Chapter 1 - Indian Administrative Service (IAS) | A Bouquet of Services by IPS Lohit Matani and IPS Vishal - UPSC PDF Download

Indian Administrative Service

Contributor: Ms. Sarita Yadav, IAS 2014 Batch

1.1 Cadre Structure and Overview

Officers of Indian Administrative Service hold key and strategic positions in the Union Government, States and Public Sector Undertakings. Apart from this, IAS officers also represent India at the international level in bilateral and multilateral negotiations.

The Department of Personnel and Training in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension is the Cadre Controlling Authority of IAS. The Service is organized into 24 State cadres. 

1.2 Roles and Responsibilities

The IAS officers perform the following roles and responsibilities:

I. As a District Collector/ District Magistrate

1. Collection of Revenue: As a District Collector, an IAS officer is responsible for assessment and collection of revenue, especially land revenue, at the district level. He/ she also functions as a court in revenue matters. Any dispute related to payment of revenue is analyzed and solved by him.
2. Maintenance of Law and Order: A District Collector has the overall responsibility for maintenance of law and order in a district. He is the leader of the team of District Superintendent of Police, District Forest Officer, Municipal Corporation CEO, and other government offices responsible for maintenance of peace and order in the district. He gives permission for using police force for tackling any riot or violent mob situation. He/she pays continuous attention to the problems arising out of social and political tensions, communal disharmony, caste problem, terrorism, smuggling and economic offences which may threaten peace and order in the district and affect the safety of its people.
3. Executive Magistracy: As a District Magistrate, an IAS officer deals with certain land related disputes and other civil disputes. He/ she also takes preventive action against bad elements of the society. These preventive actions include giving prohibitory orders, externment orders and receiving a bond for the good behavior of a person.
4. As a Coordinator: It is the ultimate responsibility of the District Magistrate to ensure that the whole district administration runs smoothly and important schemes and policies of the government are delivered effectively at the district level. Thus, he/ she coordinates the efforts of different district level departments like police, forest, municipal corporation, zila parishad, and so on, to provide good governance to the public. For this, he convenes regular meetings of all the departments.
5. Disaster Management: During emergencies, caused by natural ca lamities in the nature of flood, famines, droughts, cyclones, etc or man-made crisis, such as riots, fires, loot, murder etc., he/ she has to arrange relief measures, organize rescue operations, check epidemics, ensure medical treatment, prevent panic and perform a host of other crucial functions. For this, he/ she secure the cooperation of other departments at the district level.
6. Land Acquisition: Land Acquisition is an important work of District Collector. He/ she assesses the demands of the land owners and conduct various meetings of all the stakeholders for land acquisition.
7. Maintenance of Land Records: District Magistrate is responsible for maintenance of land records and settling disputes relating to them. Every case of mutation and consolidation of land is dealt by the District Collector.
8. Administration of District Jails: The district jails come under the direct supervision of district magistrate.

II. As a District Development Officer/ Zila Parishad CEO:

District Magistrate is responsible for the implementation of various rural development schemes. These schemes are implemented via various gram panchayats at the district level. In some States like Maharashtra, this task is implemented by Zila Parishad (IAS officer is a CEO of Zila Parishad). He/ she also looks after the functioning of the other two-tiers of the Panchayat body by providing necessary assistance and technical help. He/ she supervises them to ensure that the priorities fixed in the plans are being adhered to. He/ she also ensure that no conflict develops between the district administrative staff and the elected representatives of the Panchayats bodies and between themselves.

III. As Chief Returning Officer in Elections:

As a Chief Returning Officer, a District Collector coordinates the election process in all Central, State and Local level elections.

IV. As a District Census Officer:

As a District Census Officer, a District Collector coordinates the census process at the district level.

V.  Other Functions at the District Level:

The District Collector performs the following other functions:

1. ​​He/ she works as the official government representative in the ceremonial func tions in the district.
2. He/ she handles the protocol work in the district.
3. He/ she looks after the working of the municipal bodies in the district.
4. He/ she ensures the regular supply of essential commodities at reasonable prices.
5. He/ she arranges training for government servants.
6. He/ she deals with the personnel matters of the huge number of staff posted in the district.
7. He/ she supervises the expenditure of public funds as per norms of financial prpriety.

VI. As a Divisional Commissioner:

As a Divisional Commissioner, an IAS officer leads 3 to 6 districts. He/ she is basically a supervisory officer of the District Collectors of 3 to 6 districts.  As a regional coordinating authority for technical departments, he/ she is a useful link to help, guide and advise the collectors in his division.

VII. As a Principal Secretary:

As a Principal Secretary, an IAS officer acts as the administrative head of departments in a State Government. At the Central Level, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister is the head of the Prime Minister’s Office.

VIII. As Chief Secretary of a State:

As a Chief Secretary, an IAS officer lies at the apex of the administrative hierarchy of a State. He/ she acts as an ex-officio secretary to the Council of Ministers. He assists them in formulation of policy in different arena of State level governance. He/ she is also the head of Cabinet Secretariat Department at the State level. In this capacity, he/ she  provides secretarial assistance to the cabinet, ensures the implementation of decisions, acts as the policy coordination centre, serves as a data bank of information, organizes conferences, and so on.

IX. As a Cabinet Secretary:

The Cabinet Secretary is the senior-most civil servant of the country who heads the Cabinet Secre¬tariat of the Union Government. He is the principal adviser to the Prime Minister and his office combines an articulate interaction of politics and administration at the top echelons of the Union Government. He/ she acts as a link between the Prime Minister’s Office and various other administrative departments. He/ she also acts as a link between the political system and the civil services of the country. Moreover, he/ she is also understood at the head of the civil service in the country.

1.3 Normal Growth Profile

An IAS officer holds the following positions during his/ her regular postings:

1.4 Recruitment:

IAS officers are recruited through the following methods:

1. Through the annual Civil Service Examination conducted by UPSC (65%)
2. By the promotion of officers of State Civil Services (30%).
3. By selection from among persons who hold, in a substantive capacity, gazetted posts in connection with the affairs of a State and who are not members of State Civil Service (5%).

1.5 Training:

The training structure of the IAS is divided in to five phases as mentioned below.

*MCT: Mid Career Training

The majority of this training is conducted at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). However, the training also involves foreign component as well components in other national institutions related to administration in different aspects of governance.

1. The Foundation Course is a module to introduce the different departments of Indian Government. It has different subjects like Economics, History, General Principles of Law, Legal Concepts, Rule of Law, Civil and Criminal Courts, Public Administration, New Paradigm in Governance, Principles of Natural justice, CrPC, Culture, Project Management, Gender Sensitisation, Prevention of Corruption, Human Rights, Administrative Law &Tribunals, and Disaster Management.
2. The LBSNAA Training consists of modules on District Administration and its Regulatory role, Land Administration, Decentralisation, Panchayati Raj, Rural and Urban development, Health, Education, Infrastructure, Project Management, Elections, Environment, Public Finance, Leadership and Human Resource Management (HRM).
3. The District Practical Training is a great exposure to the different aspects of district administration. Officers hold independent charge of Tehseeldar and SDM during this training period.
4. In the Phase 3 of training, officers learn on different aspects like Project Appraisal, Public Private Partnership, Education, Health, Rural Development and Decentralisation, Agriculture, Urban Development, E-Governance and Public Service Delivery, Public Finance, Environment , Energy and Climate Change. They also have a foreign exposure in this phase.
5. In the Phase 4 of training, officers are trained on streams like Perspective Building, Public Policy Module, PPP, Health, Decentralisation, Urban Governance, Education, Leadership, and Negotiation.
6. Similarly in the Phase 5, officers are exposed to Global Perspective on Governance, India’s evolving policy environment and current policy challenges.
7. In Service Training: Apart from the above formal training structure, various in service courses are conducted by LBSNAA in order to impart expertise in certain administration and public policy fields.

1.6 Variety of Opportunities for IAS Officers

Apart from the usual work profile in the State government, IAS Officers have ample opportunities to serve in organizations of State, national as well international level.

    1. EPFO: Employee Provident Fund Organization

    2. ICAR: Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

    3. CSIR: Central Council of Industrial Research

    4. TRAI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

    5. RBI: Reserve Bank of India

    6. GIDC: Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation

    7. NIMZ: National Investment and Manufacturing Zone

    8. NMDC: National Mineral Development Corporation

1.7 Perks, Privileges and Advantages for IAS Officers

1. The work of an IAS officer affects the life of every individual right from a child to an old person, a pauper to an industrialist. Therefore, they are fundamental in the progress of our country in every stage of their working.
2. An IAS officer is the first line of interaction to any public development related issue or civil matters arising in an area. Thus, IAS officers get all the love and respect of the local public.
3. The work profile of an IAS officer is highly diverse and challenging ranging from general administration in a district to law & order situations to getting any development activities implemented in their districts.
4. An IAS officer is the nominal head of various line departments in the district which makes the position of District Collector/Deputy Commissioner very powerful and influential.
5. A young IAS officer carries an image of CEO of a district. On an average, they are responsible for the fate of lakhs of people in a district and therefore they handle funds to the tune of thousands of crores at the very early age of their career. This opportunity is unparalleled in extant as well as exposure.
6. People respect IAS officers for the positive change they bring in the daily lives of people right from basic (e.g. health, education, food, infrastructure etc.) to advanced facilities (e.g. Industries, Telecomunication, Skill development, Disaster mitigation & response etc.).
7. As IAS officer performs an indispensable task, they develop links with people from all walks of life, be it an army personnel, doctor, lawyer, judge, revenue officer, business person, artist, and so on.
8. IAS officers also enjoy the facility of a decent accommodation and vehicle from their very first posting.
9. IAS officers are groomed for general administration through their field experiences which enable them to be effective policy makers in their careers.
10. Deputy Commissioners/District Collectors also act as magistrate in revenue matters.

1.8 Occupational Hazards

Expectations from the public leads to a lot of stress in the work life of an IAS officer. The diverse nature of their job requires constantly updating domain knowledge in a short span of time. Therefore, initial years of an IAS officer are very hectic and leads to work life imbalance. The job of an IAS officer touches the life of every person in district, therefore the unpredictability in work is a part and parcel of their lives. Since IAS officers are responsible for handling funds allocated for the district, hence they face pressure from various quarters of society e.g. politicians, NGOs, local people, seniors etc. who try to influence them to their advantage. This could lead to their frequent transfers. The challenging task of managing a district leaves IAS officers with little time for taking leaves. This may disrupt family life of the officer.

Indian Administrative Service is highly satisfying if one can see through these occupational hazards as an officer has the opportunity to serve the common people at the grassroots level.

1.9  Case Studies indicating the work life, challenges and dilemmas faced by an IAS Officer

1.9.1 Peoples' Road: Connecting an Unconnected Village

In one of the remotest corners in the country, where basic infrastructure had not yet reached; a young IAS officer Mr. Armstrong Pame embarked upon modern India's most ambitious road project without any funding from the government. Armstrong was the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Tamenglong District. He took up the project of construction of a 100-km road which would link Manipur with Nagaland and Assam. Incidentally, the Centre had sanctioned Rs. 101 Crore in 1982 for the construction of this road, but for some unknown reason the project never took off. The state government declared that it would be 'done soon', but nothing moved on the ground. During the monsoon, seasonal outbreak of tropical diseases like typhoid and malaria was very common in the village. It took two days for anyone in the village to make it to the nearest hospital on foot in the absence of a motorable road. Hundreds of patients had to be carried on makeshift bamboo stretchers, but very few made it to the town alive. Also, town doctors were unwilling to come to the village because of its inaccessible terrain. Perplexed and frustrated with the situation, the officer decided to reach out to his friend circle to construct an all-weather, motorable road in an area untouched by the progress made by Independent India in the last six decades. A sum of Rs. 4 Lac was arranged from his family including retired school teacher father’s one month pension, his brother’s and sister in law’s one month salary each, his younger brother’s entire first salary and Armstrong’s five months’ salary. The amount was sufficient to kick start the project but more money was still required. Thereafter Facebook was used as a rescue tool in that situation. This received overwhelming response from all over the world and contributed Rs. 40 Lakh. The villagers made their signification contributions based on their capabilities by providing food and accommodation to the workers, by supplying fuel for the earthmovers and also being a part of manpower for the project.

The project was completed in 2012 and led to a fundamental change in the lives of the people of that village. He is not only acclaimed but has earned the sobriquet ‘Miracle Man’ for building a 100 km road famously known as the "Peoples' Road". 

Q. You must have appreciated the effort of Mr. Armstrong Pame. However, there are certain ethical issues involved in taking funding from the public for the construction of government projects. What are those? Being a District Magistrate, how will you ensure complete transparency in public funding of projects like above?

1.9.2 Dealing with Communal Tensions of an Acute Nature

Mr. Vishal Rajput is posted as District Magistrate of Nagpur District. In the Ramtek Tehsil of Nagpur District lies the beautiful spot of Nagarjun Tekdi. Located on a mountain, the whole Ramtek Tehsil is visible from it. There is a beautiful temple of Lord Shiva at the location of Nagarjun Tekdi. However, the land of Nagarjun Tekdi is disputed between the Hindu and the Buddhist Communities. The case is pending in the Bombay High Court.

In the mean time, the court has declared the land of Naga rjun Tekdi to be in government possession. It has further directed the District Administration to take all possible measures to maintain peace and order in the area. When Mr. Vishal joint as the new DM in 2016, he understood that maintaining order in the area is not that easy, especially on the occasion of ‘Maha Shivratri’. A Bodh Vihar (a place of worship for Buddhist community) lies in front of the Nagarjun Tekdi Mountain. Often, anti-social people gather over there and plan to obstruct the peace in the area. The history of previous ‘Maha Shivratris’ is horrific.

In 2013, a Right Wing Hindu group directed the Hindu people to carry a Trident  while they go to worship in the Shiva Temple of Nagarjun Tekdi. It asked their devotees to insert their Trident in the soil of Nagarjun Tekdi to show the dominance of Hindus over that land. The Buddhists did not receive this news in good spirit and tried to remove the Tridents from the soil of Nagarjun Tekdi. This led to a fight between the people of two communities, injuring the people from both sides.

In 2014, the then District Magistrate directed that no one will carry a Trident to Nagarjun Tekdi on the occasion of ‘Maha Shivratri’. However, on the Shivratri day, a group of people disobeyed the direction and carried tridents with them. This led to clashes with the police.

In 2015, the then DM directed that no Hindu will carry a Trident and no Buddhist will interrupt the procession of Hindus on ‘Maha Shivratri’. However, the situation was the worst in 2015. Many Hindus carried Tridents with them. They also used them for attacking the police personnel stopping them from carrying the Tridents. The police was forced to do a “lathi charge” on the direction of the DM on the unlawful crowd. This led to stone pelting by the crowd. This stone pelting led to injuries to the DM, apart from many personnel of the revenue and the police department.

This time in 2016, the Buddhist community has decided to hold a Buddhist congregation in the Bodh Vihar on the day of ‘Maha Shivratri’. Vishal understands that this is a deliberate tactic of the Buddhist people to trouble the authorities on ‘Maha Shivratri’. Moreover, Vishal has also got information that the lower subordinates of revenue as well as the police department are acting in a partisan manner. Some of them are supporting the Hindus and others are supporting the Buddhists.

Q. How should Vishal actively deal with this situation? Give some advice to Vishal in order to maintain peace on the day of ‘Maha Shivratri.

1.9.3 Politics of Disaster Relief

Mr. Shashak Ramesh was posted as the Relief Commissioner of a State. On joining the new post, he was troubled to understand the poor state of affair in maintaining the finances of providing disaster relief in the State.

The State has many perennial rivers which collectively constitute an endowment in the days of water shortage. However, the State is very poorly administered and reels under floods whenever there is a heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the rivers flowing through the State. The drainage system of the riparian areas is in shambles. There is often flooding and stagnation of water over weeks in the rural areas sub-merging cultivated crops and finishing them off.  From such disasters, certain people have developed a strategy of making illicit gains. As soon a flood is struck, Patwari offices of affected districts get flooded with requests for flood relief. Even if 10% of landmass of a village is affected, it will have literally 95-99% people applying for flood relief.

Due to increasing disasters and resulting poverty, nowadays the relief packages have been extended to include more and more items such as giving cash-doles for the period of hardship, cost for refurbishing homes, cost for repair of residences, compensation of loss of crop and even compensation for loss of sheep, goats and cattle. Suddenly the number of sheep and goats claimed to have been washed away and dead in flood skyrocket every time there is a flood.

The survey teams are not allowed to do any actual survey. The panchayat functionaries and bullies of the village surround the small visiting survey teams and compel them to write whatever they say. They are also pressurized by the MLAs to not go against the wishes of the ‘suffering masses’. Panchayat leaders, through whom money for relief passes, take a cut in the relief passed.

The Union allocates a fixed sum for relief operations. If the funds are not spent, the unspent balance remains in books for five years during which the same must be spent. Being a large State, the CM tries to wrest special package every year that there is a flood and often the Union Government obliges.

Shashank has received a forecast of heavy rains next week, and is wondering whether he should allow ‘business as usual’ or try some fundamental reforms in administration of relief that would really help the economy and indeed the poor.

Q. Suggest an action pathway for Mr. Shashank in order to improve the above state of affairs. What challenges will Mr. Shashank face in implementing this pathway? What are the downside risks for his career? How could he minimize those risks and yet try to reform the system?