o Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Civil Services Examination and one of the toughest competitive exams in India. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for the recruitment of officers for the All India Administrative Civil Service.
o IAS is the permanent bureaucracy in India and forms a part of the executive branch. It is one of the three All India Services, its cadre can be employed by both the Union Government, the State Governments and public-sector undertakings.
o Indian Administrative Service (IAS) has been termed as one of the prestigious services among the 24 government services like IPS, IFS (Foreign), IFoS (Forest), IP & TAFS, IAAS, IRS, IDAS, CMSE, IRTS, IRAS, IRPS, ITS, CAPF-AF to name a few.
o It is important to mention that any officer selected into the IAS can be employed by Union government, state governments and/or public-sector undertakings and gets exposure in numerous job roles like the collector, head of public sector units, commissioner, chief secretary, cabinet secretary to name a few.

Eligibility Criteria Nationality:
o For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
o Candidate must be a citizen of India Candidate must be a citizen of Nepal or a subject of Bhutan Candidate must be a Tibetan Refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962, to be settled permanently in India Candidate must be person of Indian Origin who has migrated from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zaire, or Zambia with an intention of permanently settling in India
Education qualification:
o Candidate applying for the Civil Services 2023 exam is required to fulfil the following criteria: Candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree from any of the recognized universities Candidates who have appeared for the qualifying examination and are awaiting results or those who are yet to appear for the qualifying examination are also eligible for the Preliminary Examination.
o Such candidates have to produce proof of passing the said examination along with the application for the Main Examination Candidates with professional and technical qualifications recognized by the Government or its equivalent are also eligible to apply Candidates who have passed the final year of MBBS or any Medical Examination but are yet to complete the internship can also appear for the Main Examination.
o However, they must submit a certificate from the concerned University that they have passed the final professional medical examination
Age limit:
o A candidate should be a minimum of 21 years and maximum 32 years old as on August 01, 2022.
o But he/she must have been born not earlier than August 02, 1990 and not later than August 02, 2001.
o The upper age limit prescribed above is relaxable for the following candidates:
• 5 Years – Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST)
• 3 Years – Other Backward Classes (OBC)
• 3 Years – Defence Services personnel
• 5 Years – ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least 5 years Military Service as on August 01, 2022.
Number of atempts:
o Restriction on the maximum number of attempts is effective since 1984:
o For General Candidates: 6 attempts (Up to 32 Years)
o Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates (SC/ST): No Limits (Up to 37 Years)
o Other Backward Classes (OBC): 9 attempts (Up to 35 Years)
o Physically handicapped- 9 attempts for general and OBC, while unlimited for SC/ST
o Number of Attempts Category to which the Candidate Belongs SC / ST OBC PwBD Unlimited 09 09 for GL / EWS / OBC & Unlimited for SC / ST