How to Become an IAS Officer : Step by Step Guide

While the Indian Government has all the responsibility in making and breaking policies for the citizens of the country, it’s the ‘All India Services’, under the Civil services of India, that are responsible for implementing and administering the said policies. Hence, they are vital in the administration of the country and hold a high position in providing a sane environment for the citizens. There are three major services that come under this category – The Indian Police Service (IPS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the most important of them all, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). These are the bureaucratic backbone of our nation and do not have any political affiliation. The civil services is a very competitive examination where over 10L candidates appear every year for less than 1000 vacancies! The Kamaraj IAS Academy is the best IAS academy in Tamil Nadu where we train IAS aspirants to achieve their dreams. If you are an IAS aspirant, this blogpost will guide on how to become and IAS officer.

 

Firstly, What Does an IAS Officer Do?

Basically, an IAS officer works alongside the ruling government, assisting them in administration and policy framing. Their responsibilities also include implementing the said policies and providing feedback to the respective ministry about the status and effects of the implementation. They control the disbursement of funds in the district, maintain law and order, manage crisis, collect revenues and more. An IAS officer is answerable to the Parliament and State Legislatures and most likely begin their career at sub-divisional level duties. At the district level, an IAS officer can become the District Magistrate, Collector or Commissioner. At the state or Center, they may serve as Cabinet Secretary, Joint Secretary, Under Secretary, Deputy Secretary, or at positions at the State Secretariats. They may also serve as Head of Departments of various Public Sector undertakings. The job of an IAS officer involves massive responsibilities that also give them the opportunity to improve the society in general. Kamaraj IAS Academy, an IAS academy in Chennai understands the responsibilities of an IAS officer and prepare the candidates to face all the responsibilities with grit and precision.

IAS officer salary

One of the most sought-after public sector jobs in India, IAS comes with great rewards along with responsibilities. Apart from getting opportunities of power and to work with the political elite, civil services in general pay you well. A junior IAS Officer salary is close to INR 80,000 a month along with the possibilities of allowances such as House rent and Travel. Senior IAS officers salary such as Cabinet secretaries earn about INR 2.5 lakh per month! The Kamaraj IAS Academy encourages the candidates who enrol with us clear all the stages of the civil services examination with precision and ensures that they reach the destination they deserve.

Eligibility and Other Requirements

This could help understand ias officer qualification and other requirements. The IAS and IPS exams are open only to Indian citizens. Candidates applying for the exam must have at least an undergraduate degree from a university recognized by the Association of Indian Universities. Candidates with correspondence education or qualification recognized by the Indian Government are also eligible to apply. Age limit is something the UPSC examiners are quite strict about. Only candidates within the age group of 21 to 32 can apply. Age relaxation is however applicable for OBC – 3 years, and SC/ST – 5 years. Another important factor is the number of attempts possible for a candidate. Candidates from the general category can try to clear the exam for up to 6 attempts while OBCs get 9 attempts and SC/ST candidates get unlimited attempts until they reach the allowed age limit. At the Kamaraj IAS Academy in Chennai, we work towards helping the candidates to clear the civil services examination in the first attempt itself. Our students find our training system easy to follow and with frequent mock tests, we prepare them to give their best at the examination. Now, to the main topic of discussion:

How to Become an IAS Officer in India

To become an IAS officer, one must clear all the three stages of the Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC namely:

  • Preliminary
  • Mains
  • Interview/Personality Test

Prelims is comparatively easy to clear, while only the most prepared candidates could crack the mains and Interview. Hence, it is obvious that to become an IAS officer in India, one must follow a certain preparation strategy. Here are the various phases that are necessary to clear the civil services examination.

1) Knowing the mountain, you are going to conquer

The most important part of the civil services examination is knowing the exam pattern and syllabus and preparing oneself to face the examination. Kamaraj IAS Academy, the best IAS Academy in Tamil Nadu recommends you to keep a copy of the syllabus on your table and refer to it whenever you could so that it motivates you to prepare. Another recommendation would be to glance through previous year question papers, which would give you an idea about the questions that are usually asked.

2) Strong Foundation is the Key

Having strong foundation in the subjects is fundamental. Kamaraj IAS Academy can help you by referring various sources that gives you a fair idea, starting with the NCERT books! NCERT gives the basic knowledge about the subjects in the syllabus, and you can refer to more standard books once you have the base.

3) Master Current Affairs

Knowing current affairs is significant for IAS as the preliminary examination would have direct questions from what is happening around us. You can either cover the newspapers and relevant magazines daily that will give you important information or join the Kamaraj IAS Academy in Chennai where current affairs are covered in our courses.

4) Practice and Mock Tests

Answer writing and mock tests are two strong pillars in the preparation of IAS exams. At the Kamaraj IAS academy, we provide mock tests that help in analysing your preparation and give insights on the weak areas. We also provide practice in answer writing, which helps in developing your writing skills and perfecting them.

5) Revise Frequently

Every time you study something new, it is important to revise them, especially dates and places that you often tend to forget. Kamaraj IAS Academy in Chennai regularly conduct revision sessions, that help you to improve your memory and encourage you to prepare even better. The Civil service examination in general is quite competitive and it requires a lot of preparation to get ahead. You can prepare on your own, but it is always best to go to an institute that helps you prepare better with regular training, mock tests and more. Kamaraj IAS Academy is best IAS Academy in Tamil Nadu that helps you give your best at the UPSC examination. We have experienced and well-informed tutors who make the process easy for you and enable you to face the exam with courage.