Life of an IAS Officer. It is needless to say that becoming an Indian Administrative Service officer is a dream for many. Lakhs of aspirants fill the form every year with an aspiration to join Lal Bahadur Shashtri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) which is the last and final step before joining the duty and coming to terms with living the life of an IAS officer. The life of an IAS officer is filled with exciting opportunities yet mind-wrenching crisis management. In this article, we’ll give you a little peek into the life that’s waiting for you once you qualify for the coveted IAS exam.
The candidates who are recommended by the commission join the Lal Bahadur Shashtri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie, Uttrakhand where they meet their colleagues for the first time. The total duration of the training period of IAS officers is 2 years which is divided into:
Foundation Course: All the candidates who are recommended for Grade A posts including IAS, IPS and IFS are invited to join a 3-month-foundation course at LBSNAA. Thereafter, candidates of different services join their respective academies for training. While IFS join Foreign Services Institute in New Delhi, IRS officers join the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur and IAS officers have to stay back at LBSNAA.
Phase 1: Starting with a 15-week training program at LBSNAA, Phase 1 training also includes Bharat Darshan which is an all India tour program for IAS officers. The academic module includes Policymaking, land management, soft skills, project management, national security, e-gov, etc. They start their day at 6 AM in the morning with exercise drills and then attend lectures followed by cultural activities in the evening.
Bharat Darshan: In phase 1 training, the IAS probationers are divided into small groups and are taken on a tour of India. This is part of the training program for them to experience the rich cultural diversity and heritage of India.
District Training: It is a year-long training at the district level where the officers study the administrative set up in a particular district by being a part of it.
Phase 2: The phase 2 starts with sharing their experiences of the Phase 1 training program with their colleagues. Discussion sessions where the officers articulate their thoughts on various developmental challenges and issues and the ways to resolve them are held during this period. Special sessions by distinguished subject matter experts are also held for them as a part of the learning exercise.
Assistant Secretaryship: After completing the induction training session, the officers join their respective deputation. They work under the joint secretary in the ministries for a few months.
The following list details the career path of an IAS officer as per the promotional avenues:
Phase one trainee
District level trainee as per allotted cadre
Phase two trainee handling a week-long foreign attachment
Assistant secretary for three months at a nominal position of a central government administrated project
Joint magistrate post or an SDM or as a sub-collector
Post of honorable municipal commissioner
Secretariat at the state level of joint secretary level
DM or collector post
After serving for years, an IAS officer can opt for the deputation post of the central government of India
Principal in the state or central secretariat
State chief secretary
Cabinet secretary
The position of a cabinet secretary is thus, the highest position an IAS officer can hold. To give you an insight into how important is the role of cabinet secretary, the cabinet secretariat comes directly under the prime minister of India. And the administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board, and thus the head of the Indian Administrative Service.
As per the 7th Central Pay Commission, the basic pay of IAS officers is Rs. 56,100/-. Moreover, currently, the salary of a cabinet secretary, which is the topmost position that can be held by an IAS officer is 2.5Lakh/month. Apart from the IAS Salary, the other facilities that are enjoyed by the civil servants include:
Government accommodation with subsidy facility.
Security and other staff depending on the situation and requirement.
Reimbursement of mobile, telephone, and internet charges.
Household assistance including cooks, gardeners, etc are provided
No charges while on-duty for staying in government hotels or bungalows.
Government transport facilities for all the state and district level officers.
Monthly pension facility after the retirement.
The post-wise breakup of IAS salary is tabulated below:
Pay Level |
Basic Pay (INR) |
No. of years (service) |
Post |
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District Admin |
State Secretariat |
Central Secretariat |
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10 |
56,100 |
1-4 |
Sub-Divisional magistrate |
Undersecretary |
Assistant Secretary |
11 |
67,700 |
5-8 |
Additional District Magistrate |
Deputy Secretary |
Under-Secretary |
12 |
78,800 |
9-12 |
District Magistrate |
Joint Secretary |
Deputy Secretary |
13 |
1,18,500 |
13-16 |
District Magistrate |
Special Secretary-cum-Director |
Director |
14 |
1,44,200 |
16-24 |
Divisional Commissioner |
Secretary-cum- Commissioner |
Joint Secretary |
15 |
1,82,200 |
25-30 |
Divisional Commissioner |
Principal Secretary |
Additional Secretary |
16 |
2,05,400 |
30-33 |
No equivalent rank |
Additional Chief Secretary |
No equivalent rank |
17 |
2,25,000 |
34-36 |
No equivalent rank |
Chief Secretary |
Secretary |
18 |
2,50,000 |
37+ years |
No equivalent rank |
No equivalent rank |
Cabinet Secretary of India |
The life of an IAS officer is indeed hectic yet an interesting one! They are the ones who have the real power to bring about the necessary change in society and help the underprivileged get their rights in a real sense.
If you find this life exciting and want to build your career in this field, enrol in our courses to kickstart your journey to becoming an IAS officer with us! Check out our General Studies courses! Should you have any queries, get in touch with our course counsellors.
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