Summary

Summary

Serving in the government sector is considered as the most prestigious career option in India. Civil Services pave the way towards becoming IAS, IPS or IFS officers. Every year lakhs of candidates apply for the Civil Service Examination conducted by the centre government’s recruitment body, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Meanwhile, many state governments also conduct similar exams for government jobs at state level. It is a dream career for innumerable candidates due to its power & status, multitude of career prospects, job surety &security, wide scale exposure and work satisfaction. It is one of the most respected professions in the country. It gives the opportunity to work with the country’s policy making body and shape its future.

Career Prospects

The UPSC conducts Civil Service Examination (CSE) every year, on basis of which candidates are selected for the some of the most premier services in the nation. Some of the coveted posts and services are listed below:

  • District Collector (DC)
  • District Magistrate (DM)
  • Cabinet Secretary
  • Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
  • Indian Revenue Service (IRS)
  • Director General Of Police (DGP)
  • Police Commissioner
  • Income Tax Commissioner
  • Indian Police Service (IPS)
  • Indian Information Service
  • Foreign Diplomat
  • Foreign Ambassador
  • Foreign Secretary
  • Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
  • Indian Forest Service (IFoS)

Stream & Eligibility

To pursue a career in Civil Services, a student needs to clear the UPSC’s Civil Service Examination or any state service examination. Broadly, he/ she should clear the below given eligibility criteria*

Streams applicable (post-10th)

  • ARTS/ HUMANITIES
  • COMMERCE
  • NON-MEDICAL
  • MEDICAL
  • A Candidate should be a citizen of India. Persons from Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet refugees can also apply for posts other than IAS and IPS.
  • The candidate should be minimum 21 years of age and maximum 32 years. (The age criterion is relaxed under certain conditions. It may also vary state-by-state)
  • The Candidate must hold a graduate degree in any discipline. (no minimum percentage marks prescribed)
  • A maximum of 6 attempts are allowed at the exam.
* Kindly refer to the latest UPSC notification for specific eligibility criteria and other details.

Courses/Specialization

Mentioned below are the courses or specializations required for a career in Civil Services:

Courses

  • Since graduates from any stream may apply for Civil Service Examination, a candidate can choose any stream and take up any course during Graduation.
  • However, most candidates to opt for graduation courses in Arts/ Humanities with Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, History, Geography, etc. as their subjects.

Specialisations

  • Except for a few, most of the Civil Servants are generalists. They are not required to possess any specialisation in any field. Thus, specialisation is subject to personal interests of a candidate and may be any field.

Skill set/ Interests

UPSC, the recruiting agency for civil services, looks for the following skills in a civil services aspirant:

  • Patriotism
  • Leadership
  • Vast Knowledge
  • Honesty & Ethical
  • Desire to Help People
  • Officer-Like Attitude
  • Dedication & Commitment
  • Innovative Thinking

Major Entrance Exams

CS(P)(Civil Service (Preliminary)

Union Public Service Commission

www.upsc.gov.in

CS(M)(Civil Service (Mains)

Union Public Service Commission

www.upsc.gov.in

IFoS(M)(Indian Forest Service (Main)

Union Public Service Commission

www.imu.edu.in

Top Colleges in India

After clearing UPSC’s CSE, a candidate is allotted a service cadre such as the IAS, IPS, IFS, etc. Training of selected candidates takes place in premier academies/institutes such as:

College / University Entrance Exam Website
Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration CS(P)&(M) www.lbsnaa.gov.in
Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel National Police Academy CS(P)&(M) www.svpnpa.gov.in
Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute, India CS(P)&(M) www.meafsi.gov.in
National Academy of. Direct Taxes, Nagpur CS(P)&(M) www.nadt.gov.in
Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun CS(P) & IFoS(M)) www.ignfa.gov.in
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi CS(P)&(M) www.tedu.iift.ac.in
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi CS(P)&(M) www.iimc.nic.in
National Academy of Audit and Accounts, Shimla CS(P)&(M) www.naaa.gov.in
National Institute of Financial Management, Faridabad CS(P)&(M) www.nifm.ac.in
National Academy of Defence Production, Nagpur CS(P)&(M) www.nadpindia.gov.in
Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad CS(P)&(M) www.asci.org.in
National Academy of Indian Railway (NAIR), Vadodara CS(P)&(M) www.nair.indianrailways.gov.in
National Academy of Customs Indirect Taxes and Narcotics, Faridabad CS(P)&(M) www.nacin.gov.in

Top Colleges in Himachal Pradesh

Below is a list of premier academies/institutes situated in Himachal for training of Civil servants:

College / University Entrance Exam Website
National Academy of Audit and Accounts, Shimla CS(P)&(M) www.naaa.gov.in/en-IN/
Himachal Pradesh State Institute of Public Administration, Shimla HPAS & Allied www.himachal.nic.in

Important Facts

  • Every State of India has a State Public Service Commission (SPSC) conducts its own exam to select candidates for state services.

Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC)

  • HPPSC looks after the recruitment process for civil services in Himachal Pradesh.
  • It conducts entrance exam and interviews for Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services (HPAS). To be eligible, a candidate must be a citizen of India, between 21 to 35 years of age and must possess a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized university. Reservation benefit can be availed on parental basis by candidates of Himachal Pradesh only.
  • The commission (HPPSC) also conducts completive exam for H.P. Subordinate Allied Services (which includes Inspector Cooperative Societies, Election Kanungo, Panchayat Inspector). A candidate aspiring for allied services should be between 18-45 years of age and a graduate in any stream. However, for appointment to Class-III post(s), the candidate should have passed Class 10th and 12thfrom any School / Institution situated within Himachal Pradesh.
  • Other than this, it also conducts the staffing process for Himachal Pradesh Judicial Services (HPJS), State Forest Services (HFS), NaibTehsildar, Forest Rangers, State Accounts Services, Medical Officer, College Cadre Lecturers, etc.
  • For more details, please refer to the link: www.hppsc.hp.gov.in/hppsc
  • Apart from above, Staff Selection Commission (SSC) recruits for all Group “B” and Group “C” posts in the various Ministries/Departments of the government.

Staff Selection Commission (SSC)

  • Staff Selection Commission (SSC), headquartered in New Delhi, is an employment body for Government of India.
  • Services covered by SSC SSC recruits staff for:
    • All Group “B” posts : These services comprise executive positions in supervisory roles such as Chief Inspectors, Principal Appraisers, Sub-Inspectors, Inspector, Junior Engineers, Accounts Officer, etc.
    • All non-technical Group “C” posts: These are ground level services comprising mostly supportive and non-supervisory jobs. They include roles such as Clerks, Stenographers, Typist, Technicians, Mechanics, Telephone operators, Staff Drivers, Cashiers, Electricians, etc.
    • It also holds competitive examinations for Lower Division Clerks, Grade “C” and Grade ‘D” Stenographers, Assistants, Inspectors of Central Excise, Sub-Inspectors (CBI & Central Police), Divisional Accountants, Auditors and Accountants (under CAG), Junior Engineer (Civil & Electrical) in CPWD, Statistical Investigators, Tax Assistant, Section Officer (Audit), etc.
  • Exams conducted by SSC In total, SSC conducts nearly 7-10 tests for recruitment to different services and posts. Two of the most prominent exams are:
    • SSC-CHSL (Combined Higher Secondary Level (10+2) Examination)
      The SSC-CHSL is a national level exam for various lower level posts such as Junior Secretariat Assistant, Data Entry Operator, Postal Assistants/Sorting Assistants, Lower Divisional Clerk, Court Clerk, etc. To be eligible, a candidate needs to have cleared Class 12th and must be between the ages of 18 to 27 years. If one is not able to complete his graduation for some reason, SSC-CHSL is a worthwhile option as one can start working in government offices right after completing school education.
    • SSC-CGL (Combined Graduate Level Examination Examination)
      The SSC-CGL, on the other hand, is an assessment test for recruitment in Group B & C posts under various government Ministries & Departments. To be eligible, a candidate needs to possess a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university and must be between the ages of 18 to 32 years. Certain posts such have specific educational requirements such as:
    • Assistant Audit Officer/ Assistant Accounts Officer give preference to candidates with a background in Commerce, Accounts or Management
    • Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator posts require Bachelor's Degree with Statistics as one of the subjects
  • For more details, please refer to the link: www.ssc.nic.in