Indian Civil Services refer to the permanent executive branch of Indian Government. Civil Servants are bureaucrats and also employees of Government of India, with the responsibility of administering the country. The decisions taken by the elected representatives of people are executed by these bureaucrats and also the responsible departments they head.
The roots of civil services are from the colonial period of India. Earlier the civil services were known by the name of Imperial civil services of India and were established by Warren Hastings. In the initial period, the civil servants where British and over a period of time, Indians were included but the powers were limited. Post-Independence it was renamed as Indian Civil Services.
Candidates are appointed to the Civil Service in India through examination process mainly conducted by a central recruiting agency of the government by UPSC. Through the civil services, exam candidates are appointed to 24 various services of the government. They are
- Indian Administrative Service.
- Indian Foreign Service.
- Indian Police Service.
- Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), Group ‘A’.
- Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Revenue Service (I.T.), Group ‘A’.
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group ‘A’ (Assistant Works Manager, Administration).
- Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’.
- Post of Assistant Security Commissioner in Railway Protection Force, Group ‘A’
- Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Information Service (Junior Grade), Group ‘A’.
- Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’.
- Indian Corporate Law Service, Group ‘A’.
- Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade).
- Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Group ‘B’.
- Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service, Group ‘B’.
- Pondicherry Civil Service, Group ‘B’.
- Pondicherry Police Service, Group ‘B’.
Civil Services Exam
The civil services exam is conducted by UPSC is in 3 stages, namely the preliminary exam, mains exam and the interview stage. This exam is regarded as one of the toughest exam in India considering the high competition level and very few vacancies. The exam is conducted once in a year and over ten lakh aspirants apply for the exam.
The first two stages of the exam that is the prelims and mains exam consist of various subjects. Most of the marks are allocated to papers with general studies subjects like current affairs, polity, economy, history, Geography, Science and Technology, etc. In the preliminary exam aptitude of the aspirant is also tested. Candidates who get above the required marks stipulated by UPSC as a cut-off will take up the successive exam. Finally, the personality of the candidate is tested in the interview stage.
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