Group A Services in India – List of Group A Services in UPSC
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
Group A Services in UPSC consists of 16 services, such as the Indian Postal Service, Indian Railway Traffic Service, Indian Revenue Service, etc. The Union Public Service Commission conducts the examination for all the Group A Services. Based on the marks and preference of service, candidates are allocated their services after the UPSC Exam.
Read: UPSC 2024
The articles discuss in detail the various Group A Services in UPSC, along with their description. We will also clear out the Difference Between Group A Services and other Civil Services jobs.
Table of content
Group A Services in India
The Group A Services in UPSC consists of a majority of 16 services, whose exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The Group A Services of UPSC recruits eligible candidates through the Civil Services Examination. The candidates are allocated their services according to their ranks and service preference after the UPSC Results are declared.
The Group A Services in UPSC consists of:
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)
- Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS)
- Indian Information Service (IIS)
- Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS)
- Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS)
- Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS)
- Indian Revenue Service (IRS)
- Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES)
- Indian Postal Service (IPoS)
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS)
- Railway Protection Force (RPF)
- Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS)
- Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS)
- Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
- Indian Trade Service (ITS)
- Indian Communication Finance Services (ICFS)
List of Group A Services in UPSC
The Group A Services in UPSC recruits candidates through the CSE. The Union Public Service Commission conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE), a national competitive exam, to select candidates for the government of India’s civil services. It is also generally alluded to as the UPSC Exam and is conducted in three stages:
- UPSC Preliminary Examination, Stage I: Annually held in May/June. In August, the results were released.
- UPSC Mains Exam, Stage II: The Mains Exam is annually held in October. The results are declared in December/January.
- IAS Interview/ personality test: Held in March. In May, the final results are often released.
| Group A Services in UPSC | Description of Group A Services |
| Railway Protection Force (RPF) | A military force of the Union known as the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is managed administratively and operationally by Indian Railways. Passengers in Indian Railways are given impenetrable protection by the RPF, which also safeguards the railway’s assets and property. All members of the Indian Railway Protection Force Service are officers in the Railway Protection Force (IRPFS). |
| Indian Revenue Service (IRS) | The Indian Revenue Service (IRS) is divided into two parts, Income Tax, and Custom & Indirect Taxes, which are each overseen by a different statutory body. Direct and indirect tax administration and collection are the main responsibilities of an IRS officer. |
| Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) | The Indian Railways’ finances and accounts are maintained and managed by the Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) officers. Presently, there are roughly 800 officers in the IRAS Cadre. |
| Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) | One of the Group A Services under UPSC is Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS). IOFS officials, who work for the Ministry of Defence as Gazetted Group A defense-civilian officers, are in charge of running the Indian Ordnance Factories, which gives India’s domestic defense manufacturing capacity. |
| Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS) | The CAG of India, the Indian government, oversees the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS). The Indian Audit and Accounts Service’s IA&AS officers work in the department’s audit management capacity. IA&AS is in charge of keeping the accounts of State governments and auditing the accounts of public sector entities, as well as the Union and State governments. |
| Indian Postal Service (IPoS) | The divisional postal services in India, including both traditional postal services and e-commerce services under the name “India Post,” are monitored and managed by the Indian Postal Service (IPoS). The Indian Postal Service is under the direction of the Ministry of Communications of the Indian Government. |
| Indian Communication Finance Services (ICFS) | In 1973, Indian Communication Finance Services (ICFS) was established. The main responsibility of ICFS is to provide accounting and financial assistance to the Indian Post and Telecommunication Department. |
| Indian Foreign Service (IFS) | The diplomatic branch of the Indian government’s core civil service, the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), reports to the Ministry of External Affairs.IFS is among the most popular Group A Services in UPSC. |
| Indian Trade Service (ITS) | The Indian Trade Service (ITS) is a Central Civil Service of Group A in the executive branch of the Indian Government. ITS’s primary goal is to oversee the nation’s international trade and commerce. The Directorate General of International Trade (DGFT) oversees it and reports to the Ministry of Commerce. |
| Indian Information Service (IIS) | The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting oversees the Indian Information Service (IIS). IIS’s primary duty is to serve as a conduit between the people and the government. |
| Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES) | The Indian Defence Estates Service is a Civil Service in the Government of India. The Defence Estates Organization (DEO), whose main responsibility is to manage and administer the civil affairs of the nation’s cantonments and defense land, employs IDES cadre officers. |
| Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) | The Controller General of Accounts (CGA) is in charge of the Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS), which runs through the Indian Civil Accounts Organization. ICAS plays a crucial part in providing the Indian government with financial management solutions. |
| Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) | The Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) is in charge of overseeing the welfare of railway workers and their families as well as the organization’s human resources. |
| Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS) | The Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS) is an agency of the Indian Government’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs. One of the main goals of the ICLS is to strengthen the corporate sector by defending the rights of investors, particularly small investors. |
| Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) | The Indian Railways’ Transportation Operations and Commercial branches are managed by the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS). |
| Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) | The defense department’s accounting duties are handled by the Indian Defence Accounting Service (IDAS). The head of the Defense Accounts Department is the Controller General of Defense Accounts. |
Difference Between Group A Services of UPSC and All India Services
There are two major divisions within the Indian Civil Services. The Central Services and the All India Services are the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS). There are two categories of Central Services:
- Group A Services
- Group B Services
The major difference between Group A Services of UPSC and All India Services is that the officers of All India Services are appointed by the President of India and are placed at the disposal of the different State Governments. On the other hand, officers of the Group A Services in UPSC might be posted anywhere in India but serve the Government of India only.
The Group ‘B’ Services are the Central Secretariat Service, the Goa, Daman, and Diu Police Service, Posts of Assistant Command, the Railway Board Secretariat Service, the Delhi and Andaman & Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS), the Indian Foreign Service, the Customs’ Appraisers Service, the Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, and the Assistant Civilian Staff Officers Grade.
