Government Jobs in India

Job vacancies under the Central Government of India establishments are filled through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC). UPSC conducts Civil Services Exams for bureaucrat positions in the Government. Persons aspiring to hold top level positions in the civilian administration of the Government and be close to the corridors of power will have to pass the IAS exams conducted by the UPSC.

Aspirants wanting to occupy senior positions in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Central Services, Group A and Group B will have to pass the All India Combined Competitive Examinations conducted by the UPSC in different centers spread all over the country. Anyone thinking of taking up Civil Services Exam should know that the competition will be extremely tough as lakhs of candidates apply for less than 1000 vacancies that may arise each year.

UPSC conducts Combined Medical Services Exam for recruitment of Doctors, Combined Defense Services Exam for military recruitment like Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, Indian Engineering Services Exam for appointment of Engineers, Geologists Exam for selection of Geologists, Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination for serving in Economics & Statistics departments of the Government and Indian Forest Services exam for positions in the forest department. Separate Exams are held for filling up positions in the Life Insurance (LIC) and General Insurance sectors.

Recruitment to fill vacancies in the Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS) and the Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) is done on the basis of the result of the Civil Services Examination (IAS examination) and that to the Indian Railway services of Engineers (IRSE), Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) and Indian Railway Services Stores (IRSS) is made on the basis of the Combined Engineering Services Exam.

Recruitment of Clerks, Assistant Station masters, Ticket Collectors, train Collectors and other vacancies is also done through direct recruitment by the Railway Recruitment Boards located in different states. The Boards conduct both written examinations and interviews. Recruitment is made in the lowest grades to these categories and prescribed qualification is generally School Final. For certain positions like Commercial Apprentice, Traffic Apprentice, Assistant Station Master, Clerk Grade I, guards etc., the minimum prescribed qualification is a degree from a recognized University.
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts competitive exams for filling up second rung of officials in the Central Government offices spread throughout the country. The Central Government of India is a massive employer and it is reported that during the 11th five-year plan period 58 million new job opportunities will be created.

The Union Government has also floated many employment schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Swarnajayanti Swarozgar Yojna and Shahari Rozgar Yojna. The Union Government is making funds available to various State Governments under these schemes to generate more and more job opportunities.

Jobs with State Governments are the next best alternative for Government job seekers in India. State governments are indeed the biggest employer in any state of India. States have their own Public Service Commission like UPSC for conducting competitive exams to recruit people for positions in the State Government administration, State Government bodies, State promoted Public Sector Undertakings, State-level public utility services like Public Works, Transport, State Police, Health, Education, Electricity departments etc.

Persons looking for subordinate positions in the State Government offices like Clerks, Assistants, Typists etc must register with the District Employment Exchanges set up in all districts within a State. Candidates opting for employment in Government offices must understand that the competition may be uneven as the Central as well as State Governments pursue a policy of reservation. Reservation policy provides for a quota system whereby a percentage of posts are reserved in Central and State Governments and in the public sector units, to provide relief to the socially and educationally backward communities of India and people belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.

The Supreme Court of India has ruled that reservation should not exceed 50 percent of the vacancies but this upper limit is defied by many State Governments. For instance, reservation in a State like Tamilnadu is as high as 69 percent.

There is a widespread clamor for Government jobs in India as they provide job security and once you land on a Government job, the job is yours unless you decide to leave out of your own volition or retire after attaining superannuation. The nature of most Government jobs is sedate and employees will be automatically promoted based on length of service rather than merit. More importantly, many Government jobs are stress-free.

The salary structure in Government jobs is quite attractive and now with the sixth pay commission in place this has even got better. The Government employees are entitled to provident fund and/or pension plans and other benefits such as medical, housing, education, child care, leave travel and more.