The Indian Civil Service has several vacant jobs which is primarily because of the coronavirus pandemic this 2020. Government officials are working proactively to take care of Kerala state and the nation based on their set of responsibilities.

What can we understand about the Civil Service?

India’s Civil Services form the executive branch of the government. The services hold a prime responsibility; to run the administration of the country with functionality and efficiency. In simple words, the government of India needs Civil Services support to enforce the law.

Major Civil Services in India

The Civil Services in India generally work at the Central and State Levels, popular ones being Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Kerala Administrative Services (KAS) respectively. Other popular positions include Indian Foreign Service (IFS) as well as Indian Police Service (IPS).

Let’s understand their roles in th Indian Civil System:

• Indian Administrative Services is quite a powerful role in the National forefront. Becoming an IAS officer means, you will be handling the administrations as well as daily functions of the government. Followed by that, IAS officers can implement government policies starting from the grassroot level; moreover, work dedicatedly to improve and maintain the law and order of the specific regions under their purview.
• Kerala Administrative Service is a high priority profile in Kerala. With this position, you can bring about drastic administrative changes amid Kerala state. The role begins with Junior Time Scale positions; followed by that, you can eventually advance to IAS within 8 years of service. This in fact applies for all state level administrative positions.
• If you prefer being in association with managing foreign relations for our nation, the Indian Foreign Service can really help you reach heights. Professionals working in IFS are an integral part of the Indian government for serving diplomatic missions and act as a representative for India before international organizations and events.
• When we look at the Indian Police Service, you’ll understand its importance. It caters to the safety of the common public. IPS officers mostly work at district-levels whereas, IAS officers work on a national level. Association with the Central Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence Bureau and more takes place here.

Skills needed to work in Civil Services

It’s not easy to become a KAS or IAS officer. There’s a set of qualities and ethics you need to be holding to give justice to your job. Here’s the primary set of skills needed:

• Strong ethics: You need to  be able to distinguish between what’s right and what’s wrong if you become an administrative officer. Don’t worry, you can get trained in KAS and IAS with the best educators!
• Resilience: To be competent enough to face challenges at work while staying determined is also important.
• Responsiveness: Proactiveness and quick responding to emergency situations is what’s also expected from this job.
• Honesty: A display of transparency, integrity and honesty in tasks done by you and your team is important while being an administrative officer.
• National Interest: Keeping the country before you is the utmost important duty you need to keep in mind while signing up for a job this intense and important.

Get into Civil Services: Steps to Follow

To go to the basics, you first need to have dedication for the field and be extremely driven by it. Followed by that, you need to prepare for the Civil Service Examination which is conducted each year by the UPSC viz Union Public Service Commission. Here’s a better understanding of the preparation stages:

• Phase 1:Prepare for the preliminary papers which comprise multiple choice questions. Areas like English comprehension, History, Political Sciences and more are tested here.
• Phase 2: Appear for the Main examination provided, you’ve cleared the prelims. It comprises 9 written papers, followed by an interview-format personality test. Top subjects in the Mains include constitution of India, English, Essays, Ethics, Governance and more.

Appear but, keep in mind the Criteria for Civil Examinations

Basic requirements include you to be a Indian citizen. Followed by that, a basic undergraduate degree is required and you need to be at least 21 years of age to write the exam. There are benefits for the minorities, SCs, STs and OBCs which include unlimited attempts and hold higher age limit for writing the exam.

In conclusion…

Writing the Indian Civil Service Examination can be very competitive and difficult. However, take inspiration from Tina Dabi (the IAS officer who helped contain COVID-19 spread in Rajasthan), Nirupama Menon (the first IFS officer female ambassador to China) and Shivdeep Waman Lande (the IPS officer who helped catch mafias, illegal wine shops and more in Mumbai region.)

Make your state, and country proud by bringing about real administrative changes in India with such examinations. Mould yourself towards change and never look back. For courses, check out Direction’s coursepacks to never miss out of an administrative service examination preparation.