Are the Perks and Allowances Given to an IAS Officer Justified?

The civil services especially the IAS is one of the most coveted professions in India. It is a service on entering which a person gets the chance to serve the country and bring about positive changes in society. He/she gets the chance to better the lives of many people as part of his/her job. The IAS tag gives the power and authority to do so. It is in this light that we attempt to answer the question, ‘Are the perks and allowances given to an IAS officer justified?’

Let us take a look at the salary, perks and allowances offered to an IAS officer first.

IAS Officer Salary and other Facilities

An IAS officer gets a starting salary of about Rs-50,000 per month. On top of this, he gets perks like:

• Residence
• Official vehicle with driver
• Phone bills paid by the government
• Most of the electricity bill paid
• Household staff

You may ask, is an IAS officer worth all this expense? The answer lies in the nature of the job. Apart from official work hours, a civil servant is expected to be ready for action anytime in case of emergencies. He/she has to travel and engage in actual field inquiries and work. So, the official vehicle is needed. Perhaps no other work entails traveling at unexpected hours and days. Talking about the phone bills being paid by the government, one should know that a huge majority of the calls that come to an IAS officer would be official.

Being a civil servant is a round-the-clock job. There can be a lot of pressure and it is important to lead a reasonably comfortable life. An IAS officer may not be able to take a vacation for years because of his/her hectic schedule. Also, when compared to the private sector, the monthly take-home salary of civil servants at any level seems less. The civil services is an important job in the country and the officers are all qualified people who have worked really hard to crack what is deemed the toughest exam in the country. Considering all the above facts, it seems that the above-mentioned allowances and perks are justified payment of an IAS officer.

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