Recruitment to Civil Services

2.1 Constitutional Framework (Articles 309–323)

Part XIV (Articles 308–323) of the Constitution deals with Services Under the Union and the States.

Article	Subject
309	Power to regulate recruitment and service conditions (Parliament/State Legislature)
310	Tenure at pleasure of President/Governor (with exceptions)
311	Safeguards against dismissal/removal without inquiry
312	Rajya Sabha power to create new All India Services
315	UPSC and SPSC establishment
320	Functions of UPSC
323	Presidential power to abolish/create joint PSCs

2.2 Methods of Recruitment

Three broad methods in Indian civil services:

1. Direct Recruitment via Competitive Examination: UPSC Civil Services Exam (Prelims → Mains → Personality Test); highly competitive — approximately 11–12 lakh applicants for ~1,000 posts annually. Pattern: Prelim (GS + CSAT), Mains (9 papers including essay and GS papers 1–4), Interview (275 marks).

2. Promotion (Departmental Promotion Committee — DPC): Officers move from lower to higher grades within their service; DPC composition varies by group level; Group A posts require UPSC member; based on APAR, vigilance clearance, seniority.

3. Lateral Entry / Deputation: Appointment from outside the normal career stream; lateral entry (since 2018) at Joint Secretary/Director level; deputation from State services or PSUs to Central government.

2.3 Training Institutions

Institution	Location	Trains
LBSNAA (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration)	Mussoorie, Uttarakhand	IAS officers
SVPNPA (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel NPA)	Hyderabad, Telangana	IPS officers
IGNFA (Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy)	Dehradun, Uttarakhand	IFoS officers
NAAA (National Academy of Audit & Accounts)	Shimla, HP	IA&AS officers
IRS Training Institute (NACEN)	Faridabad	IRS (Customs & IT)
National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM)	Faridabad	Finance cadres
Centre for Excellence in Financial Management	Hyderabad	Financial services

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