Build Your Career as a Central Government Services ‘Group B’ Officer In India: An Ultimate Guide

Are you someone who has always dreamt of working for the government of the country? Do you want to work for and around top Gazetted officers and officers of higher rank? When you think of job security, does becoming a part of Indian Civil services pops up in your mind? Do you see yourself working in the government administration and grow gradually to become a reputed Civil servant? If you are thinking of becoming a part of the Indian Administration then find out more about a career in Central Civil Service Group B officer. Group B posts (with Central Government Offices and Union Territories offices) are meant for rendering administrative and executive assistance. Group B officers usually work under the command of IAS officers and Gazetted officers of the Indian Administration. The Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGLE) is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) for the selection of Group B officers and all the appointments are made by the authorities specified by a general or special order of the President.

Why become a Central Government Services “Group B” Officer?

Central Civil Services (CCS) Officers are responsible for looking after the administration and permanent bureaucracy of the Government of India and are divided into two groups: Group A and Group B. Officers of both Group A and B are gazetted officers and are categorized according to the rank, status and the degree of the level of responsibility assigned to the posts.

For instance: Group ‘A’ posts carry higher administrative and executive responsibilities and include senior management positions in the ministries/departments and field organizations. The middle and junior levels of Group ‘Along with Group ‘B’ constitute middle management.

Group B officers oversee the administrative tasks of the Government and usually perform many of their important roles and responsibilities according to their rank and position in the system. The appointments to Group B posts are made by the authorities specified by a general or special order of the President. There are several posts that come under Group B services such as:

• Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services
• Botanical Survey of India, Group ‘B’
• Central Electrical Engineering Service, Group ‘B’
• Central Engineering Service, Group ‘B’
• Central Excise Service, Group ‘B’
• Central Health Service, Group ‘B’
• Central Power Engineering Service, Group ‘B’
• Central Secretariat Official Language Service, Group ‘B’
• Central Secretariat Service, Group ‘B’ (Section and Assistant Section Grade officers only)
• Central Secretariat Stenographers’ Service, (Grade I, Grade II and Selection Grade officers only)
• Customs Appraisers Service, Group ‘B’- (Principal Appraisers and Head Appraisers)
• Customs Preventive Service, Group ‘B’ – (Chief Inspectors)
• Defense Secretariat Service
• DANICS, Grade II
• DANIPS, Grade II
• Geological Survey of India, Group ‘B’
• Indian Foreign Service, Group ‘B’ – (General Cadre, Grade I and General Cadre, Grade II only)
• Indian Posts and Telegraphs Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘B’ Telecommunication Wing.
• Indian Posts & Telegraphs Accounts & Finance Service, Postal Wing, Group ‘B’
• Income Tax Service, Group ‘B’
• Indian Salt Service, Group ‘B’
• India Meteorological Service, Group ‘B’
• Survey of India, Group ‘B’
• Postal Superintendents’ Service, Group ‘B’
• Postmasters’ Service, Group ‘B’
• Railway Board Secretariat Service, Group ‘B’
• Telecommunication Engineering Service, Group ‘B’
• Telegraphs Traffic Service, Group ‘B
• Zoological Survey of India, Group ‘B’

What do we mean by Gazetted and Non-Gazetted officers?

A Gazetted officer is someone who is ranked at the executive or managerial level in the Indian Civil services i.e. they are the public servants of India at the executive/managerial level. They are also the legal representatives of the Indian state and the President as they are authorized to issue an official stamp in matters of significance. Some of the Group B Gazetted officer posts are DANIPS DANICS, Puducherry Civil Service, Puducherry Police Service, Section officers of AFHQ Civil Services and Central Secretariat Services, Chief Pharmacists, Income Tax officers, Superintendents of GST and Customs, Asst. Audit/Accounts Officers of Indian Audit & Accounts Department, Indian P&T Accts & fin Services, JCOs in Armed Forces, Principal/Headmaster of High School, Officers in State Civil Services, etc.

A Non-Gazetted officer is ranked at the junior and administrative level in the Indian civil services. Some of the posts under Group B are non-gazetted and the officer falling under Group C and Group D are not gazetted, officers. Some of the Non-Gazetted officer posts are Assistant Section Officers in various ministries, Senior Pharmacists, Junior Engineers in different departments of Government of India and State governments, Customs/GST Inspectors etc.

What does Group B Officer do? 

As a Group B officer under various posts, you would be involved in the following key roles and responsibilities:

• As a Gazetted officer, you would be involved in the decision-making process at the section level.
• You would be responsible for issuing some specific guidelines to the government departments
• You would also be involved in the administration of matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics to the extent under CBEC’s purview.
• You would also be in charge of drafting documents, preparing survey report requirements, data entry, tabulation, editing and compiling of existing data into reports and other similar responsibilities.
• You would be involved in providing guidance about and applying taxation legislation
• You would be examining financial accounts and related documents
• You would be managing junior clerical and technical staff
• You would be investigating potential fraud cases via interviews, visits and research
• You would be handling refund claims, TDS and other such works.
• You would be involved in the formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Customs & Central Excise duties and Service Tax
• You would be responsible for auditing the accounts of central or state governments and other public sector companies
• You would be involved in financial auditing, performance analysis, and compliance audits
• You would be involved in maintaining communications between Parliament and the central secretariat in areas of handling parliament questions, assurances, and other government bills.
• You would be involved in interpreting the rules and regulations given by the Central Secretariat Service (CSS), in completing files and preparing reports and other tasks.
• You would be involved in the allocation of funds to the Regions and Postal/RMS Division. You would also monitor expenditure for achieving economy in administrations.
• You would also be involved in the planning of postal network in circle jurisdiction according to the sanction in annual plan.
• You would also co­ordination with the State Government Authorities and other Central Government Organizations within the circle.
• You would be involved in conducting surveys and data collection drives for different governmental schemes, programs, socio-economic factors, urban surveys, and price indexes.
• As a Preventive Officer, you would be posted in airports and seaports. You would be monitoring the timely and proper payment of customs duties.
• You would be involved in overseeing and preventing illegal activities like smuggling of drugs, explosives, gold and other things that have been banned by the Government of India.
• You would also be involved in thoroughly checking the ships, cargos, and boats that are coming into the country from other foreign countries

How to become a Group B Officer – Eligibility criteria 

To appear for Combined Graduate Level Examination, you must have a bachelor’s degree.  After pursuing your graduation, you can start preparing for SSC CGL. A post-graduation isn’t necessary to appear in this examination as the preparation of this examination is entirely different and is hardly depended on your educational qualification.

What is the Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGL) Examination?

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Exam for the appointment of candidates in Grade “B” category posts at various Government Ministries, Departments, and Offices. 

Combined Graduate Level exam has a four-tier system, in which tier I and tier II are computer-based and tier III and IV are descriptive paper and a computer proficiency test/skill test.

The SSC CGL Preliminary examination or Tier I comprises of four papers of 50 marks each:

1. General Intelligence and Reasoning
2. General Awareness
3. Quantitative Aptitude
4. English Comprehension

After qualifying Tier I exam, the candidates can take Tier II and Tier III exams.

The SSC CGL Mains Examination or Tier II comprises of four papers of 200 marks each:

Paper-I: Quantitative Abilities

• Whole numbers
•  decimals, fractions, and relationships between numbers, 
• Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, 
• Square roots, 
• Averages, 
• Interest, 
• Profit and Loss, Discount, 
• Partnership Business, 
• Mixture and Allegation, 
• Time and distance, 
• Time & Work, 
• Basic algebraic identities
• Linear Equations, 
• Triangles
• Circle and its chords
• Trigonometric ratio,
• Degree and Radian Measures, 
• Standard Identities, 
• Complementary angles, 
• Heights and Distances, 
• Histogram, 
• Frequency polygon, 
• Bar diagram & Pie chart.

Paper-II: English Language and Comprehension

• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Spelling/ detecting misspelled words
• Idioms & phrases
• One word substitution
• Sentence Improvement
• Active/passive voice
• Conversion into direct/ indirect narration
• Jumbled Sentences
• Comprehension passage

Paper-III: Statistics

• Collection, Classification and Presentation of Statistical Data
• Measures of Central Tendency
• Measures of Dispersion
• Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis
• Correlation and Regression
• Probability Theory
• Random Variable and Probability Distributions
• Sampling Theory
• Statistical Inference
• Analysis of Variance
• Time Series Analysis
• Index Numbers

Paper-IV: General Studies (Finance and Economics)

• Part A: Finance and Accounts-(80 marks): Fundamental principles and basic concept of Accounting:
  • Financial Accounting
  • Basic concepts of accounting
• Part B: Economics and Governance-(120 marks):

• Comptroller & Auditor General of India
• Finance Commission-Role and functions
• Basic Concept of Economics and introduction to Micro Economics
• Theory of Demand and Supply
• Theory of Production and cost
• Forms of Market and price determination in different markets
• Indian Economy
• Economic Reforms in India
• Money and Banking
• Role of Information Technology in Governance

The SSC CGL Tier III is a pen and paper type exam comprising of 100 marks:

Tier III of SSC CGL is a descriptive type paper in which candidates’ written skills are tested. The paper is conducted offline and students have to write essays, précis, application, letter etc. and this tier carry a weightage of 100 marks. The third tier is given only by the candidates applying for the post of “Statistical Investigator Grade II” & “Compiler”.

SSC CGL Tier IV comprises of Computer Proficiency Test/ Skill Test (wherever

Applicable)/Document Verification

For the posts of Tax Assistant (Central Excise and Income Tax), SSC CGL conducts a DEST (Data Entry Speed Test)to check the typing speed of the candidate.

For the post of CSS, MEA, Inspector (Central Excise), Inspector (Preventive Officer), Inspector (Examiner), SSC CGL conducts Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) to test the candidates on Word Processing, Spread Sheets and Generation of slides. 

For the post of Central Police Organization (CPO), SSC CGL conducts Physical Endurance Test / Medical Examination. 

Educational Fees

The education fees for becoming a Central Government Services ‘Group B’ Officer in India may vary depending on the specific recruitment exam and the educational qualifications required for the post. Generally, candidates need to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university to be eligible for Group B posts.

The fees for the recruitment exam also vary depending on the conducting authority. For example, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) charges Rs. 100/- as an application fee for its Group B recruitment exams like the Combined Defence Services Examination, Civil Services Examination, and Indian Engineering Services Examination.

Apart from the exam fees, candidates may also need to invest in study materials, coaching classes, and other resources to prepare for the exams. The costs of these resources may vary based on individual preferences and availability.

Job Opportunities 

As a Group B Officer, you may find recruitment for the following posts to various posts in Ministries/Departments of the Government of India: 

• Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services
• Botanical Survey of India
• Central Electrical Engineering Service
• Central Engineering Service
• Central Excise Service
• Central Health Service
• Central Power Engineering Service
• Central Secretariat Official Language Service
• Central Secretariat Service, Group ‘B’ (Section and Assistant Section Officers Grade only)
• Customs Appraisers Service- (Principal Appraisers and Head Appraisers)
• Customs Preventive Service– (Chief Inspectors)
• Defense Secretariat Service
• DANICS (DANICS refers to the “NCT of Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service) 
• Geological Survey of India
• Indian Foreign Service – (General Cadre, Grade I and General Cadre, Grade II only)
• Indian Posts and Telegraphs Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘B’ Telecommunication Wing
• Indian Posts & Telegraphs Accounts & Finance Service, Postal Wing
• Income Tax Service
• Indian Salt Service
• India Meteorological Service
• Survey of India
• Postal Superintendent Service
• Postmasters’ Service
• Railway Board Secretariat Service(SO and ASO only)
• Telecommunication Engineering Service
• Telegraphs Traffic Service
• Zoological Survey of India

You may find opportunities in the above-mentioned posts under the following 

Ministries/Departments:

• Indian Audit & Accounts Department under CAG
• Intelligence Bureau
• Central Secretariat Service
• Ministry of Railways
• Ministry of External Affairs
• Armed Forces Headquarters
• Central Board of Direct Taxes
• Enforcement Directorate, Department of Revenue
• Central Board of Excise and Customs
• National Investigation Agency
• Ministry of Statistics & Program implementation

Salary of Group B Officer in India

According to the 7th pay commission,

As a Group B officer at the entry level, with an experience of 0-2 years, you would earn around Rs.25, 000 –41, 100 per month

At Junior Level with an experience of 1-12 years, you would earn around Rs.42,300 – 65,200 per month

At Middle level with an experience of 5-12+ years, you would earn around Rs.77,700 – 1,09,100  

At senior level with an experience of 10-25+ years, you would earn around Rs.1,80, 800 – 2,11,800 per month

Career progression in Group B Officer

If you start your career as Audit Assistant Officer (AAO), you will progress as:

Audit Assistant Officer/AAO – Audit Officer/AO- Senior Accounts Officer- Deputy Director/Deputy AG – Director/ AG – Principal Director – Director-General 

If you start your career as Assistant Section Officer, you will progress as:

Assistant Section officer – Section Officer-Undersecretary – Joint Director – Director – Joint Secretary

If you start as Income Tax Inspector, you will progress as:

Income Tax Inspector – Income Tax Officer (Grade-‘B’ Gazetted) – Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax – Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax – Joint Commissioner of Income Tax – Additional Commissioner of Income Tax – Commissioner of Income Tax

If you start as Central Excise Inspector, you will progress as:

Superintendent (Group-B Gazetted) – Assistant Commissioner – Deputy Commissioner – Joint Commissioner – Additional Commissioner–Commissioner

If you start as Assistant Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ), you will progress as:

Section Officer – Deputy Director – Joint Director – Director – Principal Director  

If you start as Assistant Enforcement Officer, you will progress as:

Assistant Enforcement Officer – Enforcement Officer – Assistant Director of Enforcement Directorate – Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate – Joint Director – Additional Director – Special Director in Enforcement Directorate.

Sub-Inspector in CBI

Sub-Inspector – Inspector – Deputy Superintendent – Additional Superintendent- Superintendent – Senior Superintendent

Assistant in Ministry of Railways

Section Officer – Under Secretary – Deputy Secretary – Director 

Junior Statistical Officer

Senior Statistical Officer – Assistant Director – Deputy Director – Joint Director – Director – Deputy Director-General – Additional Director General Director-General 

Inspector (Preventive Officer)

As an Inspector (Preventive Officer), you will have to experience 8-10 years in service after which you will be promoted to a Group B Gazetted position. You will then be promoted to the IRS level post after which you will work as a Group-A officer. 

Superintendent of Customs (Group B Gazetted Officer) – Assistant Commissioner (Group A) – Deputy Commissioner – Joint Commissioner

What does industry trends say – Future Prospects

According to the data estimated by Hindustan Times, the Staff Selection Commission held the Combined Graduate Level Tier-I Examination, 2018 from June 4 to June 13, 2019. Out of the 25.97 lakh candidates who registered for the exam, 8.37 lakh appeared in the examination, which is 32.23% of the total candidates who registered for the SSC CGL Tier 1 exam 2018. Around 10% of these candidates get selected for the final selection process. Therefore, the rate of competition in this examination is very high and usually takes 1-3 years of preparation to get to the final stage of selection in most cases. In the recent past CGL examinations have faced delay and technical issues in the proper functioning of examinations which has also slowed down the selection process.

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