Civil Services in India is a very prestigious career option for many Indian citizens. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil service examination every year, to recruit candidates for 24 different civil services in India. Some of these civil services are very popular and well-known among masses, but there are plenty of other services which are not known to many aspiring candidates or the general public. This article will give more clarity on different civil services in India and also briefly cover the UPSC IAS syllabus.
Among the 24 different civil services in India, some of the most popular civil services are Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), etc. The Indian Administrative Services (IAS) forms the backbone of bureaucracy in India. It is the permanent part of the Government machinery. Although ministers and the political parties which form the Government keep changing as per the mandate given by the people of India in the elections, the IAS cadre ensures that there is continuity in the governance and thereby ensures stability in the country. The Indian Police Service (IPS) officers ensure that law and order is maintained in the country which is a vital factor for the growth of the nation. The officers of Indian Police Service (IPS) also get posted in various other Government investigative departments such as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Enforcement Directorate (E.D.), Intelligence Bureau (I.B.), Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), etc. The civil service in India which is responsible for collection of revenues for the Government is taken care of by the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
In this globalised, highly interconnected, and highly interdependent world, it is very important to have a robust Indian Foreign Service to make sure that Indian interests are protected and promoted in various global platforms like United Nations Organisation (UNO), and many other multilateral groupings like Quad, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral, Technical, and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), etc. If India needs to have excellent bilateral relations with major powers of the Earth, and with its neighbouring countries then it is absolutely important to have a well-trained cadre of Indian Foreign Service officers. Hence, the Indian Foreign Service is a very important part of the civil services in India.
Although the civil services in India are very attractive in terms of prestige, salary, and professional growth, the scope to get inside these civil services is very remote due to intense competition and the difficulty level of the examination. The difficulty level gets compounded because of the massive UPSC IAS syllabus. The UPSC IAS syllabus of the Preliminary examination Paper II covers syllabus such as basic numeracy, numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, data interpretation of data given in graphs, tables, charts, data sufficiency, decision making, mental ability, logical reasoning, analytical ability, communication skills etc. The UPSC IAS syllabus of the Preliminary examination Paper I covers vast syllabus such as general science, panchayati raj, political system, constitution, public policy, rights issues, biodiversity, climate change, biodiversity, economic and social development, world geography, economic geography, physical geography, History of India, Indian national movement, current events of international, and national importance, etc.
The UPSC IAS syllabus of Mains examination is covered very briefly in the given paragraph. Aptitude, Integrity, and Ethics is covered in the General Studies Paper – IV. Topics related to Economic development, Security & Disaster management, technology are covered in General Studies paper – III. The topics related to International relations, Social Justice, Constitution and Governance are covered in General Studies Paper – II. The topics related to Society, Geography of India, Geography of the World, History, Indian Culture and Indian Heritage are covered in the General Studies Paper – I.