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IAS Full Form

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IAS Full Name

IAS is the abbreviated form for Indian Administrative Service. This service is the administrative arm of the All-India Services and this is an All-India Civil Service. In India, this is considered the premier civil service. IAS is one of the three arms of the All-India Services, other two are the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service.

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IAS Full Form

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The IAS Full form or IAS long form is Indian Administrative Service. Now we will learn about ‘IAS meaning’ - The Indian Administrative Service (IAS abbreviation) is the topmost and considered to be the most prestigious administrative civil service conducted by the Government of India. The IAS officers who are working in this field hold the key and they occupy the strategic positions in the Union government and in the public sector undertaking. These IAS officers are recruited along with the other officers who excel in the field of IRS, IFS, and IPS through the exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (abbreviated as UPSC). 

UPSC is considered to be a very difficult and challenging exam. As already said, along with the Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFS), IAS is one of the three all-India services. Its cadres (who are the group of specially trained people) are employed by the central and state Governments. IAS was constituted in the year 1946. Prior to the name IAS, the Indian Imperial Service served the purpose from the year 1883 to the year 1946. After knowing ‘What is the full form of IAS?’ We will know about IAS officers. 

Initially, the IAS officers join the state administration at the sub-divisional level as an SDM and here they look after the law department and order.


What is an IAS Officer?


What is the Full Form of IAS Officer?

The IAS Officer full form is Indian Administrative Service Officer. How to become an IAS Officer? What are the qualifications required? Salary and other aspects will be discussed in the prevailing section.


Educational Qualification Required to Become an IAS Officer

A candidate aspiring to be an IAS Officer (IAS Officer full form is Indian Administrative Service Officer) must be a graduate from any recognized university, this will help them to apply for this prestigious job, IAS. Each year an exam is scheduled by the Union Public Service Commission. This IAS exam is considered to be the toughest exam in India. Toughest in the sense as the exam is extremely competitive in nature. 

For example: In the year 2012, over 5 lakhs students applied for this exam from which only 170 were finally recruited for the IAS post. This is the standard being maintained by the exam.


Functions of an IAS Officer

The functions of an IAS Officer are as follows:

  1. An IAS Officer maintains the Law and Order and it also checks the general administration under his working area.

  2. An IAS Officer handles basically all the daily affairs of the Government, who have appointed the Officer.

  3. Functions like Executive Magistrate, Chief Development Officer/District Development Commissioner are performed by an IAS.

  4. The IAS officer makes the policies and also makes a decision.

  5. IAS officer distributes funds and resources for implementing these policies

  6. They need to travel to specific places to oversee, check, and implement the policies

  7. An IAS officer ensures zero irregularities in the fund allocation and management


Designations Offered to the IAS Officers 

The designations which are being offered to an IAS Officer are as follows:

  • SDM, Joint Collector, Chief Development Officer (CDO)

  • District Magistrate, District Collector, or Commissioner

  • Divisional Commissioner

  • Under Secretary in Government of India

  • Deputy Secretary in Government of India

  • Director in Government of India

  • Joint Secretary to Government of India

  • Secretary to Government of India

  • Cabinet Secretary


Salary Structure of an IAS officer


GRADE

Position in State Government or Central Government

Pay Scale

Cabinet Secretary Grade

Cabinet Secretary of India

INR 90,000

Apex Scale

Chief secretary of states, union secretaries in charge of various ministries of the government of India

INR 80,000


Above super time scale

Principal secretaries/financial commissioners in states, additional secretaries to the government of India

INR 67,000-79,000


Super time scale

Divisional commissioner in a division or secretary in state government or position of joint secretary to the government of India

INR 37,400-INR 67,000 plus grade pay of INR 10000


Selection grade

District collector in a district or special secretary in the state government or a director in the central government

INR 37,400-INR 67,000 plus grade pay of INR 8700


Junior administrative grade

Joint secretary in the state government or a deputy secretary in the central government

INR 15,600-INR 39,100 plus grade pay of INR 7600


Senior time scale

Chief development officer or municipal commissioner in a district 

or under-secretary in the state or o.s.d in central government

INR 15,600-INR 39,100 plus grade pay of INR 6600


Junior time scale

A sub-divisional magistrate in a subdivision of a district (entry)


INR 15,600-INR 39,100 plus grade pay of INR 5400



Historical Facts on IAS 

  • During the East India Company (EIC) period, the civil services were then classified mainly into three – covenanted, uncovenanted, and under special civil services. The covenant civil service, or the East India Company's Civil Service (HEICCS), largely consisted of civil servants who occupied senior posts in the government sectors. Uncovenanted civil service was introduced only to help the entry of the Indians into the lower rank of the administration system. The special service consists - specialized departments, like the Indian Forest Service, the Imperial Police, and the Indian Political Service, their ranks were drawn from either the covenanted civil service or from the Indian Army. 

  • The Imperial Police consisted of many Indian Army officers among its members. After the year 1893, an annual exam was used to select its officers. In the year 1858, the HEICCS was afterwards replaced by the Indian Civil Services (abbreviated as ICS). This exam became the highest civil service in India between the years 1858 and 1947.

  • The last appointments of the ICS were made in the year 1942. 

  • When the Government of India Act 1919 was passed by the Parliament of the UK, the Indian civil services were split into two arms – the All-India Services and the Central Services. 

  • In 1946 at the Premier's Conference, the Central Cabinet then decided to form the Indian Administrative Service to be based on the Indian Civil Service.   

  • With the partition of India, the Indian Civil Service was divided between the new India and Pakistan. The Indians named it IAS (Indian Administrative Service) while in Pakistani, it was named as Pakistan Administrative Service. 

“There is no alternative to this administrative system... The Union will go, you will not have a united India if you do not have good All-India Service which has the independence to speak out its mind, which has [the] sense of security that you will stand by your work... If you do not adopt this course, then do not follow the present Constitution. Substitute something else... These people are the instrument. Remove them and I see nothing but a picture of chaos all over the country.” – Vallabhbhai Patel in the Constituent Assembly of India discussing the role of All India Services.

FAQs on IAS Full Form

Q1. What is Indian Forest Service?

Ans. The Indian Forest Service (abbreviated as IFS) is another of the three All India Services of the Government of India. The other two civil service exams being the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS). IFS was constituted in the year 1966 under the All-India Services Act of 1951, by the Government of India.

Q2. What are IAS Officers?

Ans. An IAS officer is responsible for administrative command over an entire district as the District Collector. IAS officers represent the Government of India at the international level in any bilateral or in multilateral negotiations.

Q3. What is the Age Limit to Appear for the Post of IAS?

Ans. The age limit is 21 to 32 years only. In between these years of a lifetime, a student can appear for the IAS exam of IAS and strive for this prestigious post.