How to Become an IAS Officer ?

   

     Keeping oneself updated on current affairs by reading newspapers, magazines, journals,  books and periodicals is absolutely essential. It is also a pre-requisite to have a thorough knowledge on the Constitution of India and the Indian Economy. 

        Aspiring candidates have to meet the prescribed eligibility criteria:

    Nationality: While the primary requirement is Indian citizenship, for for Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), citizens of Bhutan and Nepal, and Tibetian refugees who migrated to India prior to 1^st of January 1962, and Tibetan refugees who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or people who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India are eligible to appear for most of the services.

     Age: Aspirants in the age bracket of 21 years to 32 years on 1st August of the year of examination can appear in the general category. Relaxation in the upper age limit is available for OBC, SC, ST and other categories of aspirants.

     The age relaxation provided to the candidates of reserved categories is as follows:

·         Schedule Caste / Schedule Tribes: 5 years

·         Other Backward Caste: 3 years

·         personnel of defense service: 3 years.

·         ex-servicemen including commissioned officers ECOs/SSCOs: 5 years

    Education: Aspirants should have graduated from any recognized university. It is immaterial if the degree is a three year or four year, or if it is a full time or if it has been acquired under a distance education program, through correspondence. Candidates who have pursued professional and technical courses should have done so from recognized universities only. Students in their final year of graduation can also apply pending declaration of their results.

     IAS Exam Pattern and the Selection Procedure

     Round One: The Preliminary qualifying examination is normally held during the months  of May and June. With very challenging odds of qualifying of about one in thousand aspirants makes the UPSC CSE Exam the toughest Exam in India.

    Round Two: Those candidates qualifying in the Prelims can appear in the Mains. IAS Mains Examination held in the months of September to October annually. As with the Prelims, the preparation for the mains should be  well  strategized, and managed approach. The Mains include:

Qualifying Exam	Two papers
General Essay	One paper
General Studies	Four papers
Optional Mains Examination

Round Three: Aspirants qualifying in the Mains Examination, are called for the Personality Test or the Interview Round. In this round candidates are evaluated for their suitability for a career in public service

     The Final Merit List is prepared by totaling the marks awarded to the candidates in the Mains Exam and the Interview Round.