What are the duties of an IAS Officer?

       There is plenty of information available on how popular the CSE is with candidates, strategies for preparation for IAS and the books to be referred and how to prepare notes. However, let us explore and discuss the duties of an IAS officer, once a candidate gets into the position.

       The IAS is a prestigious position considering that the officers get to serve the country and help shape it at the grassroots level but it also comes associated with numerous and very generous perquisites. 

a. General duties:

·   Provide administrative and advisory support to the concerned ministry and assist in
 formulating policy in the district or region assigned to

· Overseeing implementation of the formulated policies and supervision of the implementation
  of policies introduced by the union government

·  Periodically, inspect on-ground and in person and provide updates and feedback to the
  concerned ministry

·   Ensure, disperse, monitor the intended end-use of  public-funding and reporting on the fund
   utilization

·  Ensure maintenance of law and order in the district, state or region

·  Work on disaster-mitigation and rehabilitation efforts in case of natural disasters

             b. Specific duties:
              The duties are varied across the various levels of responsibilities that might be handled by IAS    officers during their careers:

Sub-divisional: At the beginning of their career, at the sub-divisional level, the officers are in the position of sub-divisional magistrate. They are tasked with maintaining law and order, general development activities, and administrative affairs under their jurisdiction.

District: In the next phase an officer’s career progression is to be the District Magistrate or District Collector, but their duties remain more or less the same as the sub-divisional level, including implementation, supervision policies apart from administrative and development responsibilities.

State Level: Post the District level, officers get promoted to the state level wherein they can either be posted as a bureaucrat in state secretariat or become head of various departments. 

Public Sector Undertakings (PSU): Officers can also be posted at a  high level administrative positions in government owned PSUs as well. 

Central: Officer’s can serve as Cabinet Secretaries, Secretaries, Additional Secretaries, and a host of other similar posts wherein they formulate policies and devise an  implementation plans.