Indian Administrative Service (IAS) - Government of India

The Indian Administrative Service (abbreviated as IAS) is the elite public management cadre of Government of India. IAS officers hold key positions in the Union Government, State governments, Public-sector Companies and other Statutory regulatory institutions such as the Central Bank (RBI), SEBI, and Election Commission. Once known as the Imperial Civil Service (ICS) under the British Raj, this service was one the top 5 highest paid jobs on earth in pre-World War II era - working for the British Crown. Post-independence it was restructured in 1947 as the IAS and the members of this Service enjoy unparalleled access to the highest offices of the largest democracy of the world. IAS officers are recruited by the Union government through a very rigorous examination procedure and are appointed by the President of India for a permanent term. The officers carry high respect and stature in the society coupled with the significant task of administering public offices, making it one of the most desirable jobs in India (if not 'the most desirable'). In addition, the IAS have protections in the Constitution of India from any arbitrary action by the elected executive. In short they hold their position in the IAS till they retire i.e. till they attain the age of 60! The Civil Services Examination for getting into IAS is conducted by the UPSC. It has three stages (Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam, Personality Test/Interview) and is considered to be extremely challenging. Entry into the IAS is considered very difficult. The exam is taken by nearly 500,000 graduates from different fields and backgrounds. Only the candidates who are above 99.95 Percentile in the examination are selected for this coveted position. The average age of entry is 28 and they very quickly progress into their IAS career by holding hugely powerful positions comparatively at a younger age. IAS is widely popular among Indian masses due to its visibility and rich history as the 'Steel Frame' of Government.