The Indian Administrative Service (IAS), formerly known as Imperial Civil Service (ICS), is undoubtedly the most prestigious administrative post under Government of India and therefore remains a dream career option for many aspirants. In fact, hierarchy wise, IAS is considered as the highest administrative post among all the 24 civil services (that include IAS, IPS, IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IFS (Indian Forest Service), IP & TAFS, IAAS, IRS, IDAS, CMSE, IRTS and IRAS among others). The IAS officers hold key positions in departments of Union government, State Governments and those of public sector enterprises or PSUs (Public Sector Undertaking) and they are the ones who formulate policies to improve governance, apart from being entrusted with other varied responsibilities like maintaining law and order, looking after developmental works and administration, disaster management, devising and organising detailed plans for proper management of resources as per requirements under a particular department, supervising their implementation and so on. Thus any decision taken by an IAS Officer affects the lifestyle of an average Indian citizen in one way or the other. It is therefore not surprising that their selection and recruitment process, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has been made so rigorous and tough to crack, so that only the best minds get through. But then, it is also this challenging selection process that makes IAS career so appealing and desirable.
However, before one jumps into the arena to compete for the UPSC Civil Services exam, it is important to ask oneself honestly about why he/she wants to become an IAS officer? Because if it is solely for the prestige associated with it or the salary and the perks that come with the post or for the power that an IAS officer is endowed with, then the entire goal of the selection process gets defeated! An aspirant actually needs to understand that the post of an IAS officer is not merely a job, rather it's a service. Unlike private jobs and businesses, civil services should not be looked at through lens of "what all employee benefits one will get". Rather the IAS aspirants should think along the lines of how they can serve the nation and solve the various issues faced by the common citizens, thereby bringing about positive changes in their lives. Therefore, ideally only those who are dedicated and committed towards serving the country and its people should take up Civil Services as their career. IAS officers like Ashok Khemka or Durga Shakti Nagpal, who took on the illegal sand mining mafia in Uttar Pradesh, are prime examples.
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Indian Administrative Service (IAS) As One's Career: How To Crack One Of India's Toughest Exams
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Are you also thinking of making a career in Civil Services? Are you aspiring to become an IAS officer? Well, you are not alone. Every year several lakhs of aspirants, with a similar dream, sit for the Civil Services Exam but only a handful of them make the cut. This year (2019), the total number of vacancies for the recruitment of officers for the 24 civil services were 896. For that, nearly 9 lakh aspirants appeared in the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, out of which only 11836 candidates could qualify for the Mains Exam. And again based on their performance in the Mains, only the best of the lot - 7,953 candidates - were selected for the Interview! The UPSC examination pattern -- comprising of 3 stages namely Prelims, Mains and the Personal Interview -- is designed in such a way that besides testing their knowledge, the examinees also get scrutinised for their administerial qualities, decision-making skills and judgement. No wonder, the Civil Services exam is regarded as one of the toughest exams in India.
What Strategies To Employ In Order To Clear UPSC Civil Services Exam?
(a) The beginning might seem difficult
To start with, it is very essential for the aspirants to know and understand the requirements of each stage of the UPSC Civil Services Exam, the syllabus, exam pattern, eligibility criteria, application procedure and all other details. The exam format consists of three different stages, namely the Prelims, the Mains and the Interview. It's only by crossing each stage successfully that an aspirant can move onto to the next stage. The level of difficulty also keeps increasing with the passage of each stage. Besides that, the syllabus of the UPSC Civil Services Exam, unlike many other examinations, covers a diverse range of subjects. Therefore most aspirants are initially confused, not being sure about how to start and what to study.
Many of them wouldn't also be sure about whether to take coaching or not. Of course, that's a personal choice. But when preparing by themselves, many of the aspirants often fail to cover the entire syllabus. On the other hand, coaching from a specialised institute can help one finish the entire syllabus in a time bound manner. At the same time, however, if one's choice of the coaching institute is wrong, he/she will end up with poor guidance and low-quality study materials which might eventually cost the aspirant his/her rank, time and money! Therefore one should carefully choose a coaching institute, only after cross-verifying its credentials and not blindly based on just about anybody's recommendation. Of course, other cities too have got quite a few good coaching institutes for Civil Service Exam but Delhi still remains the most preferred destination of Civil Services aspirants. If you are still undecided about which coaching institute in Delhi to join for your IAS preparations, I will suggest you to go through Pulse Phase's article that has given all information about
IAS Coaching in Delhi in detail.
(b) One needs Systematic Preparation
Of course, cracking the UPSC Civil Service exam is not going to be easy but it isn't that difficult either. One just needs to prepare systematically and dedicatedly. The Preliminary exam tests a candidate's basic knowledge and general aptitude, for which an aspirant should study NCERT books thoroughly to build a stronger foundation. Thereafter he/she can start practising previous years' question papers. Besides that, one needs to keep oneself abreast of current affairs. Therefore reading newspapers every day is another crucial part of the preparation process.
To prepare for the Mains, a candidate needs to have in-depth knowledge of on different subjects. To make things easier, one can break up a subject topic-wise and thereafter study them thoroughly one after another. At the same time however, one shouldn't limit oneself to only books; rather try to have discussions with other like minded people to change perspectives. That might also help in writing essays. Similarly the optional paper should be chosen wisely, based on one's personal interest.
After clearing the Mains, next comes the final stage of preparation - The Interview. The Interview process is actually a test of the candidate's personality. I will suggest you to refer
Pulse Phase while preparing for the Interview. The website has a dedicated column, containing many helpful tips and tricks to ace the UPSC Interview.
(c) Time management is also crucial
Time management is another very important aspect to keep in mind while preparing for the Civil Services exam. A candidate needs to have an efficient speed of writing so that he/she can answer all the questions within the stipulated time. And to master it, most experts advise the aspirants to take mock tests regularly. One should also practice solving the question papers of the previous years.
Well, in general, at least eight hours of dedicated and planned study every day is enough to prepare an aspirant for the exam. At the same time, however, make sure to get seven to eight hours of sound sleep as well. Although more than eight lakh candidates appear in the Prelims, and only about ten thousand of them qualify to sit in the Mains exam, but the actual competition is virtually between those two to three thousand aspirants who were serious and dedicated in their preparations all through out. Only they who prepare systematically and study consistently, make the final cut. If you follow suit, you too can cross the finishing line! Just stay focussed and continue with your hard work.
