The IAS prelims 2021 date has been declared by UPSC recently. The IAS prelims 2021 will be held on 27th June 2021. The IAS Mains 2021 is scheduled from September 19th, 2021 onwards. Before appearing for the Civil Services Examination candidates should know about the different posts in Civil Services.
The Civil Services Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The IAS examination rules are notified by the Department of Personnel and Training and the UPSC spearheads the entire process. The IAS exam is conducted in three stages:
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
- Personality Test/Interview
The first stage is the Prelims, a screening test to eliminate a large portion of candidates who may not be able to cope with the rigorous requirements of IAS. The second stage is the Mains exam. This exam influences the UPSC rank and the choice of service available for the candidates. The IAS Mains exam is a written exam with 9 papers. This contains one optional subject with two papers. The final round is an interview/personality test. After succeeding in these three rounds, the candidate can join a service based on their rank and preference.
The UPSC classifies services as technical and non-technical services based on physical and medical requirements specific to the job. In the following paragraphs, we would discuss the services and also list the parameters that the UPSC looks for.
Aspirants can refer to the latest IAS Notification 2021 to keep themselves updated with the syllabus, eligibility criteria, exam pattern and more.
UPSC Technical Services
The technical services which recruit from the IAS exam are those that require candidates to meet physical standards for UPSC Civil Services. The services having these requirements are as follows:
- The Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Police Service(IPS), Gr. A,
- Railway Protection Force (RPF) Group A,
- Pondicherry Police Service, Group ‘B’
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service. Group ‘B’
Non-Technical Services in UPSC
The non-technical services under UPSC do not require candidates to fulfil physical standards for UPSC Civil Services. The following are the services which are classified as non-technical services:
- The Indian Administrative Service
- Indian Foreign Service
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise) Group “A”
- Indian Revenue Service, (IT) Group ‘A’
- Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’,
- Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’
- The Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Information Service, Junior Grade Group ‘A’
- Indian Corporate Law Service. Group ‘A’,
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service, Group ‘B’
Physical Standards for UPSC Civil Services
The UPSC checks the following medical factors for technical services:
- Indian Railway Traffic Service:
- Males:
- Height: 152 cm
- Chest(Fully Expanded): 84 cm
- Expansion: 5 cm
- Females:
- Height: 150 cm
- Chest(Fully Expanded): 79 cm
- Expansion: 5 cm
- IPS, Pondicherry Police Service, DANIPS, RPF and IOFS:
- Males:
- Height: 165 cm
- Chest(Fully Expanded): 84 cm
- Expansion: 5 cm
- Females:
- Height: 150 cm
- Chest(Fully Expanded): 79 cm
- Expansion: 5 cm
The height requirements are relaxed in case of Scheduled tribes such as Andaman Islanders, Nagas and various other ethnic groups whose average height is lower than the majority.
The UPSC also specifies minimum requirements for eyesight. These are based on the nature of duties that an officer is likely to undertake as a part of the service. For example, the requirements of eyesight for IAS are lower than IPS due to the physically demanding nature of a police officers job.
The following table lists out the eyesight requirements for both technical and non-technical services:
| Parameters | Technical Services Standards | Non-Technical Services Standards |
| Distant Vision(corrected) | 6/9 or 6/6 for better eye and 6/9 or 6/12 for worse eye | 6/6 or 6/9 for better eye and 6/18 or nil for worse eye |
| Near Vision(Corrected) | J1 for better eye and J2 for worse eye | J2 for better eye and J3 or nil for worse eye |
| Types of permitted corrections | Glasses. In case surgical correction was performed, a Special Board of Ophthalmologists takes the final decision | Glasses or refractive surgery such as Lasik, OCL and ICL |
| Limits of Permitted Refractive Error | Myopia of 6.00D or higher are examined by a Myopia Board | Myopia of 6.00D or higher are examined by a Myopia Board |
| Colour Vision | High Grade | Low Grade |
| Binocular Vision | Yes | No |
| Squint Eye | Unfit for Service | Fit for Service |
The UPSC decides these physical requirements based on the job-specific demands of each service. There are provisions for an exemption in medical standards for non-technical services in case of disability or injury sustained during military service. Such candidates have to fill out the UPSC Online Application under the relevant category.
To read more about IAS preparation, check out:
| What is the Qualification for IAS | List of Exams Conducted by the UPSC |
| IAS Eligibility | Physical Eligibility for IAS |
| Physical Requirement for IPS | UPSC 2023 |
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