IAS officer may also be appointed in the State Secretariat or may work as Head of Departments or Public Sector Undertakings.
- They can serve in various positions from state to center and vice versa. This is done through deputation.
- An IAS officer serves at the highest level as Cabinet Secretaries, Secretaries/Additional Secretary, Joint Secretaries, Directors, Deputy Secretaries, and Under Secretaries. IAS officers are appointed to these posts on the basis of seniority.
- In the formulation and implementation of policies related to a particular sector, IAS officers play a key role. For example finance and business etc.
- During the formulation of any policy and decision-making, IAS officers working at various levels ie Joint Secretary, and Deputy Secretary give their valuable advice.
- Depending on the gravity of the situation the policies are given final shape through the final decision of the concerned minister or cabinet.
What is the salary of an IAS officer?
After going through the roles and responsibilities of an IAS officer in detail, the candidate must have understood that civil services are not chosen for the attractive pay and perks, although the pay scale of an IAS officer is attractive. Is. Candidates must understand that IAS is neither a profession nor a better career option to earn more profit. In fact, they should think that as an IAS officer, they will be a part of nation-building for the future and will also make valuable contributions towards it.
There has been a huge increase in the salary structure of a civil servants with the 6th Pay Commission and it was further increased in the 7th Pay Commission in 2016. Despite frequent Central Pay Commission hikes, many argue that the salary offered to an IAS officer does not match the perks offered by a private company. However, due to the powers and responsibilities of an IAS officer, candidates give the least preference to benefits and perks.
Here we are displaying the post-wise current pay scale of an IAS officer. The source of the following data is the 7th Pay Commission.
Post pay scale grade pay or grade pay
- Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or SDO Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,000 Rs 16,500
- Deputy Collector (after two years of probation) Rs.50,000 to Rs.1,50,000 Rs.16,500
- District Officer or District Magistrate (DM) Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,001 Rs 20,000
- Collector Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,001 Rs 20,000
- Joint Secretary (Government of India) Rs.50,000 to Rs.1,50,001 Rs.20,000
- Special Secretary Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,002 Rs 23,000
- Heads of government departments Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,002 Rs 23,000
- Secretary (Minister) Rs.1,00,000 to Rs.2,00,000 Rs.26,000
- Principal Secretary Rs.1,00,000 to Rs.2,00,000 Rs.30,000
- Chief Secretary (State) Rs.2,25,000 –
- Central Secretary (Ministry of Govt.) Rs.2,25,000 –
- Cabinet Secretary of India Rs.2,25,000 –
IAS admit card 2023
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is responsible for issuing the IAS Admit Card (UPSC IAS Admit Card 2023 in Hindi). Candidates who have successfully submitted their online application form can download their admit card from the official website of the Commission – www.upsc.gov.in. Candidates may note that separate admit cards will be issued for UPSC IAS Prelims and UPSC IAS Mains. Also, the admit card will be available for download till the date of examination on the official website. Remember that the process to download the admit card for IAS Prelims and IAS Mains is the same. Follow the following steps to download the IAS e-admission certificate –
Candidates have to visit the official website of UPSC – www.upsc.gov.in to download the IAS Admit Card.
Go to the e-admit card tab on the home page.
Click on the e-admit card for various exams.
Go to the relevant link and enter the login details
Download the IAS Admission Certificate and take a printout of it for future reference.
Note – Candidates must be fully aware of the details printed on the IAS Admit Card. So, we advise the candidates to keep reading our UPSC Admit Card page.
How to become an IAS officer?
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is one of the All India Services, which includes the Indian Police Service and the Indian Foreign Service. There are three ways to become an IAS officer – through the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, through promotion as an IAS officer from a State Civil Service Officer, and through the selection of non-State Civil Service officers.
The best way to become an IAS officer is to clear the Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC as it will lead you to the highest position i.e. Cabinet Secretary. Civil Services is a common examination conducted every year to shortlist candidates for various services, such as IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, IAAS, etc. In order to clear the civil services with good marks and become an IAS officer, the candidates must have complete knowledge about the important stages of the exam.
Phase 1: Civil Services Preliminary Examination
CSE preliminary exam is the first stage of the selection process for the Civil Services Examination. It is also considered the screening round of the selection process. Civil Services Preliminary is an objective type examination consisting of two question papers and a total mark of 400. Paper – I consist of General Studies subjects like History, Geography, Polity, Science, Environment, etc. Whereas Paper II is Civil Services Aptitude Test or Civil Services Aptitude Test, also known as CSAT. It consists of comprehension, communication and interpersonal skills, decision-making, basic numeracy, etc. The preliminary exam, a screening test, is conducted only to shortlist the candidates for the main exam. To appear in the Mains (Written) Examination, the candidate must obtain a minimum of 33% marks in CSAT as prescribed. Question Paper – I of the preliminary exam mainly consists of current affairs while question paper – II or CSAT is the aptitude test.
Phase 2: Civil Services Main Examination
Candidates who qualify in the preliminary examination and obtain the minimum cut-off marks will be eligible to appear in the main examination, the number of candidates to appear in the main examination will be approximately twelve to thirteen times the total number of vacancies.
The main examination is conducted to assess the overall intellectual qualities of a candidate. It consists of nine question papers along with two qualifying papers. However, the merit is counted only for Essays, General Studies, and Optional papers. Candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the main examination as prescribed by UPSC will be called for an interview or personality test. The total number of candidates to be called for an interview will be twice the total number of vacancies.
Stage 3: Personal Test or Interview
The personal test or interview process will be conducted at the headquarters of the commission located in Delhi, interview is conducted for a total of 275 marks. Candidates may note that there will be no minimum qualifying marks for the Personal Test. Marks obtained by the candidate in the main examination and interview will be added to the final ranking. Candidates will be allotted various services like IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, etc. on the basis of marks obtained and preferences. Candidates should note that apart from selection through Civil Services Examination, UPSC recruits state government officers as IAS officers. Promotes to the post.
How to Avoid Common Mistakes in Civil Services Mains Exam?
The first stage of the UPSC IAS selection process i.e. preliminary exam is followed by the Civil Services Main exam, which is its second stage.
UPSC will shortlist around 12,000 candidates for the main exam and around 2500 candidates for interviews i.e. personal tests after getting success in the preliminary exam candidates should not make any mistakes in the main exam. Unfortunately, some candidates unknowingly commit common mistakes in traditional exams. Hence, Careers India has listed here the common mistakes that aspirants can avoid making common mistakes in the Civil Services Mains Exam.
- Candidates should not write anything irrelevant in the answer sheet.
- Candidates should know that irrelevant matters are not considered for answers.
- The candidate should not reveal his/her identity in any part of the answer sheet.
- Candidates should avoid writing partially in ink and pencil on the answer sheet.
- Candidates should avoid appealing to the examiner as it will affect all parts of the question paper.
- The handwriting of the candidate should be neat and legible.