IAS Deputation

Deputation of Civil Service Officers, IAS Deputation

Officers of the civil services, can if they give their consent, are posted to other organizations. This would include deputations to public sector undertakings; public corporations; government departments or ministries; or even international bodies (like the UNDP or FAO). However, if a government post is reserved for one particular service, no one from outside that service can occupy

it under the rules.

While officers can be posted anywhere within their organization, regardless of their personal reservations regarding that posting, they are normally not deputed to another organization against their wishes.

Seniority and promotions however are governed by the officer's own service, even when they are on deputation to another organization.

All India Services

The Indian Civil Services are organized into two main sections:

I. The All India Services

II. The Central Services

All India Services IAS, IPS, IFS(Forest) (UPSC)

The officers who make it to the All India Services, on appointment by the government of India, will be deputed to different States and are at the disposal of the respective State Governments. These services include:

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS): The IAS officers handle the affairs of the government. At the Central level, their job involves the framing and implementation of policies. At the district level, they manage the affairs of the district, including development related activities. At the divisional level, they look after law and order, general administration and development work.

The Indian Police Service (IPS): The IPS officer's job mainly involves maintaining law and order. (At the district level, they share this responsibility with the IAS officers.) The IPS officer is responsible for ensuring public safety and security; crime detection and prevention; and traffic control and accident prevention and management. There are several functional departments that help IPS officers to carry out their duties. They are:

Crime Branch

Criminal Investigation Department (CID)

Home Guards

Traffic Bureau.

The other agencies at the Central level that aid in similar functions are:

Intelligence Bureau (IB), which gathers information that will aid in predicting and preventing threats to public order.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which investigates into cases of corruption and major crimes that are referred to it.

Cabinet Secretariat Security, which looks after the personal security of the cabinet ministers.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who are called in times of emergency, like a natural calamity, or when the law and order situation cannot be controlled by the local police alone.

Border Security Force (BSF), these forces are responsible for the protection of life and property in the border areas.

The Indian Forest Service: The officers in this category manage the forest reserves of the nation. Their job involves the protection and conservation of forest resources and wildlife. They also look after the management and supply of forest products.

The Central Services

The Indian Civil Services are organized into two main sections:

I. The All India Services

II. The Central Services

The Central Services IFS, IRS (UPSC)

The Officers of the Central Services serve the Government of India only, irrespective of which State or Country they are posted in. Some of the predominant services that come under this category are:

The Indian Foreign Service (IFS): The IFS officers look after the country's external affairs, including diplomacy, trade and cultural relations. They are also responsible for the administration and activities of Indian missions abroad; and for the framing and implementation of the Government's foreign policy.

The Indian Railway Service (IRS): The Indian railway network is one of the largest in the world. The IRS officers ensure the smooth operation of this network.

The Indian Postal Service: This department looks after the functioning of the mail, telegraphic and other communication services in the country.

The Accounts and Auditing Service: This department functioning in four categories deals with accounts, audits and inspections of:-public sector, central and state government undertakings; all military establishments; and the fixing, assessment and collection of income tax.

The Indian Customs (IC) and Central Excise Service (CES): The IC deals with the checking and levy of duty on taxable goods brought into the country; and the CES carries out the duty of taxation of goods manufactured within the country.

The Indian Ordinance Factories Service: This service oversees the production of goods made particularly for the use of the Armed Forces.

The Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES): It is concerned with the administration of military cantonments.

The Indian Information Service (IIS): This comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The IIS officers handle the press and/or public relations both within the country and abroad on behalf of the government, its various ministries, Public Sector Units (PSUs) and the defence forces.

Is Chief Secretary a fifth wheel?

When a Chief Minister invited a senior IAS officer of his State cadre serving with the Central Government to come back to the State as Chief Secretary, the officer, highly capable but extremely shrewd, is reported to have asked tongue-in-cheek, "Sir, with your style of functioning, do you really need a Chief Secretary?" Jokes apart, the officer's comment would seem to apply to more than one State and more than one Chief Minister and raises the serious question, "Do we really need a Chief Secretary in today's politico-administrative ambience in the States? Or has the post become, or been deliberately made, irrelevant?"

The question has arisen because to many of today's Chief Ministers it does not seem to matter a bit who the Chief Secretary is or how long he or she stays in the job. The paradox, however, in the Chief Secretaries' Frequent Transfer Syndrome is: if it is not important who the Chief Secretary is or how long he/she stays in the job, then why bother to change him/her at all? Is it a healthy fascination for inducting fresh blood or a morbid fascination for drawing fresh blood? There are many fallouts of such frequent changes of Chief Secretaries, all of them downside. For example, it gives many more IAS officers a chance to occupy the much-dreamt-of post of Chief Secretary and thereby improves the look of their post-retirement bio-data. It also gives the Chief Ministers a sense of raw power and a not-to-be-missed opportunity to show officers who the boss is around here. It also sends out a cue to the new incumbents as to what they should do to stay in the job (though, to the credit of the IAS, many of them have refused to take the cue). It is true that the public are not directly or immediately affected by changes at this level, but they would surely be affected ultimately by the trickle-down demoralising effect on all levels of administration.

Niceties of behaviour

Merits and demerits apart, what is saddening about such cases is the total abandonment by most Chief Ministers of even minimum common courtesy and niceties of behaviour on such occasions. Time was — it sounds like Victorian fiction today! — when a retiring Chief Secretary would be informed over a cup of tea by the Chief Minister who the successor would be. The former would then inform the successor and both would call on the Chief Minister together.

What is today's situation? The incumbent Chief Secretary probably first comes to know of his shift through the grapevine and does not know whether to believe it or not, or whom to ask for confirmation or contradiction. (His instinct tells him that his Daffedar knows but his status prevents him from asking!) Then usually there is a call from the Chief Minister's office, not from the Chief Minister or any senior Secretary level officer but from a relatively junior functionary, confirming the shift. In one case when the shifted officer wanted to go on leave on health grounds instead of immediately joining the insignificant paper-job he was posted to, even this face-saving request was refused and he was asked to join at once though he had only about four months to retire. In another case, the shifted Chief Secretary's request to the Chief Minister to sponsor his name for Central deputation was refused nor was he given any other posting in the State for quite some time.

It is nobody's case that a Chief Minister should blindly follow seniority in appointing the Chief Secretary or that, once appointed, a Chief Secretary should be a fixture till he retires. After all, Chief Ministers are human (even if, in some cases, their partymen treat them as divine) and the choice of a Chief Secretary may, in retrospect, turn out to be a mistake, and public interest demands that the mistake be rectified. But if any State Government has to have four Chief Secretaries in four months and resorts to massive seniority-skipping then there must be something wrong with one or all of the following:

(a) The temperament/competence of most of the senior IAS officers in the range of selection; (b) the method of selecting the Chief Secretary; (c) legitimacy of administrative/political priorities and goals; (d) the political ambience; (e) the Chief Minister's temperament.

In recent times the public image of Chief Secretaries has suffered somewhat because of the conduct of a few black sheep in the IAS, the cynicism that has enveloped the civil service as a whole leading to the cover-my-back syndrome and the low competence and initiative displayed by some of the incumbents. But conceptually, the job itself includes the following important responsibilities:

* guardian of the morale of the civil services and in particular the All India Services;

* design and continuous improvement of administrative systems;

* human resource development in the civil services;

* preserve integrity, neutrality and responsiveness in the civil services;

* as a holistic representative of the government, ensure an integrated image of the government internally and externally;

* install and activate appropriate long-term planning, implementation and evaluation systems.

These are roles that are too important to be neglected or bungled and the adverse impact on them of too frequent or quixotic transfers is too obvious to be emphasised.

Court judgments

Unfortunately, a couple of judgments of the Supreme Court have paved the way for Chief Ministers brazenly playing ducks and drakes with Chief Secretaries' selection and transfers. In one famous judgment, the Supreme Court, dismissing the petition of an IAS officer against his supersession for promotion as Secretary to the Government of India, remarked that "it is the privilege of the master to choose his cook." In another incident, an officer was shifted from the post of Chief Secretary to a totally insignificant post "equated" under the All India Service rules to that of a Chief Secretary. The officer argued that, by its very nature, no other post in a State administration could be really equivalent to that of a Chief Secretary and that the so-called equation under the rules was hollow and amounted effectively to camouflaging a reduction in rank. The Court unfortunately rejected this argument (which, to anyone familiar with State administration, would appear to be eminently valid) and ruled that as long as the emoluments and the grade were protected, the officer could not complain. These two rulings have enabled Chief Ministers to promote half a dozen officers to the Chief Secretary's grade and pick and choose the Chief Secretary from them as per their whims and fancies without having to supersede an officer openly on merits and defend it before courts as was the case in the early days of the Service when there was only one post in the grade of Chief Secretary.

The most important role of a Chief Secretary is to rise above the "here and now" issues (which are really the responsibility of the various Departmental Secretaries) and act with a long-term perspective on the viability, efficiency and responsiveness of administrative systems. The fact that Chief Secretaries are being changed like overnight clothing ignoring the adverse long-term impact of such action would suggest that they are getting pushed out not for failing to perform this basic role but for disagreeing with or not doing what the Chief Ministers want to be done "here and now, and no questions asked."

It is no part of the duty, moral or legal, of any officer, much less a Chief Secretary, to always and blindly agree with a Minister or Chief Minister. An officer's duty is to advise the Minister/Chief Minister frankly, objectively and knowledgeably and, except in patently unethical or illegal decisions, to do his best in implementing the latter's orders effectively. An officer may, and certainly ought to, be faulted for not being objective or knowledgeable, or for ineffective implementation. In actual practice, however, most cases of officers being treated shabbily arise because of their disagreeing with the proposed action rather than their lack of objectivity or competence.

Some practical steps that could be thought of to discourage transfer tantrums on the part of the political executive, are

* Do away with the equation of posts in the Chief Secretary's grade.

* For the appointment/removal of the Chief Secretary, adopt a mechanism similar to the one suggested by the National Police Commission for the appointment/removal of the DGP.

* The UPSC should acquire powers to do an annual State-wise review of how the All India Services cadres in each State are managed and place it before Parliament for a discussion.

* Whenever cases of apparently ego-driven, unfair treatment of senior public servants by the political executive comes up before the Courts, the likely adverse impact of such treatment on the quality of administration and service to the public may also be given due weight instead of taking a narrowly legalistic, rule-based view.

The IAS is our premier civil service conceived in hope and brought forth in liberty. When we entered it, we were taught that IAS stood for Integrity, Anonymity and Service. It is a sad reflection on today's Chief Ministers that, even after so many years of its existence, many of them still expect IAS to stand for nothing more than "I Agree, Sir."

Y.K. Alagh Committee Report UPSC Civil Services

The Y.K. Alagh Committee points to the deficient state of the civil services and suggests measures to make the bureaucracy more efficient and result-oriented.

An expert committee set up by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to look into the state of the civil services has found serious deficiencies in the system of recruitment. The seven-member committee, headed by Dr. Yoginder K. Alagh, former Union Minister and Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, submitted its report to the UPSC on October 22. Sections of the report that are available with Frontline reveal that the committee is unimpressed with the present cadre of civil servants and has recommended remedial measures for the recruitment and induction phases. Its conclusions are based on its interaction and consultations with eminent persons in public life, senior civil servants, academicians, economists, social scientists, young officers and trainers.

Lt.Gen.(retd.) Surinder Nath, Chairman of the UPSC, said: "We are studying the report. We will incorporate some recommendations of our own when we send the final set of recommendations to the Central government." He said the report was unlikely to have any implications for the civil services examinations of 2002.

The committee refers to some basic flaws in the "mindset" of civil servants. In a strongly worded chapter, it says that in the popular perception members of the civil services have a "ruler mindset", show no signs of courteous and humane behaviour, are totally devoid of transparency in decision-making, and seem to be preoccupied with their own survival and vested interests. This mindset, according to the report, becomes apparent when they are called upon to take care of the needs of the weaker sections of society, especially while implementing policies that can lead to a clash with the interests of influential persons in society. "As a result, the objectives of justice, fair play, development and welfare vis-a-vis the weaker sections tend to suffer by default," the report states.

A negative orientation, declining professionalism, intellectual sluggishness and a lack of ability to acquire new knowledge, undynamic outlook and, at times, a complete lack of intellectual honesty are some of the other weaknesses identified in the report. The report makes a special mention of the decline in the levels of integrity among civil servants. It points out that extensive regulatory controls by way of export and import licensing, industrial licensing, allocation of permits and quotas and the lowering of domestic duties and taxes on different products offer opportunities to the "venal among those administrating the regulatory set-up to exercise discretion in favour of particular clients on ulterior considerations".

Over the past few decades, the report says, there has been significant erosion of esprit de corps within the higher civil services. It underlines that while some members of the civil service have maintained a firm commitment to high standards of ethics and to the service of the nation, many others have breached the codes of professional conduct and entered into unethical, symbiotic pacts of convenience and mutual accommodation with influential politicians and business interests.

The report states that many civil servants suffer from intellectual sluggishness, which is manifested in the flattening of their learning curves. Most civil servants, according to the report, have the attitude that they are repositories of the wisdom and knowledge needed to deal with matters that lie within their spheres of authority. This attitude, the report points out, has made them unreceptive to new ideas and impervious to innovations that are essential in a dynamic administrative environment.

The report expresses concern over the "phenomenon of caste and regional prejudice exhibited by some members of the higher civil services". The tendency to favour colleagues belonging to one's own caste, regional or linguistic group implies that those not belonging to any such group will suffer inequitable treatment, it says.

According to the report, postings and transfers have become a tool in the hands of the political executive with which to force civil servants to comply with their diktats. Civil servants who show the flexibility to go along with the directions of their political masters are rewarded and those who refuse to compromise their professional independence, honesty and integrity are sidelined and penalised, it says. The "punishment" comes in the form of frequent changes in assignments.

The report has recommended insulation of the civil service from the vagaries and arbitrariness of the political executive. This can be done by vesting the authority to post and transfer civil servants in independent boards consisting of service professionals, it says.

The other recommendations of the report deal with eligibility parameters, the desired characteristics of candidates in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes and the modalities of identifying the most suitable candidates. It makes a strong case for lowering the age limit for recruitment, arguing that the economic cost of taking the examination at a higher age affects candidates from poorer families. The committee has designed a scheme to identify younger candidates. It suggests that the preliminary examination be made more objective and the main examination include papers on diverse subjects, including environment and law.

The report says that the recruitment and training of civil servants should be a long-term exercise. Future civil servants, it says, should be exposed to field-oriented developmental activities so that they remain in touch with people at the grassroots. Civil servants should develop an ability to work closely with civil society, it says. The report emphasises the need to recruit candidates who can champion reforms, facilitate the functioning of non-governmental organisations and cooperative groups and help the economy and society to operate within the national and global markets.

The report suggests that at the time of recruitment it has to be checked whether the aspirants are aware of the direction in which the country is moving and the strengths and weaknesses of civil society. They should also have an ability to interface with modern technology and institutions of local self-government and perform their duties with a sense of fair play, compassion and a commitment to achieve the objectives set by the Founding Fathers. The report says that it would be incorrect to expect a rural aspirant for the higher civil services to be computer savvy. "These aspects can be acquired, but if persons are averse to technology, then the forthcoming era of civil service may not really be their domain," it says. Although it may not be easy to test attributes such as honesty and integrity, given their importance an effort has to be made to do so, the report says.

The report emphasises the need to re-orient the civil service in the context of the diminishing role of the state in providing direct economic services, the state's growing importance in the economic and social sectors and the growing scarcity of non-renewable resources and the need to protect vulnerable groups of society.

Although it remains to be seen how many of its recommendations will be accepted by the UPSC, the Alagh Committee has served the immediate purpose of drawing attention to the need to overhaul the civil service and make it more efficient and result-oriented.

UPSC Exam Eligibility

How to get into IAS UPSC Civil Services

The Civil Services selection remains one of the few untainted exams in India. The examination is conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) every year. The announcement of the first stage of the selection process is made in the national dailies in the month of Nov-Dec (so watch out).

The Employment News carries full details of the total number of vacancies, eligibility conditions, plan of examination, and the date of the round of selection to various Central Services (like IAS, IPS, IFS and Indian services in accounts, customs, revenue, postal, railway, defence etc.)

The applications are accepted only till mid-Jan.

Website: The website www.upsc.gov.in carries full details in case you miss the ads

Eligibility:

The three pre-requisites for entering the Services through the Civil Services Examination are:

The candidate must be an Indian citizen

He/She should be between 21 to 30 years of age, as on August 1st of the examination year. Age relaxation of 5 years and 3 years is available to those belonging to SC/ ST and OBC categories respectively.

The candidate should have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from any recognized University.

Stages of UPSC Civil Services Exam

Stages of IAS Exam UPSC Civil Services Exam

IAS Exam UPSC Civil Services Exam are in three stages:

1) Preliminary examinations (Prelims):
The prelims are held around May-June.It has objective ie multiple choice questions.

The results are declared in July-August and the successful candidates are called for the main examinations.

The prelims score has no bearing for determining the final merit list for the services.

2) Main examination (Mains):
The main written examination usually takes place in Oct-Nov,
Candidates who are successful in the main examinations are eligible for an interview which plays a crucial part in the selection.

3) The Interview (Personality Test): The interview calls are sent in March-April of the following year and they take place in the month of April-May. The Board of interviewers look for a well-adjusted personality with the social traits, integrity and qualities of leadership . PS. The number of candidates called for the interview is normally twice the number of vacancies.

The whole process of selection in the civil services takes a full year and when the application process is included it sums up to 18 months in all.

The main exam score and the interview determines the placement in the final list. You have your say in the choice of service if you have secured a high position, otherwise accept what is offered if not take another attempt (4 attempts permitted) in the general category. Of course you have to start from the prelims all over again.

The I.A.S. occupies the highest order of importance and is usually given first preference by the selected candidates. In recent years Income Tax, Customs etc also have become popular. IFS is not that sought after now.

UPSC Exam Reading

What To Read For IAS UPSC Civil Services

Dailies to be read for IAS UPSC Civil Services

Times of India
The Hindu
The Economic Times
Financial Express
Hindustan Times
Asian Age
The Statesman
Telegraph
Deccan Herald

Periodicals to be read for IAS UPSC Civil Services

Civil services times
Civil services chronicle
Pratiyogita Darpan
Frontline
India Today
Outlook
The Week
Economist Time
Asia week Newsweek
The Sunday Times

IAS

Indian Administrative Services IAS

In the Government of India (i.e.. in the ministries) you will deal with the formulation of policies and supervise their implementation. In each Ministry you will supervise the allotment and utilization of funds by the field officers in your Ministry. You will also be asked to furnish information to the Parliament in response to queries relating to your Ministry. You will have to work late into the night and under much pressure when Parliament is in session. Sometimes, your work will entail visits to the States. Depending on your rank, you might even be the government nominee on the Board of Directors of some Public Sector Corporation. You will also at times be nominated to independently represent India at International forums or accompany the Minister for such meetings.

From the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, you can sign international agreements on behalf of the Government of India. However, more than half your career life will be spent in the State you are allocated, where you will look after law and order, general administration, revenue work and developmental functions. During the course of your two year probation you will be attached to various training schools, to the Secretariat and field offices and to a district collector's office. Here you will do the work of a sub magistrate. On completion of your two year's probation you will be appointed as a Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM).

As S.D.M. you will look after law and order, general administration, revenue work and such developmental work as may be assigned to you. In the next three scales i.e.. Senior Scale, Junior Administrative Grade and Selection Grade you will serve as District Magistrate, Chief Development Officer, Director of a department, Managing Director of a Public Sector Unit or a Senior officer in the State Secretariat. In other words, you could be a District Magistrate in your fifth year of service and remain a D.M. till you are promoted to the Super Time Scale in the 17th year of your service.

What your rank in the State Secretariat will be varies widely from State to State. For example, in Jammu and Kashmir, young I.A.S. officers in the Junior Administrative Grade become Secretaries. In most States, however, I.A.S. Officers become Secretaries to the State Government when they reach the Selection Grade. In all States, supertime scale officers are Secretaries or Divisional Commissioners. Following this there are promotions in scale to the ranks of Principal Secretary and additional Chief Secretary. The highest post in the State is that of the Chief Secretary.

Indian Foreign Services IFS

After the training at Mussoorie, the I.F.S. probationers are attached to the Ministry of External Affairs and have to become conversant in a major foreign language. During the second year they are appointed as Third Secretaries in and Indian Embassy/High Commission where that language is spoken. They spend another two years in the same Embassy as Second Secretaries. After two postings abroad, the I.F.S. Officers are posted in India in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) (Eg. Passport office or Indian Council for Cultural Relations or elsewhere in the Government of India). In the MEA, you will look after India's political, economic and commercial work. In the Senior Scale and the Junior Administrative Grade the I.F.S. Officers are appointed as First Secretaries. In the Selection Grade I.F.S. Officers serve as Counsellors. In very small countries the Indian Ambassador would be in that grade.

In the supertime scale, many I.F.S. Officers become Ambassadors of medium sized countries while others are appointed as Ministers in the large embassies like Washington and Moscow. In the Additional Secretaries Grade, I.F.S. Officers are made ambassadors in relatively big embassies of Deputy High Commissioner in London. The biggest Indian Embassies / High

Commissions like Moscow, Washington and London are headed by Ambassadors of the rank of Secretary. At this level, some Ambassadors are non I.F.S. Officers like politicians, retired or serving I.A.S. Officers or retired Defence Chief. There are four to five Secretary level officers in the MEA - the senior most being the Foreign Secretary.

The content of an I.F.S. Officer's work has improved immensely. The is considerable economic work to be done to promote trade and commerce. The career development in the service is extremely professional.

Indian Police Services IPS

During the probation period you will undergo a year's on the job training in the office of a Superintendent of Police of a district in the State you have been allocated .On completing your two year probation, you will be confirmed as a three star Assistant Superintendent of Police (A.S.P.). You will then in all probability be posted as the Police Officer of a sub-division (SDPO) for two years till you are promoted to the Senior Scale.

As the SDPO, Superintendent of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police of a District and as Deputy Inspector General of a Range (group of districts), you will be exclusively responsible for the prevention and detection of crime. However, the law and order duties will be shared with your I.A.S. counterpart. In cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, the law and order duties are the exclusive responsibility of the police force. In these cities the ASP, SP, and the DIG are called Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACPO), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and Commissioner of Police (CP).

On being promoted to the Senior Scale you could serve as ASP of a larger district for the first two years or SP of a small district. You are likely to spend about thirteen years covering the Senior Scale, Junior Administrative Grade and Selection Grade as SP / SSP of a district, SP (Crime), SP (CID), S.P. (Home Guards), the head of some police battalion, S.P. (Traffic) and so on. Outside the districts, the most satisfying jobs are in the intelligence agencies of the Government of India specially in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

There are many other Central agencies to which the IPS Officers may be sent on deputation at every stage of their career, except in the Junior Scale. Some of these are the Cabinet Secretariat, the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Central Industrial Security Force. Unlike I.A.S. Officers who cannot permanently serve the central government, some IPS dominated central agencies absorb the IPS Officers till they retire. The senior posts in the IPS are those of the Deputy Inspector General, Inspector General, Additional D.G. and Director General. These days many states have more than one IG and DG. However, there is only one Director General of Police (DG), who heads the police force of the State.

Indian Revenue Services IRS

In the Indian Revenue Service you earn money for the exchequer and therefore, you have to keep departmental expenses to the minimum. The job is “officer oriented” as you are involved in all the processes from investigation to decisions and policy planning. As you will deal with the fiscal policy and budget, aptitude for accounts as well as a legal aptitude is useful. You “wield a lot of power” and whereas the law abiding citizen “need not fear them, the white collar criminal better watch out” .

Your professional training will be conducted in the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur and you will also receive on-the-job training at an Assistant Commissioner’s office for sometime. Following this you will serve as an Assistant Commissioner for about eight years. You will examine cases in which the tax assessed is more than the prescribed figure.

Assistant Commissioners deal with income and losses between Rs. 2 - 5 lakhs. In the Junior Administrative Grade (JAG) and Selection Grade you would be a Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax or Deputy Director (Investigation). Deputy Commissioners (Assessment) handle cases above Rs.5 lakhs. In the Senior Administrative Grade you could be a Commissioner of Income Tax in a metropolitan town or one of the state capitals or a Director of Income Tax. Some of these Commissioners are designated Chief - Commissioners of Income Tax and are in a scale similar to that of Additional Secretaries. The Director General of Income Tax is also in this scale. The head of the Income Tax hierarchy is the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes and is assisted by six members.

The Indian Information Services (IIS)

This was initially called the Central Information Service (CIS) which was constituted as late as 1960. As it is a comparatively new and expanding service there is scope for quicker promotions. The information and media convergence has not only made the job a challenging one but it has opened vast opportunities for you to branch out into the private sector if you so desire.

You can join the Junior Grade of the IIS through Civil Services Examination, even though 50 percent of officers in this grade are directly recruited. The scales in this service are exactly the same as in the other services, till the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG). At the top is a grade which is called Selection Grade (not to be confused with the Selection Grade which most services give their officers in their 14th year) and has a fixed salary, equal to what the senior most Additional Secretary would get.

Training during probation is at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. An IIS Officer can be posted in organizations dealing with print media (e.g. Employment News) in the electronic media (e.g. AIR, Doordarshan, Films Division) or in an advertising agency (the Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity is the Country's biggest advertisement agency).

In short, IIS Officers can be posted to any of the several organizations that are controlled by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or the Ministry of Defence (Directorate of Public Relations).

Indian Postal Services

The Indian Postal Service is unique as there is "maximum job satisfaction". The first posting is as the head of a division where you are in touch with the "cutting edge" the people as well as staff and the results are "immediate". Moreover, it is the only service from which you can go on a deputation to the army and serve from Captain to Major General. An attractive aspect of a career in the Indian Postal Service is that there is job mobility as well as variety.

You can serve in any ministry at any level depending on your seniority and aptitude. Officers are also sent on deputation to the Universal Postal Union at Berne, Switzerland or on assignments to other countries. Your professional course will be at the Postal Staff College, Ghaziabad. During your probation you will be "attached" to "field" offices of the department, where you will work in various capacities (e.g. Inspector or Postmaster). You will serve in divisional headquarters (e.g. Pune, Agra, Chandigarh) as Senior Superintendent of Post Office (SSPO) or Senior Superintendent Railway Mail (SSRM) in your Junior scale as well as in the first 2-3 years of your senior scale. Only personnel from the Indian Postal Service go on deputation to the Army Postal Service.

Later in the Senior Scale you will be promoted to the rank of Assistant PMG (Post Master General) or Assistant Director General at the Directorate. In the JAG you will be made a Director. In the selection grade you will remain a Director. You can be promoted to the Senior most level of PMG of a "Circle" (or equivalent - e.g.. the post of Deputy Director General). Postal Services is one of the most challenging, satisfying and gratifying job for people who have an interest in human relations. This service offers an opportunity to serve the people from all walks of life directly. In the Senior Administrative Grade there are two scales namely Rs.18,400 - 22400 and 22,400 -24,500.

Promotions after that are to the posts of:

a) Additional Secretary in a ministry

b) One of the members of the Postal Services Board

c) Chief PMG or rather HAG i.e. Higher Administrative Grade. At present there are ten posts of Chief PMG out of which

seven are field posts .

d) Secretary, Department of Post who is also ex officio DG and Chairman of the Postal Services Board.

Indian Audit and Accounts Services

This service audits the accounts of all central and state government departments, P & T departments, defence, public sector organizations, railways, etc. It functions within the federal structure and coordinates effectively between the centre and the states. As the head of the organization, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is a constitutional authority with a fixed tenure, the entire department functions free from interference.

During your career you can go on deputation's to various ministries, state governments, autonomous bodies, public sector organizations etc. You can also be posted at one of the two audit offices abroad - Washington or London. Presently India is one of the three countries auditing the accounts of the United Nations and a Director General of the service is based at New York for this purpose.

Officers selected to this service undergo training in Shimla. They serve either in accounts offices in Central or State Governments or in Statutory Audit Offices under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). In the Junior Scale you will be posted as an Assistant A.G. in the office of an Accountant General (AG). (The offices of most AGs are in State capitals). You will be posted in similar offices throughout your career; only your designation and responsibilities will keep changing. For example as Assistant A.G. you will function as a "branch officer" but as Deputy A.G. who will function as a "group officer" and direct the work of thirty to forty persons. In the senior scale you will be a Deputy AG, in the JAG and Selection Grade a Senior DAG and in the Senior Administrative Grade a full fledged AG.

At the next rung is the Additional Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General. Above this is the Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India, who gets a Secretary's salary. At the very top of the accounts/audit hierarchy is a constitutional authority, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. (Other Constitutional authorities in India include the Chairman of UPSC and the Chief Election Commissioner).

Indian Central Excise Services CES

Your probation will be in Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay or Madras and you will be posted in industrial townships to begin with and then in big cities. In the Junior Scale you could serve as Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise. You can hold the latter rank in the Senior scale also. In the JAG you could be a Deputy or Additional Commissioner of Central Excise.

Commissioners of Customs and Central Excise are officers in the Senior Administrative Grade. They wield enormous power and the jurisdiction of each normally extends over several states. Chief Commissioners of Customs and Central Excise are placed in the next higher grade which is similar to that of Additional Secretaries. After that you can aspire to become a member of the Central Board of Excise and Customs and later even its Chairman.

While both IRS and IC and CES Officers upto the rank of Assistant Commissioner are officially entitled to a substantial share of all the concealed wealth they locate and seize during their raids, the latter have traditionally received much bigger awards of this kind from the government. The Central Bureau of Narcotics is located in Gwalior and headed by a Commissioner. Senior positions in the narcotics department are held by officers of the IC and CES.

Indian Customs Services ICS

There is "job variety" in this service. You could be dealing with customs, excise or narcotics related matters. Being a uniformed service there is glamour attached to it. The service gives confidence and tremendous opportunities for growth. Custom Officers are not only posted in important coastal and border towns or in towns with international airports, they can be posted anywhere.

Your probation will be either in Madras, Bombay, Calcutta or Delhi and in the Junior and Senior scales you will be designated Assistant Commissioner of Customs. As Deputy Commissioner in the JAG you will move to much bigger towns. In this grade of JAG you could later become Additional Commissioner of Customs.

Indian Railway Personnel Services IRPS

As an officer in this service you will deal with recruitment, promotions, in service training and welfare of the employees. You will be interested to know that IRPS officers get the equivalent of the Supertime Scale before any other service of the Government of India.

The postings are as follows:

In the junior scale you will be designated Assistant Personnel Officer and posted at Divisional Headquarters. Following this you will become a Divisional Personnel Officer in the Senior Scale and Senior Divisional Personnel Officer of Deputy Chief Planning Officer in the JAG. You will be made Additional Chief Planning Officer once you get the selection grade.

In the Senior Administrative Grade you will be designated Chief Personnel Officer and serve at Zonal Headquarters. At a non divisional set-up there are commensurate posts for officers belonging to all the railway services.

Indian Railway Accounts Services IRAS

This service monitors all the income and expenditure of the vast railway network. In the Junior Scale as an IRAS officer you will be posted to divisional headquarters as Assistant Accounts Officers.

On being promoted to the senior scale you will become a Divisional Accounts Officer and in the JAG you will be designated as Senior Divisional Accounts Officer. In the Senior Administrative Grade you are promoted to the coveted position of Financial Advisor-cum-Chief Accounts Officer of a zone.

Owing to the commercial nature of the organization, work in the railways is "result oriented" and the environment is conducive to quick decisions. You are constantly in a "state of motion". A career in the Indian Railway Accounts Service contributes to personal growth and enables one to deal with tough and demanding situations.

Indian Railway Traffic Services IRTS

This service looks after commercial (goods and passengers) and operational (movement of trains) functions with an emphasis on safety. In the Junior Scale you will serve as either Assistant Commercial Manager or Assistant Operating Manager and posted at the Divisional Headquarters. If posted at a very big railway station you may be designated as Assistant Transport Manager.

Within four years of service you are likely to get the senior scale and posted at divisional headquarters as Divisional. Commercial Manager or Divisional Operating Manager or Divisional Safety Officer. Most of the branch officers like the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager or Senior Divisional Operating Manager are in the JAG.

At the zonal level the hierarchy is as follows:

On the Commercial side the structure is headed by the Chief Commercial Manager (who is in the pay scale of the Additional Secretary to the Government of India) followed by the Additional Chief Commercial Manager and the Deputy Chief Commercial Manager.

On the operations side the Chief Operations Manager is at the head, followed by the Additional Chief Operations Manager, Chief Freight Traffic Manager, Chief Passenger Traffic Manager and the Deputy Chief Operations Manager.

Traditionally, operations were given more importance in Railways than the commercial aspect. However, today commercial activity is gaining importance because of consumer awareness. Thus it is imperative that IRTS officers hone up their managerial skill.

Indian Railway Services

The Indian Railways virtually form the life line of the country catering to its need for large scale movement of traffic both freight and passenger thereby contributing to economic growth and also promoting national integration.

The Indian Railways are now Asia's largest and world's second largest railway system under a single management. At the top of the railway hierarchy is the Chairman of the Railway Board. He gets a salary equal to that of the Cabinet Secretary and for all purposes he is the Secretary of his Department. The Railway Board has several members of Secretary rank.

There is one member for each wing of the railways eg. Member (Mechanical), Member (Engineering), Member (Traffic), Member (Staff) etc. Heading each zone is a General Manager who is incharge of all the railway operations in that zone. His rank is between that of an Additional Secretary and Secretary to the Government of India. He belongs to any one of the various railway services.

Each Division is headed by a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), who can be from any railway service. He is one of the senior officers of the Senior Administrative Grade which corresponds to the Super Time Scale of the IAS. The post of the Additional Divisional Railway manager is now an important one. He belongs to the Senior Administrative Grade. He is responsible for all railway work in his division.

As a probationer of the railway services you will receive your training at the Railway Staff College, Vadodara followed by a year's on-the-job training at a division of the 'zone' you have been allocated. There are nine zones- North, South, East, North-East, West, South-East, South-East, South-Central, Central and North Frontier. Railways belong to one of the select few organizations where decision has to be taken on the spot. This is precisely the challenge for a railway officer.

Railway Protection Force RPF

This force protects one of the biggest railway networks in the world. Your training will be at Vadodra and Lucknow. The Junior and Senior scales are similar to the other railway services. There is no equivalent of JAG or S.G. Instead, you have the grades of Senior Commandant, Head Quarters and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) respectively which is much better than the

corresponding grades for even the IAS and IFS.

The Inspector General's grade is the same as the IAS supertime scale or the IPS IGP's scale. The final promotion is as the Director General of the Force. So far, the Director General of the R.P.F. has been an I.P.S. officer. However, it is expected that once the officers of the R.P.F. attain the required seniority it will be headed by one of them.

The Central Industrial Security Force CISF

This force has been created for the protection of India's very extensive industrial infrastructure, especially the Public Sector Units. The training is conducted in Hyderabad. Officers join as Assistant Commandants in the Junior Scale. Thereafter, a few years later they are eligible for promotion to the rank of Deputy Commandant, which is in the Senior Scale. After that CISF officers can hope to become Commandants or Additional Inspector General.

The Indian Defence Estates Services IDES

This service deals entirely with spacious, well planned, green, landscaped cantonments. In this service you will begin your career in the junior scale, as an Executive Officer in a Class I or a Class II Cantonment. In the Senior Scale you would normally be sent to a Class I Cantonment as an Executive Officer of Asstt. Director or Deputy Asstt. Director General or Defence Estate Officer.

Your next promotion in the "Ordinary Grade" (similar to the JAG) will be as Joint Director which designation you will retain in the Selection Grade as well. After the Selection Grade the IDES Officers are first promoted as Directors (Level I) before they are made Directors (Level III). The latter post is in the Senior Administrative Grade. The top officer is the Director General Defence Estates.

Indian Civil Accounts Services (ICAS)

The Junior Scale: Your training will be in the office of the CGA (Controller General of Accounts), Department of Expenditure (Ministry of Finance) Delhi and in the offices of the Chief Controller of Accounts in the various ministries of Govt.of India.

Your first posting will be as Assistant Controller of Accounts in some ministry of the Govt.of India. In the Senior Scale you will become the Deputy Controller of Accounts. In the Senior Administrative Grade you will be made Chief Controller of Accounts.

You can also hope to become Additional Controller General of Accounts in the Additional Secretaries Grade. The highest career post for an ICAS officer is Controller General of Accounts and has a salary fixed higher than that of the Additional Secretaries' Scale.

The Indian Ordinance And Factories Services (IOFS)

You will be required to serve mostly where ordinance factories (i.e. factories that make equipment including sleeping bags and tents, for the defence services) are located e.g. Jabalpur. During the first 10 years in the Service, you could even be asked to serve for upto 4 years, as a Commissioned Officer in the Armed Forces.

The promotions up to the Senior Administrative Grade are standard Central Service Promotions. In the Additional Secretaries' Grade you would most probably be made a General Manager. After that there is a scale which begins at the AS level. In this scale are the Members of the OFS (ordinance Factories Board) / the Additional DGOF (Director General Ordinance Factories). The head of the service is the chairman of the OFB / DGOF, who has the same fixed salary as the Secretaries.

The Indian Ordinance And Factories Services (IOFS)

You will be required to serve mostly where ordinance factories (i.e. factories that make equipment including sleeping bags and tents, for the defence services) are located e.g. Jabalpur. During the first 10 years in the Service, you could even be asked to serve for upto 4 years, as a Commissioned Officer in the Armed Forces.

The promotions up to the Senior Administrative Grade are standard Central Service Promotions. In the Additional Secretaries' Grade you would most probably be made a General Manager. After that there is a scale which begins at the AS level. In this scale are the Members of the OFS (ordinance Factories Board) / the Additional DGOF (Director General Ordinance Factories). The head of the service is the chairman of the OFB / DGOF, who has the same fixed salary as the Secretaries.

The Indian Defence Accounts Services (IDAS)

You will start off, after your probation, as an Assistant CDA (Controller of Defence Accounts) in the Junior Scale, and will work n cantonment towns. In the next three scales you will be a Deputy CDA, posted at State capitals (or bigger towns).

In the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) you will become a full-fledged CDA and will be posted at places where headquarters of defence 'commands' are located. In the Additional Secretaries' Scale IDAS Officer's are made Additional CGDAs (Controller General of Defence Accounts) incharge of Audit or Inspection. They could also be posted as Controller of Accounts (Factories), Calcutta. There are also some equipment posts in this scale.

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.

Long Hair Styles For Men

Long Hair Style for men is in fashion these days. All with these hair style look unique as not all have it. But in certain regions where it is traditional to keep long hair styles of course there seems nothing to be unique. They all together seem unique definitely. Long hair style is not allowed in certain countries for men. Some consider long hair style for men as something which is not suitable for certain professions. Well, it is up to the person to select the perfect hair style that suits him. For long hair styles, men have following options:

• Ponytails: A simple, plain ponytail is both easy to care for and easy to style in a short period of time.

• Braid: A single braid can be attractive on a man with long hair and it is more easily contained and controlled than a ponytail.

• Dreadlocks: Dreadlocks can be a fashion statement and a way to style long hair, particularly if it is thick or curly.

• Afro: Many African-American men choose a natural afro for their long hair.

• Loose: With hair that falls just below the shoulders, there may be no need for any styling other than wearing the hair loose.

• Mullet: A mullet has short hair in the front and at the top of the head and longer hair in back, possibly pulled into a ponytail.

Styling Long Hair

Men’s long hair styles can not simply be left to grow – like women, men are subject to split ends, uneven growth, and other hair characteristics that necessitate at least minimal management for an attractive style. Hair gel or spray is frequently necessary to tame wild strands and slick hair away from the face, though it should only be applied to the roots. Applying products to the entire length of hair will create excess weight that drags hair down. If accessories are needed, they should be coated and specifically designed to be gentle and minimize breakage.

Caring for Men’s Long Hair Styles

To keep hair looking its best, it is important to properly care for it. Men’s long styles, in particular, need more attentive care than shorter styles because they will show flaws and defects for a longer period of time rather than constantly being trimmed short.
• Use conditioner to moisturize hair and minimize tangles.
• Trim ends regularly (every 6-8 weeks) to even out the style and remove split ends.
• Avoid constant tight styles such as frequent braids or overly tight ponytails that can increase the risk of hair loss.

Men’s long hair styles can be attractive and stylish if properly chosen and cared for. Long hair can be seductive and fashionable on both men and women, and men’s styles in particular are highly noticeable and frequently sought after.

Short Hair Styles For Men

Classic Cuts

Big Willy, the US President that brought himself down to a more human, personal level through his homemade home video, not to mention a certain intern, can once again be brought down to our level by sporting the classic haircut. Pierce Brosnan, the sophisticated new James Bond, also has a rather classic hairdo.

It's true, Bill Clinton has been blessed with a full head of hair thus he cannot necessarily be considered for the average haircut. In any case, there are many more lengths and styles to go with each hair length.

Short Cuts

Not every head needs to be covered with hair to look good. Short hair looks classy and sophisticated, not to mention easy to care for during the hot summer months. A nice clean cut can make a man look mature and sophisticated, while on others it may do just the opposite, making them look younger. Of course it depends on what his intentions are.

If you choose to wear your hair short, try to make it short all over, not short on the bottom with the rest of your hair long on top, reminiscent of the mushroom-cut days. For those with short hair, here are three things you can do:
• Try pushing your bangs forward -- the Caeser cut-- as actor George Clooney has been seen doing.
• Gel your bangs upward (not at a 90 degree angle!) and back, in more of a diagonal, by using gel or paste.
• Make your hair look "spiky" by using hair gel or similar products.

Midway lengths

For those who opt for medium length hair, a new hairstyle that is catching on is the messier look -- purposely messy, that is. The point is not to look like you rolled out of bed without looking in the mirror and combing your hair, but to allow for your hair to fall more randomly. The messy, natural look isn't "natural" by nature; it requires a procedure in order to be achieved.

The way to achieve this look, which has been spotted on actors such as Brad Pitt, Ed Norton and Tom Cruise in his Jerry Maguire days, is with the help of certain hair products such as gel, wax, or what is known today as paste. Paste is like gel, only it is less shiny, and less crunchy. Now your girlfriend will no longer be able to see her reflection in your hair. KMS and Crew are both brands of this product and both can be found at hair salons.

When getting out of the shower, avoid combing your hair. Simply apply the paste or gel and moderately mess up your hair, making your hair fall more randomly. The goal is to avoid the restrictive, every hair in its place look, in which your hair looks like it has been perfectly and strategically placed and glued to your head. This way, your locks look more relaxed, laid back and, ironically, more natural. This is also a great hairstyle for the upcoming summer months.

The Long Route

Think Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 2, not Antonio Banderas in Mask of Zorro. Long hair for men is in style these days, but long meaning not much longer than shoulder length. This relaxed hairstyle exudes a carefree attitude and is easily manageable as it requires nothing more than a good combing after a shower.

The only disadvantage of this hairstyle is that your hair may get annoying and it may not be comfortable having it fall in your face. Constantly adjusting your mane behind your ears may make your hair greasy-looking. It may also not be a hairdo for those working in professional fields such as medicine, law or business.

Hair Style for Men

Hair Style is an important part of one's personality. There are a wide variety of hair style for men available at present. Men hair style too change as per the country, their profession and various other factors.

A good choice of hair style for men can make him look different. All men hair style do not suit all men. But of course, one can find one good hair style. Choosing whether or not to wear long hair is a decision balanced by personal preference and practicality. While many men may want to sport longer styles, dress code and grooming guidelines at their workplaces may prohibit hair from reaching below the collar. At the same time, a man who is actively involved in rigorous sports such as rock climbing, biking, racing, and other strenuous activities may prefer shorter styles that keep the hair from becoming entangled. Many surfers and other new age men opt for longer styles to represent their natural, care-free lifestyle, and for other men, long hair may be a cultural or heritage preference. Native American men, for example, frequently opt for long hair just as their ancestors did. So hair style depends on a mixture of culture, personal choice, profession and way one likes to project oneself.