P & T Finance And Accounts Services

As in the case of the Indian Railways there is a separate P & T Finance and Accounts Service. Here you work for the Postal & Telecom departments. You are posted in major cities and as this is a comparatively new service (established 1974) the promotions are fast. Within 17 years you can be a Joint Secretary (SAG) which corresponds with the Super Time Scale of the I.A.S. The work is satisfying and there is job variety. Apart from dealing with accounts - debits and credits you are also involved with general administration and public relations, etc. You start your career as the Assistant Chief Accounts Officer. Within two years you are the Chief Accounts Officer.

After six years you become the Director Finance and Accounts in the Junior Administrative Grade. In another eleven years you enter the SAG as G.M. Finance which is a field posting or as Deputy Director General at the Directorate. Following this promotions to the higher posts are limited as there is just one member Finance and one Senior DDG, Finance. However, you can go on deputation to other ministries or to the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) or Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) as Director Finance. With privatization of the telecom sector each circle will have one private company working alongside the government set-up. While this may limit the number of posts in the service you may have attractive job opportunities in the private sector owing to your wide experience in the service.