Service Profile of an IAS Officer - By JagranJosh

Recruitment:

Civil servants are the permanent bureaucracy in India forms an inseparable part of the executive branch of the Government of India, thus providing continuity to the administration. They hold key and strategic positions in the Union Government, States and public-sector undertakings.

At present, there are three modes of recruitment to IAS:

• Through the Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC every year;
• Through promotion of State Civil Service officers to IAS; and
• Through the selection of non - State Civil Service officers.

Roughly 66 (1/3%) posts are meant for Direct Recruitment and 33 (1/3%) posts are meant for promotion quota.
Direct recruit IAS officers are allocated to State cadres/ Joint State Cadres on the basis of their rank, preference and availability of vacancy.

Most IAS officers start their careers in the state administration at the sub-divisional level as a sub-divisional magistrate. They are entrusted with the law and order situation of the city along with general administration and development work of the areas under their charge.

Designations held by IAS officers during field posting are as follows:

1)    SDO/SDM/Joint Collector/ Chief Development Officer (CDO)
2)    District Magistrate/District Collector/Deputy Commissioner
3)    Divisional Commissioner
4)    Member Board of Revenue
5)    Chairman of Revenue

Besides the above-mentioned posts, a lAS officer can be appointed in autonomous organisations/subordinate organisations/PSUs/UN Organizations/international organisations like the World Bank, Asian development banks in various capacities. They can also serve as Personal Secretaries to Ministers in Central Government. There is provision for deputation of lAS officers to private organisations also for a fixed tenure.

Grade & Position held under the State Government Or Central Government

 The following table shows the Positions held by an IAA officer under the State Government and central Government with respect to the grade of service and years in service.

Grade & Position held under the State Government Or Central Government
Junior Time Scale (Initial Year)	Sub-Divisional Magistrate in a sub-division of a district/Section Officer in state secretariat (Entry) /Assistant Director to Government of India.
Senior Time Scale (4th year)	Additional District Magistrate/Additional Collector/Additional Deputy Commissioner of a District or Under Secretary in the State Government.
Junior Administrative Grade (6th year)	District Magistrate/Collector/Deputy Commissioner of a District or Additional Secretary in the State government or Joint Director/Deputy Secretary to the Government of India.
Selection Grade (10th year)	District Magistrate/Collector/Deputy Commissioner of a District or Special Secretary in the State government or Director in the Government of India.
Super Time Scale (17th year)	Divisional Commissioner in a division or Secretary in the State government or Joint Secretary to Government of India.
Above Super Time Scale (24th year)	Principal Secretary in the State Government or Additional Secretary to the Government of India.
Apex Scale (31st year)	Chief Secretary of States or Secretary to Government of India.
Cabinet Secretary Grade (35th year)	Cabinet Secretary of India (Only one post).

**The posts may differ from state to state due to local administrative reasons

The highest ranking civil servant is the Cabinet Secretary. He is ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board; the chief of the Indian Administrative Service and head of all civil services under the rules of business of the Government of India. He also holds the 11th position in the Order of Precedence of India which is a great honour in itself. The position holder is accountable for ensuring that the Civil Service is equipped with the skills and capability to meet the everyday challenges it faces and that civil servants work in a fair and decent environment.

Designations during Posting in Secretariat of State Government/ Central Government

An IAS Officer may hold various posts at different levels as under:-

Posts held by IAS Officer

Sl. No.	Designation	Remarks
1.	Under Secretary in Government of India	Gets Senior Time Scale (PB-3 with Rs 6600 Grade Pay) after completion of four years of service.
2.	Deputy Secretary in Government of India	Gets Junior Administrative Grade (PB-3 with Rs 7600 Grade Pay) after completion of 9 years of service
3.	Director in Government of India	Gets Selection Grade (PB-4 with Rs 8700 Grade Pay) after completion of 13 years of service.
4.	Joint Secretary to Government of India / Secretary in State Government	Gets Super time Scale (PB-4 with Rs 10000 Grade Pay) after completion of 16 years of service.
5.	Additional Secretary in Government of India / Principal Secretary in State Government	Gets Higher Administrative Grade after completion of 25 years of service.
6.	Secretary to Government of India / Chief Secretary	Gets Apex Scale (Rs 80000 fixed) after completion of 30 years of service.
7.	Cabinet Secretary	90000 fixed

 
Procedures Governing Promotion

In the career span of an IAS officer he is eligible for raise in salary and promotions. The promotions take place after evaluating the performance on the basis of Performance Appraisal Reports, vigilance clearance and scrutiny of overall record of the officers concerned by following laid down procedures. The scrutiny for promotion is done by a Committee of senior civil servants constituted for the purpose. Promotions are dependent on the time period spent by an officer in a particular grade. Specified number of years of service is a pre-requisite to be eligible for promotion. These time-bound promotions have been envisaged to attract and retain the best talent in the country.

Assessment of Suitability for Promotion & Posting

For posting, promotion and manning of posts held in the Centre and State Government and in order to judge their suitability for various assignments, on annual basis, performance of each and every officer is captured through an instrument of Performance Appraisal known as Performance Appraisal Report i.e., PAR. This report is initiated by the officer himself, listing out the various achievements and completion of activities with reference to targets assigned to him and mutually agreed upon and this report is written and commented by the next immediate officer and further reviewed by the officer higher in hierarchy than the Reporting Officer. For All India Services, there is one more authority who accepts the PAR reported and reviewed by the Reporting Officer and Reviewing Officer.

The functions of an IAS Officer broadly include; 

1) Collection of revenue and function as Courts in revenue matters; 

2) Maintenance of law and order, 

3) function as Executive Magistrate, 

4) function as Chief Development Officer (CDO) /District Development Commissioner, 

5) supervision of implementation of policies of the State Government and Central Government, 

6) travel to places to oversee implementation of policies and supervision of expenditure of public funds as per norms of financial propriety.

7) Moreover, an IAS officer has a crucial role to play in the process of policy formulation and decision making as at various levels like Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary they give final shape to policies.

8) To handle the daily affairs of the government, including framing and implementation of policy in consultation with the minister-in-charge of the concerned Ministry;

In any democracy, Ministers or the member of parliaments are responsible to the people through Parliament and the civil servants have to be accountable to the Minister. Hence, an unbiased civil service is responsible not only to the government of the day, but to the Constitution of the land to which they have taken an oath of devotion.

They also handle the daily affairs of the government, including framing and implementation of policy in consultation with the minister-in-charge of the concerned Ministry. Civil Servants have the constitutional mandate to advice the political executives.

Broadly speaking, an IAS officer is responsible for maintenance of law and order, revenue administration and general administration in the area under him. The major reason of having a permanent lobby of bureaucrats is that they act as an intermediate between public and government by good execution and deliverance skills.

Regulations Governing IAS

IAS officers are regulated through different All India Services Rules such as AIS (Conduct) Rules, 1968, AIS (PAR) Rules, 2007, AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958, AIS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, AIS (Pay) Rules, 2007 etc. which are made under the powers conferred by the All India Services Act, 1951.

 Content courtesy: https://www.jagranjosh.com/articles/designations-held-by-an-ias-officer-1483618527-1

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