State Civil Services Officer Group A: Know What it Takes to Become One

Are you someone who has always wanted to be a part of the Indian Civil Services but wanted to first start working towards the state you live in? Do you want to work with and among the top gazetted officers and officers of the higher rank? Are you willing to take up challenging roles and responsibilities towards the betterment of the people? Have you ever wondered that you can impact a number of lives as the State Civil Service officer? If yes, then you must start preparing for the examinations early as the competition is high and seats are few! Read on to know more details about the State Civil Services and its scope in the future.

State Civil Services are responsible for rendering administrative and executive assistance at the state level. They are a part of the administrative civil service under Group A state service of the Government of India and officers at this level are appointed and recruited by the individual States Public Service Commission. All such appointments are made by the Governors of the state.

Why become a State Civil Service Officer Group A?

Civil Services Officers are one of the most important administrative authorities of India. Civil Services officer run governments’ administration – both at the central and the state level. The administration includes formulating government policies and plans, implementing projects, maintaining law and order systems, upholding government records, collecting and handling taxes & revenues.

The IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IFoS(Indian Forest Service) officers are part of the top Civil Services at the central level as well as at the state level (although they might be deputed to a State duty but they belong to the central Government Officers cadre) whereas the State Civil services Officers work under the supervision of the top bureaucrats at the executive level (the top bureaucracy comprises of IAS, IPS, IFS, and IFoS Officers or promoted State Civil Services Officers).

The State Civil Service officers (IAS and IPS) are a part of the administrative civil service under Group A state service of the Government of India. Officers of the State Civil Services are appointed at the state level and are recruited by the individual States Public Service Commission and all appointments to State Services (Group A) are made by the Governors of States.

The State Public Service Commission conducts State Civil Services examination in every individual state. As a State Civil Service officer you will be appointed to the following category of services according to your area of qualification:

State Civil Services, Group-A (SCS)

1. Andhra Pradesh State Civil Service (Executive Branch)
2. Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service-Executive Branch (APCS)
3. Assam Civil Service (ACS)
4. Bihar Administrative Service (BAS)
5. Goa Civil Service (GCS)
6. State Administrative Service (SAS)
7. State Civil Service (SCS)
8. Gujarat Administrative Service (GAS)
9. Haryana Civil Service (HCS)
10. Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HPAS)
11. Jharkhand Administrative Service (JAS)
12. Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS)
13. Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS)
14. Kerala Administrative Service (KAS)
15. Manipur Civil Service (MCS)
16. Mizoram Civil Service (MCS)
17. Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS)
18. Nagaland Civil Service (NCS)
19. Odisha Administrative Service (OAS)
20. Provincial Civil Service (Uttar Pradesh)
21. Punjab Civil Service (PCS)
22. Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS)
23. Sikkim Civil Service (SCS)
24. Telangana Civil Service-Executive Branch (TCS)
25. Tamil Nadu Civil Service (TNCS)
26. West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS)

State Services (Group B)

1. Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies
2. Block Development Officer
3. District Employment Officer
4. District Food and Supplies Controller/Officer
5. District Treasury Officer
6. District Welfare Officer
7. Excise and Taxation Officer
8. Tehsildar/Talukdar/Assistant Collector

The State Civil Services of both Group A and B are at the middle level of the Civil Services administration and provide assistance to the head officers who central cadre Administrative Officers. After working under the administration for 15-20+ years (as Sub-Divisional Magistrates/Deputy Collector/Land Acquisition/ Additional District Magistrates, Municipal Administrators, Under/Deputy Joint Secretaries, Deputy/Joint /Additional Directors or Assistant Commissioners in the State administration) the State Civil Officers could be nominated to the rank of an IAS officer. This is an option but not open to all State Civil Services Officers.

What does State Civil Service Officer do?

As a State Civil Service officer under Group A and Group B, you would be involved in the following key roles and responsibilities:

1. You would be responsible for collecting land revenue and function as courts in matters of revenue and crime (revenue courts and criminal courts of executive magistrate), maintaining law and order, implementing Union and State Government policies at the grass-root level when posted at field positions.
2. You would act as the agent of the government on the field, i.e. to act as the intermediate between public and the government
3. You would be involved in handling the administration and daily proceedings of the government, including formulation and implementation of policy in consultation with the minister-in-charge, additional chief secretary/principal secretary and secretary of the concerned department.
4. You would be holding various posts at the sub-district level and district level while delivering various government services apart from conducting revenue administration and maintenance of law and order. You would work at the grass-root level of administration for policy implementation and policy formulation.
5. You would also monitor the implementation of programs related to planning and development of the blocks. Coordination of development and implementation of plans in all blocks of the district is provided by a Chief Development Officer (CDO).
6. You would be involved in the administration of the areas such as: Labour Policy and legislation, Safety, health and welfare of labour, Social security of labour, Policy relating to special target groups such as women and child labour, Industrial relations and enforcement of labour laws in the Central sphere, Workers’ Education, Labour and Employment Statistics, etc.
7. You would be involved in the revision against the orders of Tehsildars and Officer-in-Charge, rural, regarding allotment of land and houses in rural areas; revision against the orders of the District Rent Officer, regarding allotment of houses and shops in urban areas and disposal of cases received from the Assistant Custodian (Judicial) regarding evacuee property.
8. You would perform revenue duties including the supervision and inspection of all matters from assessment to collection of land revenue; co-ordination of work of all officials in the subdivision, particularly in the departments of Revenue, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Public Health within the subdivision.

How to become a State Civil Service Officer – eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible for State Civil Services examination, you must hold a graduation degree. The minimum age to be eligible for SCS exams is 19 years and the maximum age is 40 years (taken into account the minimum and maximum age ranges of almost all the states).

The State Civil Services examinations and recruitment are conducted by the individual states public service commissions in India. But a common format for examination is usually followed by almost all the states. States Civil Services exam pattern and syllabus is similar to that of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) but a few of the changes in exam pattern and syllabus are there. In some instances, proper knowledge and history of a particular state is also a part of the scheme with an additional competency in the regional language.

State Civil Services examinations in most of the states have total III stages of examinations. The First stage i.e. Preliminary exam comprises of two compulsory papers.

Paper 1

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography
• Indian Polity and Governance
• Economic and Social Development
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
• General Science, Art, and Culture

Paper 2

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem solving
• General mental ability
• Basic Numerical Ability & Data interpretation

The Main Examination comprises of seven papers in total in which two papers are language-based. Therefore sixth paper would include one regional/state language (for example- Bengali, Gujarati, Tamilian, etc.) and seventh paper would include the English language.

The first five papers in the Main Examination are:

Paper 1: Descriptive exam in the respective regional language of the state.

Letter writing, Précis Writing, Composition, and Translation from English to Bengali/Hindi/Tamilian/Gujarati and other state languages

Paper 2: Descriptive exam in the respective regional language of the state

Letter writing, Précis Writing, Composition and Translation from Bengali/Hindi/Tamilian/Gujarati and other state languages to English

Paper 3: General Studies I (Indian heritage and culture, History and Geography of the world, and Society with special reference to the respective state history and geography)

Paper 4: General Studies II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, International Relations with special reference to the respective state)

Paper 5: General Studies III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management with special reference to the respective state)

Paper 6: General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude)

One of the most important aspects that students ignore while preparing for State Civil Services is that they consider the exam pattern and syllabus to be similar to that of UPSC exams. For State Civil services exams one has to focus on the subjects from the perspective of the state as well. Let’s take an example to understand this: in the exam conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, the subjects like history, geography, social issues and other topics that are part of the syllabus would have to be understood from an all-India perspective as well as from the perspective of Tamil Nadu state.

The Personal Interview or Personality Test attempts to assess the suitability of a candidate for the State Civil Services. It may assess the following attributes in a candidate (these are only indicative and do not comprise all the criteria):

• Analytical and logical abilities
• Balance of judgment
• Compassion and empathy
• Critical abilities
• Deductive and Inductive Reasoning abilities
• Ethical thinking
• Integrity and morality
• Intellectual abilities
• Interpersonal abilities
• Leadership abilities
• Multi-faceted interests and depth of interests
• Power of expression
• Self-awareness or intra-personal abilities
• Understanding of social issues and challenges

Educational fees

The cost of becoming a State Civil Services Officer Group A may vary depending on various factors such as the state in which the candidate is applying, the coaching fees, the cost of study materials and books, transportation, accommodation, etc.

However, there are certain fees that a candidate may have to pay while applying for the State Civil Services Exam, such as the application fee, examination fee, and other miscellaneous charges. The exact amount of these fees may also vary from state to state.

It is important to note that while preparing for the State Civil Services Exam, candidates may also need to invest their time and effort in coaching classes, study materials, and other related expenses, which may add to the overall cost of becoming a State Civil Services Officer Group A.

Overall, the cost of becoming a State Civil Services Officer Group A can be significant, but it can be a worthwhile investment in terms of the potential benefits and opportunities that the career can provide.

Job Opportunities

As a State Civil Service officer your initial appointment would be at a lower rank. In most states, you would be appointed as Deputy Magistrate or Deputy Collector on probation and after completion of 2-year of training, you will be posted as a Deputy Magistrate / Deputy Collector/ Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Positions may vary from State to State.

The State Civil Services examinations and recruitment are conducted by the individual states public service commissions in India. Therefore once selected you will be placed under your choice of state. Following are the list of states that conduct State Civil and Administrative Services in India:

• Andhra Pradesh State Civil Service (Executive Branch)
• Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service-Executive Branch (APCS)
• Assam Civil Service (ACS)
• Bihar Administrative Service (BAS)
• Goa Civil Service (GCS)
• State Administrative Service (SAS)
• State Civil Service (SCS)
• Gujarat Administrative Service (GAS)
• Haryana Civil Service (HCS)
• Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HPAS)
• Jharkhand Administrative Service (JAS)
• Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS)
• Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS)
• Kerala Administrative Service (KAS)
• Manipur Civil Service (MCS)
• Mizoram Civil Service (MCS)
• Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS)
• Nagaland Civil Service (NCS)
• Odisha Administrative Service (OAS)
• Provincial Civil Service (Uttar Pradesh)
• Punjab Civil Service (PCS)
• Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS)
• Sikkim Civil Service (SCS)
• Telangana Civil Service-Executive Branch (TCS)
• Tamil Nadu Civil Service (TNCS)
• West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS)

Salary of State Civil Service Officer Group A

According to 7^th pay commission,

At an Entry-level, as a State Civil Service Officer, in most states, you would earn around Rs.56,100 – 67,700 per month.

At Junior-level, as a State Civil Service Officer, in most states, you would earn around Rs. 67,700–1,32,000 per month.

At Middle-level, as a State Civil Service Officer, in most states, you would earn around Rs. 1,18,500–1,91,500 per month.

At senior most level, with an experience of more than 30+ years, you might be promoted to the post of IAS officers.

Career Progression of State Civil Service Officer Group A Profession

State Civil Services Grade A or Executive CadreOfficers are usually appointed as Deputy Magistrates or Deputy Collectors on probation and after completion of two years of mandatory administrative training, they start their career as Deputy Magistrate or as Deputy Collector or as Block Development (B.D.O.) Officers. They may also pass order in Executive Magistrate Court and execute some sections of the Criminal Court.

State Civil Services Grade A or Executive Cadre Officers perform various administrative functions at different levels of various departments of State Government. The highest position the State Civil Services Group A/ Executive Officers can attain is that of Departmental Secretary. In some States, a few posts of District Magistrate are reserved for these officers.

In some States, after completing their training, State Civil Services Grade A or Executive CadreOfficers serve at the tehsil level as Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs). After that, they get promoted to first, City Magistrate, and later, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) or Additional Magistrate (AM). After a few years of service as they are get promoted to Chief Development Officer (CDO). A CDO looks after rural development. Then they get promoted as Additional Divisional Commissioners. At the state secretariat, State Civil Services Grade A or Executive CadreOfficerswork as Special Secretaries, Joint Secretaries and, in some cases, as Deputy Secretaries.

At a very senior level, with 20-30+ years of services, few of the high performing State Civil Services Grade A or Executive CadreOfficers may also get nominated to become Indian Administrative Services (IAS) Officers.

In many states the SDMs and AMs usually deal with areas relating to land revenue, agriculture, forests, education etc. and work initially as Tehsildar/Talukdar/Assistant Collector, Excise and Taxation Officer, Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies, Block Development Officer, District Employment Officer, District Food and Supplies Controller/Officer, District Treasury Officer, District Welfare Officer.

Almost every state has its own procedure of promotion of the State Civil Service Officers, therefore, the officers under certain state governments take a longer time to get promoted in comparison to other states. Although very few State Civil Service Officers are nominated for the rank of IAS.

What does industry trends say – Future Prospects

The number of new recruits into the State Civil Services Officers Group A/ Executive Cadre varies from state to state. Most States recruit only a few hundred every year and it is not unusual to freeze recruitment in a given year. Prospects in State Civil Services is expected to grow slowly as most State Governments are looking to cut budgets and there is a trend to appoint specialist professionals on contracts for various positions in State Government agencies and corporations.

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