Know The Professional Path Ahead: Career as a Indian Engineering Services Officer

Are you someone who is always fascinated by tall buildings and complex structures? Do you often fancy yourself in designing and building such structures? What if we told you that you can fulfill all your dreams of becoming an engineer by also providing you with all the benefits and perks of a civil servant? Now that we have your attention, are you ready for a challenging job that gives you all the major perks of serving in the government administration? If yes then start preparing for the Indian Engineering Service examination as the competition is pretty high and only the top rankers are lucky enough to fix their seats. If you think you can easily crack this exam then you would be delighted to find out interesting facts about Indian Engineering Services. Read on to know more.

Indian Engineering Service is meant for rendering executive level administration under Group A of the Central Civil Services of the Government of India. Indian Engineering Service Officers responsible for the proper functioning and maintenance of various technical and managerial functions of various organisations, agencies, and divisions of the Government of India. They work closely within the four major categories: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. Indian Engineering Service Officers are directly recruited on the basis of Indian Engineering Service examination which is conducted by UPSC.

Why become an Indian Engineering Services Officer?

Indian Engineering Service Officers are responsible for managing the technical functions of various organisations, agencies, and divisions of the Government of India. The Indian Engineering Service Officers work closely within the four major categories: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. They perform all the technical and managerial functions in the field of engineering.

So let’s first understand in brief what exactly the Indian Engineering Services officers do in their specialized field of work:

As an Indian Engineering Service Officer (Civil Engineering), you would be responsible for the proper functioning and maintenance of various structures and assets of various Government organisations such as the Indian Railways, Central Public Works Department, Border Roads Organization, etc. You will be responsible for the proper functioning, usage, and maintenance of assets and structures like railway tracks, bridges, buildings, roads, water supply networks, etc. You will also be engaged in the construction of new assets and structure as well as for various other development works.

As an Indian Engineering Service Officers (Mechanical Engineering), you would be responsible for improving production processes, designing and implementing cost-effective modifications of various structures and assets of various Government organizations/departments such as Indian Railways, Geological Survey of India, Defence services, Indian Naval Armament services, etc. You will be responsible for researching, designing, evaluating, operating, and maintaining mechanical products, equipment, systems and investigate equipment failures to detect faulty operations.

As an Indian Engineering Service Officer (Electrical Engineering) you would be responsible for designing, developing, and testing electrical devices and equipment, including communications systems, power generators, motors and navigation systems, and electrical systems for automobiles and aircraft for various Government organizations/departments such as Indian railways, Indian Defence Services, Defence Aeronautical Quality services etc. You will be responsible for establishing construction, manufacturing or installation standards or specifications by performing a wide range of detailed calculations.

As an Indian Engineering Service Officer (Electronics and Telecommunication) You would be responsible for managing the Signalling and Telecommunication (S&T) infrastructure of various Government organizations/departments such as Indian Railways, Indian Naval Armament Services, Indian Radio Regulatory service, etc. You will be responsible for researching, designing and monitoring cellular or cable, wireless and satellite services, ensuring an interference-free spectrum in the Telecommunication and electronics systems.

Indian Engineering Service Officers work in the technical aspects of several areas related to railways, roads, defence, manufacturing, inspection, construction, public works, power, and telecommunications. As an Indian Engineering Service Officer, your work would depend on your choice of engineering discipline and service (or cadre).

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Civil Engineering), you may find work in any of the following organisations/divisions/departments:

• Indian Railway Service of Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (civil engineering posts)
• Central Engineering Service (CES) (Central Public Works Department)
• Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group A (civil engineering posts)
• Survey of India (Group A)
• AEE (civil) in the Border Road Engineering Service (BRES) (Border Roads Organisation)
• Indian Defence Service of Engineers
• AEE (QS&C) in Military Engineer Services (MES) surveyor cadre
• Central Water Engineering (Group A) Service
• Indian Skill Development Service
• P&T Building Works Service (DoT, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology)

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Mechanical Engineering), you may find work in any of the following organisations/divisions/departments:

• Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (mechanical engineering posts)
• AEE in Geological Survey of India (GSI) engineering service (Group A)
• Indian Defence Service of Engineers
• Indian Naval Armament Service (INAS) (mechanical engineering posts)
• Assistant Naval Store Officer Grade I (mechanical engineering posts), Indian Navy
• AEE (mechanical) Border Roads Engineering Services (Border Roads Organisation)
• Central Water Engineering (Group A) Service
• Central Power Engineering Service (Groups A and B, mechanical engineering posts)
• Indian Skill Development Service
• Central Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Service (Central Public Works Department)

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Electrical Engineering), you may find work in any of the following organisations/divisions/departments:

• Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (electrical engineering posts)
• Central Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Service (electrical engineering posts)
• Indian Defence Service of Engineers (Military Engineer Services)
• Assistant Naval Store Officer Grade I (electrical engineering posts), Indian Navy
• Central Power Engineering Service Group A & Group B
• Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO‐II (Electrical)
• Indian Skill Development Service
• Indian Naval Armament Service (electrical engineering posts)

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering), you may find work in any of the following organisations/divisions/departments:

• Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (telecommunication and electronic engineering posts)
• Indian Radio Regulatory Service (Group A)
• Indian Telecommunication Service (Group A)
• Indian Naval Armament Service (electronic and telecommunications engineering posts)
• Assistant Naval Store Officer Grade I (E&T posts), Indian Navy
• Central Power Engineering Service (Groups A and B E&T posts)
• Indian Skill Development Service
• Junior Telecom Officer (Group B)
• Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) AWM/JTS (E&T posts)
• Indian Inspection Service Group (E&T posts)

What does an Indian Engineering Services Officer do?

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Civil), you would be involved in the following key roles and responsibilities:

• You would assist the Senior Technical Officers in planning, preparing designs and estimates of roads/bridges work and scrutiny of proposals for such work received from the States.
• You would be associated with detailed studies in respect of the design of various components of the water resources projects under the different stages of implementation. There are specialized Directorates on Hydro-civil Design, Concrete, and Masonry Dam Design, Earth and Rockfill Dam design, Barrage and Canal Design and Design of Gates on Hydraulic Structures.

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Mechanical), you would be involved in the following key roles and responsibilities:

• You would assist the Senior Technical Officers headquarters and in the regional offices etc. in planning, procurement, operation and maintenance of roads/bridges construction equipment’s, to prepare estimates for repairs and maintenance of such equipment’s and scrutiny of proposals and estimates received from the States.
• You would also be involved in the development work to establish import substitutes, preparation of indigenous design specifications. Providing of mechanical, electronics and electrical spares for armaments
• You would also be rendering technical advice to the service in all matters relating to mechanical, electronic and electrical engineering in respect of armaments

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Electronics), you would be involved in the following key roles and responsibilities:

• You would be involved in the production, planning, control and administration in various departments
• You would be responsible for achieving the given production targets such as manufacturing of spares, overhaul/repair of equipment’s, technical efficiency of sections under their control, preventive maintenance of plants and machinery, inventory management etc.
• You would be involved in the planning for Power Development in the country for the optimal utilisation of resources. Collection, Analysis and Publication of data. Design engineering and monitoring, Renovation & modernization, Research and development of power plants including transmission and distribution system. Specifying technical standards, Safety regulations for operation and maintenance of power projects plants, designs or projects etc.
• You would be involved in the provision of machinery, electronic and electrical equipment for repair, maintenance and overhaul.

As an Indian Engineering Services Officer (Electronics and Telecommunication), you would be involved in the following key roles and responsibilities:

• You would work in the field of Standardisation of Indian Telecommunication network, preparation of Generic requirements of Telecommunication equipment, utilization of spectrum like in Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), technology validations and participate in the proceedings of various study groups of standardization bodies like ITU, IETF etc.
• You would also assist in Telecom Policy formulation, Vigilance, including the Security unit and any other units carrying out the works relating to telecommunications and new as well as converged networks and services.
• You would be required to contribute immensely through your technical/administrative skills in discharging duties especially in the areas of standardization, evaluation and introduction of technologies, investigation of malpractices and establishment and operations of networks as well as international technical coordination.

How to become an Indian Engineering Services Officer – Eligibility Requirement

After completing Bachelor’s in Engineering in Civil, Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical Electronics, and Communications or similar field, you must apply for UPSC Engineering Services Examinations. For certain services or posts, you must also have a Master’s degree or equivalent in engineering or Technology (M.E./M.Tech/M.Sc./ MSEE/ MS) or a similar course.You should be around 21–30 years of age in order to be eligible for the Engineering Services exam.

The Engineering Services Examination is conducted by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC). The exam has three stages- Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination and Interview/Personality Test.

The  Engineering  Services  (Preliminary/Stage‐I) Examination comprises of two objective type  (multiple choices) questions papers carrying a maximum of 500 marks (Paper I – 200 Marks & Paper II – 300 Marks).

Paper I – General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper

• Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development
• Engineering Aptitude covering Logical reasoning and Analytical ability
• Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis
• General Principles of Design, Drawing, Importance of Safety
• Standards and Quality practices in production, construction, maintenance, and services
• Basics of Energy and Environment: Conservation, Environmental pollution, and degradation, Climate change, Environmental impact assessment
• Basics of Project Management
• Basics of Material Science and Engineering
• Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering such as networking, e-governance, and technology-based education.
• Ethics and values in the engineering profession

PaperII –Engineering Discipline (E.g. Civil Engineering/Electrical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering/ Electronics and Communications Engineering)

The Engineering Services (Mains/Stage-II) Examination comprises of two compulsory papers carrying a maximum of 600 marks (Paper I & Paper II of 300 marks each)

Paper I –Engineering Discipline- I(300 Marks)

Civil Engineering

• Building Materials
• Solid Mechanics
• Structural Analysis
• Design of Steel Structures
• Design of Concrete and Masonry structures
• Construction Practice, Planning and Management

Mechanical Engineering

• Fluid Mechanics
• Thermodynamics and Heat transfer
• IC Engines, Refrigeration and Air conditioning
• Turbo Machinery
• Power Plant Engineering
• Renewable Sources of Energy

Electrical Engineering

• Engineering Mathematics
• Electrical Materials
• Electric Circuits and Fields
• Electrical and Electronic Measurements
• Computer Fundamentals
• Basic Electronics Engineering

Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering

• Basic Electronics Engineering
• Basic Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Electronic Measurements and Instrumentation
• Network Theory
• Analog and Digital Circuits

Paper II – Engineering Discipline – II (300 Marks)

Civil Engineering

• Flow of Fluids, Hydraulic Machines and Hydro Power
• Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Engineering
• Surveying and Geology
• Transportation Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

• Engineering Mechanics
• Engineering Materials
• Mechanisms and Machines
• Design of Machine Elements
• Manufacturing,  Industrial and Maintenance Engineering
• Mechatronics and Robotics

Electrical Engineering

• Analog and Digital Electronics
• Systems and Signal Processing
• Control Systems
• Electrical Machines
• Power Systems
• Power Electronics and Drives

Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering

• Analog and Digital Communication Systems
• Control Systems
• Computer Organization and Architecture
• Electro Magnetics
• Advanced Electronics Topics
• Advanced Communication Topics

The Third stage (Personality test) comprises of 200 marks which assess the suitability of a candidate for the 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 judgement
• 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

Job Opportunities

As Indian Engineering Officer you would be appointed as Assistant Executive Engineer on probation for two years. You would be enlisted in the following categories:

• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

As an Indian Engineering Officer you will be recruited in the following Organizations/Cadres:

• Central Power Engineering Service
• Indian Telecommunication Service
• Indian Navy Armaments Service
• Border Roads Engineering Service
• Indian Railways Service
• Central Engineering Service for Roads
• Central Water Engineering
• Geological Survey of India
• Indian Ordnance Factory
• Indian Supply Service
• Defense Service Engineering Corps
• Central Electrical and Mechanical Service
• Indian Army Engineering Service

Salary of an Indian Engineering Services Officer

According to the 7th Central Pay Commission,

As Assistant Executive Engineer, you would earn around Rs.74,337 – 2,26,087 per month.

As Executive Engineer, you would earn around Rs.88,837 – 2,65,087 per month.

As Superintending Engineer, you would earn around Rs.1,02,712 – 2,65,712 per month.

As Chief Engineer, you would earn around Rs.1,58,087 – 2,74,087 per month.

As Director General, you would earn around Rs.1,84,462 – 2,76,962 per month.

The higher figures of the salary ranges mentioned above indicate the salaries at the highest point of the scale. This means, for example, when you join as an Assistant Executive Engineer, you get about Rs. 74,337 a month but even if you do not get any promotion, you will receive salary increments every year. So In case you retire as an Assistant Executive Engineer, you will be drawing about Rs. 2,26,087 a month.

Career Progression in this Profession

Initially, you will begin as Assistant Executive Engineer.After gaining an experience of at least 3-4 years you will be promoted to Executive Engineer. You will work for 13 years to be appointed as a Superintending Engineer. With 20 or more years of experience you will become eligible to be appointed as the Chief Engineer and with 30 years of experience you will become the Additional Director General. The highest position in the IES is of Director General and it can be attained with a minimum experience of 34 years.

Assistant Executive Engineer – Executive Engineer – Executive Engineer (Non- Functional Action Grade) – Superintending Engineer – Chief Engineer – Additional Director General – Director General&Special Secretary

What does industry trends say – future prospects

According to the 68^th Annual Report submitted by Union Public Service Commission, a total number of 3,25,604 candidates applied for the Engineering Services Examination. A total of 1,54,995 candidates appeared in the written examination, Stage-I/Engineering Services (Preliminary) and only 1413 candidates qualified for the Personality Test out of which only 500 candidates were recommended to the panel.

The number of vacancies in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering were 291, 142, 65 and 50 respectively. According to the data estimated in the Annual Report, out of the 500 candidates recommended for appointment, 258 candidates or 51.6 %were recommended for Civil Engineering posts, 135 candidates or 27.0 % for Mechanical Engineering posts, 59 candidates or 11.8 % for Electrical Engineering posts and 48 candidates or 9.6 % for Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering posts. Therefore Indian Engineering Services examination is very competitive but offers lucrative job opportunities and perks.

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