IAS Full Form - Indian Administrative Services

IAS Full Form - Indian Administrative Services

Edited By Vishnukumar V | Updated on Sep 30, 2023 09:40 AM IST | #UPSC CSE
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IAS Full Form - The full form of IAS is Indian Administrative Services and lakhs of students every year try their luck to crack one of the most coveted exams. All aspiring candidates who are aiming to crack the exam, apart from knowing the IAS full form, can check some of the other important details related to the IAS 2024 Exam. The Union Public Service Commission releases the official UPSC IAS notification online every year on the official website. The UPSC conducts the exam for the recruitment of officers to the Indian Administrative Services.

This Story also Contains
  1. IAS Full Form and Other Highlights
  2. IAS Full Form - Know About the IAS
  3. How to Become An IAS Officer?
  4. Types of Roles of An IAS Officer
  5. UPSC IAS Salary As Per 7th pay commission
  6. Employment Opportunities for An IAS Officer
IAS Full Form - Indian Administrative Services
IAS Full Form - Indian Administrative Services

IAS Full Form and Other Highlights

Particulars

Details

IAS Full Form

Indian Administrative Services

UPSC IAS eligibility criteria (Age)

Candidates should be minimum 21 years of age to be eligible to apply for the IAS exam

What is the salary of an IAS ?

The salary range of an IAS officer for the post of Undersecretary to Cabinet secretary ranges from Rs 56,100 (Basic) to Rs 2,50,000

What is the role of the IAS officer ?

An IAS officer basically is responsible for the effective execution of the government policies

What is the selection process of an IAS ?

The IAS selection process comprises 3 stages such as:

  • Prelims exam

  • Mains exam

  • Interview

Quick Links

IAS Full Form - Know About the IAS

The IAS officer full form is Indian Administrative Services and it is one of the branches of the Civil Services in India. The other two being Indian Foreign Services and Indian Police Services.

How to Become An IAS Officer?

All the candidates who are aspiring to join the Indian Administrative Services, they will have to meet the UPSC IAS eligibility criteria. Hence only those candidates who are either in the final year of their graduation or have completed their graduation in any stream will be eligible to apply for the UPSC IAS exam. The minimum age limit for the Indian Administrative Services exam is 21 years.

Also Read:

Direct Recruitment - Those candidates who qualify all the stages of the IAS exam and secure a relatively high rank and as per their preference, they are offered the post of an IAS officer.

Promotion through Direct Services - Officers who have been directly recruited through the state provincial civil services exam are also promoted over the period of time to become an IAS officer.

Also Read:

Types of Roles of An IAS Officer

The Indian Administrative Services Officers hold important positions in the administrative machinery of the Indian government. They are primarily responsible for the execution of the policies that have been formulated by the government and are the bureaucratic backbone of the country. Let us check some of the important roles of an Indian Administrative Services Officer.

Also Read - Complete List of Full Forms

Roles of an IAS Officer

Designation

Role

Sub-divisional officer

The IAS officer who is appointed as a sub-divisional officer is mainly responsible for coordinating all the activities of various departments at the sub-divisional level

Divisional Commissioner

He is an IAS officer whose main role is to maintain law and order in the state and also heads the revenue department of the division. He is also responsible for coordinating work of various wings of public administration in his division

District Magistrate/District Collector

The IAS officer who is appointed as a District Magistrate is the main officer responsible for the smooth functioning of the complete administration of the district. He is also responsible for the collection of revenue at the district level

Chief Secretary

The Chief Secretary who is also an IAS officer is concerned with inter departmental coordination, render advice to various secretaries of different departments and resolves various disputes

Cabinet Secretary

The primary role of a cabinet secretary who is also an IAS officer is to act as a chief coordinator of the central government and a link between the political system and the civil services of the country.

Also Read:

UPSC IAS Salary As Per 7th pay commission

One of the biggest attractions for becoming an IAS officer is the lucrative salary that one gets along with other perks. The Central Government of India had revised the salary of the IAS officers on the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission.

IAS Officer Salary

Pay Level

Number of years required in service

Post

Basic Pay(INR)



District Administration

State Secretariat

Central Secretariat


10

1-4

Sub-divisional magistrate

Undersecretary

Assistant Secretary

56100

11

5-8

Additional district magistrate

Deputy Secretary

Undersecretary

67,700

12

9-12

District magistrate

Joint Secretary

Deputy Secretary

78,800

13

13-16

District magistrate

Special secretary-cum-director

Director

1,18,500

14

16-24

Divisional commissioner

Secretary-cum-commissioner

Joint Secretary

1,44,200

15

25-30

Divisional commissioner

Principal Secretary

Additional secretary

1,82,200

16

30-33

No Equivalent Rank

Additional Chief Secretary

No Equivalent Rank

2,05,400

17

34-36

No Equivalent Rank

Chief Secretary

Secretary

2,25,000

18

37+ years

No Equivalent Rank

No Equivalent Rank

Cabinet Secretary of India

2,50,000

Employment Opportunities for An IAS Officer

There are ample opportunities for an IAS officer not only in the government but also in various autonomous organizations' such as : PSUs; United Nations Organizations; international organizations, like World Bank, IMF, Asian Development Bank. They can also work in various multilateral organizations like WTO, Commonwealth, SAARC, International Court of Justice etc.

Check Here List of Other Government Exams

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the full form of IAS?

IAS full form in English is Indian Administrative Services.

2. What is the selection process of UPSC IAS?

The IAS selection process comprises 3 stages such as preliminary, mains and interview.

3. Who is the exam conducting authority of IAS?

IAS exam is conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

4. How many times the UPSC conduct the IAS exam in a year?

UPSC conducts the IAS exam once in a year.

5. What is the minimum age limit as per UPSC IAS eligibility criteria?

Candidates should be a minimum of 21 years of age to be eligible to apply for the IAS exam.

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Questions related to UPSC CSE

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

Hello!
IRAS (Indian Railway Accounts Service) officers can be posted in both cities and rural areas since Indian Railways has offices and operations nationwide. They typically work in divisional offices, zonal offices, workshops, and production units. Transfers do happen but are usually not very frequent and depend on government policies and organizational needs.

Hope this helps!

To become an IAS officer, you must clear the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and then undergo training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). While any bachelor's degree is acceptable, choosing a degree that aligns with the UPSC syllabus, particularly in humanities and social sciences, can be advantageous.

UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE):

This is the primary exam for becoming an IAS officer, involving three stages: Preliminary, Main, and Personality Test (Interview).

Any Bachelor's Degree:

A graduate degree from a recognized university is the basic requirement to be eligible for the CSE.

Beneficial Degrees:

Degrees in humanities and social sciences, such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), can be helpful due to the syllabus overlap with subjects like History, Political Science, Sociology, and Economics.

Optional Subject:

You can choose an optional subject in the Mains exam, and a BA degree can provide a wide range of options.

Hope it helps!!

Hello!!

That's a great goal—and your background as a research scholar can actually be a big asset in preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE), which is the path to becoming an IAS officer.

Step-by-Step Guide to Become an IAS Officer:

1. Understand the Exam Structure

The UPSC CSE has three stages:

Prelims: Objective (GS Paper + CSAT)

Mains: Descriptive (9 papers)

Interview: Personality Test

2. Check Eligibility

Age: 21 to 32 (for General category)

Degree: Any graduate degree (you already qualify)

3. Choose Your Optional Subject

Choose something you’re comfortable with (can be from your research field if it's available).

Popular optionals: Sociology, Geography, PSIR, Anthropology, etc.

4. Build a Study Plan

Since you're a research scholar, time management is key.

Daily 4–6 hours of focused study can work if you're consistent.

Focus on:

NCERTs (6th–12th)

Standard books (like Laxmikanth for Polity, Spectrum for History)

Current Affairs (The Hindu, Indian Express, or PIB + Monthly compilations)

5. Join a Test Series (Optional but Helpful)

For Prelims and Mains: to build speed, writing skills, and clarity.

6. Practice Answer Writing

Mains is all about articulation. Practice with previous year questions and mock tests.

7. Appear for the Exam

Notification comes out around February.

Prelims is in May/June, Mains in September, and Interview early next year.

How to Align This With Your Research Schedule:

Create a realistic time-table that includes 2–3 hours on weekdays, and more on weekends.

Use your research experience for deeper understanding and essay writing.

If your goal is to become an IAS officer, choose a degree that supports UPSC preparation and also provides a good backup:

BA in Political Science, History, Geography, or Economics is ideal for IAS.
BSc or BCom is fine too, but you'll need to study humanities separately for UPSC.
For backup, pick a subject with good job prospects like BBA or Computer Science.

KCET is required only if you're planning professional courses like Engineering or Agriculture. It's not needed for BA or general degrees.

After 10th for IAS

Hello aspirant,

For becoming IAS , you have to first complete your graduation from any background from any recognised university or college. If you are in your final year, then also you are eligible. After that you have to give an entrance exam name UPSC . If you will clear this exam then according to your marks you may get the IAS position.

To know about UPSC entrance exam, kindly go through the given link:

https://competition.careers360.com/exams/upsc-cse

All the best!!

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