Salary, Perks, Powers of an IAS Officer are some of the motivators for the IAS Preparation. Facilities provide to IAS Officers are among the best facilities only second to the politician. Without an iota of doubt, being an IAS or IPS officer is a matter of pride! However, despite all the powers and prestige that the post of IAS officer brings to the table; aspirants still are faced with criticism about the salary and remuneration that they enjoy. There seems to be a common perception that government officers including the top ranking all-India service officer including IAS, IPS officers; earn relatively lower salaries compared to their counterparts in private sector.
Salary after 7th Pay Commission
The common remark from MBA graduates who earn a bomb in the private sector to an UPSC IAS aspirant would be ‘I would be making twice the amount for managing 20 people compared to you for managing an entire district’. The only appropriate come back to this would be that aspirants joining the race to become an IAS officer never do it for the money involved. But, slowly and steadily things are changing for good. The implementation of 7th Pay Commission has proven this beyond any doubt. You can find more information about it here. But apart from the satisfaction and pride of serving the country, the job of an IAS officer comes with a host of other perks and facilities that even CEO’s of private companies can’t expect.
Below, we shall try to decode all the perks, facilities and benefits enjoyed by an IAS officer in the official capacity in addition to salary remuneration they receive from the government:
Residence: IAS officers are entitled to a duplex bungalow in a (VVIP) restricted zone of the state capital they are deployed in. This benefit is enjoyed by them irrespective of their posting in any some other district/commissionerate or the Headquarters.
Service Quarter: Apart from residence in the state capital, IAS officers are also provided with a service quarter at the place of their posting (respective district headquarters).
Transportation: IAS officers are allotted a minimum of 1 and maximum of 3 official vehicles along with a driver / chauffeur for commuting purposes. All cars would be provided with blue beacon light. Officers appointed in chief secretary scale are allotted vehicles with red beacon light. The government also foots the bill for fuel and maintenance cost of the vehicles allotted to the IAS officers.
Security: IAS officers and their families are provided utmost security. Generally, officers posted in state headquarters are allotted 3 home guards and 2 bodyguards. In case of a threat to their life, STF commandos may also be mulled for their protection. For IAS officers posted as District Magistrate/Commissioner; they have the entire police force of at their disposal and they are free to design their security cover depending upon the need.
Bills: Unlike private company employees, IAS officers do not have to foot the bill for the common household services they use. For instance, electricity is either completely free of heavily subsidized for their official residence. Similarly, they are allotted 3 BSNL SIM cards with free talktime, SMS and Internet services. They are also provided free BSNL landline connection and a broadband connection at home.
Trips: For both official and unofficial trips; IAS officers enjoy subsidized accommodation at circuit houses, government bungalows or rest houses in different states. For any visit to New Delhi; IAS officer would be accommodated in the respective state bhavans with all facilities.
Household Staff: IAS officers are also provided household staff to take care of daily chores at their official residence or service quarter.
Study Leave: Another awesome facility that is enjoyed by IAS officers would be an official 2-4 year study leave. Under this, IAS officers can take leave of up to 4 years to study at a reputed foreign university the cost burden of which will be borne by the government.
Other Benefits: IAS officers also enjoy several other benefits in the form of PF, Gratuity, Healthcare services, lifetime pension and several other retirement benefits.
Unofficial benefits: In addition to this, IAS officers also get invited to all major events happening in the district or zone of their jurisdiction. This would include free tickets and passes for cricket matches, concerts, parties and others. However, due to work commitments attending these might not really be a part of their schedule unless accompanying some other VVIP.
These are just some of the major perks and facilities that are enjoyed by IAS officers in India. It is almost impossible to list down all the minor benefits enjoyed by IAS officers in India. However, the ones listed above clearly prove why being an IAS officer is considered to the most sought after career choice in India.
Other interesting facts about the career of IAS and IPS officers
