Civil Services/ IAS aspirants may not appear for two additional papers

The Civil Services Officers from both the services(IAS/IFS) had put forward their demand for conducting separate examinations for IAS and IFS aspirants or else allow Civil Services aspirants to appear for an additional paper to qualify. The Commission had also asked for recommendations for the recruitment process of 24 services including Indian Railways, IAS, IFS, etc. The Panel headed by BS Baswan, former education secretary will submit the report by mid August.

The Commission has not found any valid reason for introducing extra papers for IAS exam. Following a discussion, the Commission has decided to reject the demands for reintroducing the additional papers.
Earlier proposals and the recent 7th Pay Commission recommendation for parity between IAS and non-IAS officers, has accelerated the demand for reintroducing the additional papers that would separate IAS and IFS from the rest of the civil services. However the Commission is all set to reject the demand.

The demand for ‘reintroducing’ additional papers has been followed from the IAS exam pattern from 1951 to 1979; IAS/ IFS aspirants, then, had to appear for three optional papers (graduate level) followed by two additional papers (postgraduate level). It was these additional papers which gave IAS and IFS a higher importance. On the recommendation of DS Kothari Committee, however, the exam pattern was modified in 1979 and the hierarchy in civil services came to an end.

Near about 4 lakh candidates appear for the much coveted civil services examination conducted by UPSC. Only 1000 of them reach till the third stage of examination. While only 180 candidates get into IAS, rest settle for other listed jobs in Civil services.