An Insight Into Life of an IAS Officer | Roles, Responsibilities & Career-Graph of IAS Officer
Life of an IAS Officer. It is needless to say that becoming an Indian Administrative Service officer is a dream for many. Lakhs of aspirants fill the form every year with an aspiration to join Lal Bahadur Shashtri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) which is the last and final step before joining the duty and coming to terms with living the life of an IAS officer. The life of an IAS officer is filled with exciting opportunities yet mind-wrenching crisis management. In this article, we’ll give you a little peek into the life that’s waiting for you once you qualify for the coveted IAS exam.
Life of an IAS officer at LBSNAA
The candidates who are recommended by the commission join the Lal Bahadur Shashtri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie, Uttrakhand where they meet their colleagues for the first time. The total duration of the training period of IAS officers is 2 years which is divided into:
Foundation Course: All the candidates who are recommended for Grade A posts including IAS, IPS and IFS are invited to join a 3-month-foundation course at LBSNAA. Thereafter, candidates of different services join their respective academies for training. While IFS join Foreign Services Institute in New Delhi, IRS officers join the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur and IAS officers have to stay back at LBSNAA.
Phase 1: Starting with a 15-week training program at LBSNAA, Phase 1 training also includes Bharat Darshan which is an all India tour program for IAS officers. The academic module includes Policymaking, land management, soft skills, project management, national security, e-gov, etc. They start their day at 6 AM in the morning with exercise drills and then attend lectures followed by cultural activities in the evening.
Bharat Darshan: In phase 1 training, the IAS probationers are divided into small groups and are taken on a tour of India. This is part of the training program for them to experience the rich cultural diversity and heritage of India.
District Training: It is a year-long training at the district level where the officers study the administrative set up in a particular district by being a part of it.
Phase 2: The phase 2 starts with sharing their experiences of the Phase 1 training program with their colleagues. Discussion sessions where the officers articulate their thoughts on various developmental challenges and issues and the ways to resolve them are held during this period. Special sessions by distinguished subject matter experts are also held for them as a part of the learning exercise.
Assistant Secretaryship: After completing the induction training session, the officers join their respective deputation. They work under the joint secretary in the ministries for a few months