Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is one of the three civil services under All India Services. It comes under the Indian Executive and forms a permanent part of the bureaucracy of the country.

Members of the IAS serve the Government of India and the state governments. They handle the administration and daily proceedings of the government. These officers are involved in both, policy drafting and on-ground execution. They oversee that the policies designed by the state governments and central government are implemented smoothly. At times, IAS Officers serve as the link between the citizens and the government.

Amongst the IAS, the highest position one can attain is that of the Cabinet Secretary. The following list gives a rank wise (ranked high to low) breakdown of the different IAS positions in which an officer can serve:

• Cabinet Secretary
• Chief Secretary of a State
• Principal/Additional Secretary in the State/Central Sectretariat
• District Magistrate/District Collector
• Divisional Commissioner
• Sub-Divisional Officer