Frequently asked questions(FAQ)

 

UPSC

The Civil Services of India runs the entire administration of the country. The elected ministers of India lay down the policies required to properly run the administrative machinery, which is then carried out by the civil servants in various central government agencies. 

These civil servants are selected through the Civil Services Examination (CSE), the toughest nationwide competitive examination in India with a success rate of 0.1-0.3 percent– the least in the entire world. 

The CSE is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to the various civil services in the Government of India. The most prominent of these civil services include the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Forest Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) among others. 

 There are three categories of civil services 

1. All India Civil Services 

The All India Civil Services comprises the following services: 

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) 

Indian Forest Service (IFS) 

Indian Police Service (IPS) 

The officers in these offices are recruited by the Centre, but placed under various State cadres after being trained by the Centre. They have a liability to serve both the Centre and the State. 

Since 2012, the first tier of both the Civil Services Examination and the Indian Forest Service Examination are combined. 

2. Central Civil Services (CCS) 

The Central Civil Services (CCS) is directly concerned with the administration and permanent bureaucracy of the Government of India. The specialised civil services fields in India mostly belong to the central services. 

The CCS are classified into Group A gazette officers, who are appointed by the President of India himself, and Group B gazette officers, who are appointed by President-ordered authorities (except for officers for the Central Secretariat Service, who are selected by the President). 

Recruitment process: 

The recruitment of the CCS is made through the Civil Services Examination, the Engineering Services Examination of UPSC and the Combined Graduate Level Examination of Staff Selection Commission (SSC). 

3. State Civil Services 

The State Civil Services, also called the Provincial Civil Services deal with state related issues, including education, land revenue, forests, agriculture etc. 

Recruitment process: 

The State Public Service Commissions conduct the recruitments for these offices. 

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) 

Cadre controlling authority: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 

Recruitment through: UPSC Civil Services Examination 

Responsibilities: 

IAS officers handle government affairs. They frame policies pertaining to a certain area like finance or commerce, modify the policies if needed and implement them through touring and thorough supervision of fund allocation etc. An IAS officer may have to represent the government in another country or in international forums, and if he/she is a Deputy Secretary, even sign agreements on behalf of the government. 

Training: 

Two years of probationary period follows the appointment of an IAS officer, which is carried out in training schools, the Secretariat, offices on the field and in a District Magistrate’s office. 

He or she works as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate and proves his/her mettle by looking after the law and order, general administration and developmental work in the stipulated area. 

After two years in a junior scale, the officer shifts to a senior scale and starts climbing the ranks. It is only after 24 years of service as an IAS officer, that a personal is prmoted above super time scale and may be designated with positions such as Principal Secretaries and Financial Commissioners. 

Ranks: 

An officer selected into the Indian Administrative Service gets exposure in very diverse roles like the collector, commissioner, head of public sector units, chief secretary, cabinet secretary etc. 

The Cabinet Secretary is the top official who is involved in policy making, followed by Secretary/Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Director, Under Secretary and Junior Scale Officers in that order. 

The top ranking civil servant in the State is the Chief Secretary, who may be assisted by Additional Chief Secretaries; at the district level, it is the Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate, while the Divisional Commissioner is the top official in charge of his division at the divisional level. 

IAS officers may get prestigious posts such as Finance Secretary, Development Commissioners and Home Secretary. 

Indian Forest Service (IFS) 

Cadre controlling authority: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change 

Recruitment through: UPSC Indian Forest Service Examination 

Responsibilities: 

The IFS officers sustain the environment and the ecological balance through strict implementation of the National Forest Policy. They work to conserve, protect and develop forests and wildlife. 

Moreover, they also look towards developing the livelihood of forest-dependent communities in rural and tribal areas. 

Where do they work? 

IFS officers work in various forest and wildlife related national organisations such as the Wildlife Institute of India, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Forest Survey of India, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) etc. 

Ranks: 

IFS officers have the following ranks– Assistant Conservator of Forests – Probationary Officer, Divisional Forest Officer (DFOs), Deputy Conservator of Forests, Conservator of Forests (CFs), Chief Conservator of Forests (CCFs), Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Addl. PCCFs), Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF) (highest post in a State), Director General of Forests (India) (highest post at Centre). 

 Indian Police Service (IPS) 

Cadre controlling authority: Ministry of Home Affairs 

Recruitment through: UPSC Civil Services Examination 

Responsibilities: 

IPS officers look after public safety and security, which includes prevention of crime and its detection, accident prevention, traffic control and management etc. The IPS is not a law enforcement agency, but all senior level police officers belong to IPS, irrespective of their agency of work. To promote greater efficacy in work, the police service has certain subdivisions– Crime Branch, Traffic Bureau, Home Guards and Criminal Investigation Department (CID). 

Training: 

The recruitment and training period for IPS extends to almost 2 years in total and is the  longest in all the services. The training period includes learning the language of the allotted state cadre. 

Apart from the usual eligibility criteria, which are the same for other services, IPS officers need to clear special physical tests as well after they are allotted to a particular IPS as per his rank. 

Where do they work? 

An IPS officer can serve in security and intelligence based national organisations such as the Central Reserve Police Force, Central Bureau of Investigation, Border Security Force, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau etc. They can also get placed in several PSUs and CAPFs. They also get opportunities to work with international organisations such as the United Nations, International Cricket Council, Interpol, various embassies around the world etc. 

Ranks: 

IPS officers can be a Director General of Police, thus looking after the law in the entire state, a Superintendent of Police looking after law on a district level, a Deputy Commissioner taking care of metropolitan cities, or a Commissioner of Police looking after a city. A Commissioner of Police possesses magisterial powers. 

(1) For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of           India.  

(2) For other services, a candidate must be either:  

(a) a citizen of India, or  

(b) a subject of Nepal, or  

(c) a subject of Bhutan, or  

(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or  

(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.  

Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.   

A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India

Minimum Educational Qualifications: The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification. 

Note I:—Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the Commission’s examination but have not been informed of the result as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. 

 All candidates who are declared qualified by the Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite examination along with their application (i.e. Detailed Application Form-I) for the Main Examination, failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Main Examination. Such proof of passing the requisite examination should be dated earlier than the due date (closing date) of Detailed Application Form-I of the Civil Services (Main) Examination. 

Note II: In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat a candidate who does not have any of the foregoing qualifications as a qualified candidate provided that he/she has passed examination conducted by the other Institutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies his/her admission to the examination. 

Note III: Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications which are recognised by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible for admission to the examination. 

Note IV: Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S. or any other Medical Examination but have not completed their internship by the time of submission of their applications for the Civil Services (Main) Examination, will be provisionally admitted to the Examination provided they submit along with their application a copy of certificate from the concerned authority of the University/Institution that they had passed the requisite final professional medical examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required to produce at the time of their interview original Degree or a certificate from the concerned competent authority of the University/Institution that they had completed all requirements (including completion of internship) for the award of the Degree 

The Civil Services Examination will consist of two successive stages.  

(I) Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Main Examination; and 

(II) Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various Services and posts noted above.  

The Candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination will have to apply online again and submit on-line Detailed Application Form-I [DAF-I] along with scanned documents/certificates in support of date of birth, category {viz. SC/ST/ OBC (without OBC Annexure) /EWS [Economically Weaker Sections] (without EWS Annexure) /PwBD / Ex-Serviceman} and educational qualification with required Examination Fee.  

The candidates who are declared to have qualified Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to mandatorily indicate order of preferences only for those services participating in the Civil Services Examination for the year, for which he is interested to be allocated to, in the on-line Detailed Application Form-II [DAF-II], before the commencement of Personality Tests (Interview) of the examination. Further, the candidates who wish to indicate IAS/IPS as their Service preference are advised to indicate all the Zones and Cadres in the order of preference in their on-line DAF-II as per the extant Cadre Allocation Policy applicable for the Civil Services Examination, 2020. With this DAF-II, a candidate will also be required to upload documents/certificates for higher education, achievements in different fields, service experience, OBC Annexure (for OBC category only), EWS Annexure [for EWS Category only], etc. 

Minimum Educational Qualifications: The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification. 

Note I:—Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the Commission’s examination but have not been informed of the result as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. 

 All candidates who are declared qualified by the Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite examination along with their application (i.e. Detailed Application Form-I) for the Main Examination, failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Main Examination. Such proof of passing the requisite examination should be dated earlier than the due date (closing date) of Detailed Application Form-I of the Civil Services (Main) Examination. 

Note II: In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat a candidate who does not have any of the foregoing qualifications as a qualified candidate provided that he/she has passed examination conducted by the other Institutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies his/her admission to the examination. 

Note III: Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications which are recognised by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible for admission to the examination. 

Note IV: Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S. or any other Medical Examination but have not completed their internship by the time of submission of their applications for the Civil Services (Main) Examination, will be provisionally admitted to the Examination provided they submit along with their application a copy of certificate from the concerned authority of the University/Institution that they had passed the requisite final professional medical examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required to produce at the time of their interview original Degree or a certificate from the concerned competent authority of the University/Institution that they had completed all requirements (including completion of internship) for the award of the Degree 

DAF (Detailed Application Form) 

DAF filling for UPSC Civil Service Mains Exam is the most important stage for Mains Exam. The candidates who are cleared Civil Service Prelims need to apply for Civil service Mains DAF application.  

DAF corresponding of Detailed Application Form for Civil Services Main Exam UPSC. The DAF form is applicable for those who clear CSE Prelims 2019. For the General and OBC category candidates the fees to be paid is Rs.200/-, but there is total fee exemption for female and SC/ST candidates. 

The online DAF has 6 steps, like-  

Personal Information 

Educational Information 

Parental Information 

Employment Information 

Upload documents 

Final Submission. 

The Candidates need to fill all the steps completely before finally submitting the Form ONLINE, using the Final Submission Module. 

Candidates need to upload scanned copies of certificates like proof of Age, Educational Qualification, Community Certificate, PH Certificate, etc. as said in the Instructions to Candidates for filling in the DAF. 

Every year there can minor differences in the processing and filing of the DAF. 

For example, The DAF print out along with the necessary documents had to be mailed to UPSC before 2016, After 2016 it is online other documents are scanned and Uploaded.  

 The Scanned copies need to be clear and correct, If there are any mistakes in filling the DAF or uploading the scanned there is a chance of rejecting the Application. 

 After filling the basic details the DAF summary sheet will be produced(usually the last two sheets). The summary sheet will comprise of your profile will include your hobbies and interests. Be careful while filling DAF the interview questions may arrive based on what you have written on the DAF summary sheet. 

Service and Cadre Preference 

Before filling this section take your own time to think and the fill according to service priority and cadre preference once you selected then it is irreversible.   

This is one of the most common doubts UPSC aspirants have.  

There is no wrong time to do the right thing. So, one must start their IAS exam preparation as early as possible as it has its own advantages. It will help not only aspirants prepare and focus better but also give them enough time to cover the entire syllabus and revise multiple times(at least once). 

However, candidates should start preparing at least a year in advance with a focused approach, essential with a proper strategy to cover the vast syllabus. Having a proper study plan is a must. 

They should start preparing in advance and set short-term and long-term study plans/goals to cover all topics. Lack of proper time management and delaying practice/revision sessions could hamper their preparation. Also, studying for long hours continuously should be avoided. 

For freshers who have decided to give the exam after their graduation or want to prepare while working, your right age begins with your current age.  If you start preparing for the exam right away, chances are that you might succeed at attaining a post at a young age. This will have an added advantage during your career progression. So, begin now. 

You can choose any optional from the list of UPSC Optional subjects. But before you choose an optional keep in mind that, optional subject will be a inseparable part of your preparation until you become an officer. 

Choose that subject which interests and makes you feel good when studied.  

Try selecting a subject which has some overlapping with general studies subjects. 

Optional subject needs to be studied for at least 2 hours every day. Make sure it will bore you.

Yes, candidates can opt for any subject of any discipline. There is no restriction imposed on candidate to chose a subject from UG/PG level.

Though lakhs of aspirants apply and write this exam, the real competition is between only 2000-3000 serious aspirants. Those who study systematically and consistently, get into service. If you do the same, you will be one among them. Don’t have fears even before you start. You must enter the race and work hard to win it.