Law & Govt
Civil Services Officer (IAS/IPS)
Shape policy and administration at the scale of a district, state or country.
Typical pay band₹7–20 LPA
₹0₹50L+
₹7–20L
Pay band
UPSC CSE
Gating exam
4+ years prep
To first job
85/100
Demand score
Eligibility
Arts streamCommerce streamScience stream
Minimum 50% in Class 12 (general category).
Great if you enjoy
Leading & organisingWriting & debateHelping people heal
Your roadmap
- 1
Step 1
Years 1–3/4: any bachelor’s degree (stream doesn’t matter)
- 2
Step 2
Alongside or after: dedicated UPSC preparation, which realistically takes 1–3 attempts for most successful candidates
First job · ₹7+ LPA
Cutoff trend
UPSC CSE is open to graduates of any stream, but is famously one of the most competitive exams in the world — typically under 1% of applicants clear all three stages (Prelims, Mains, Interview).
A day in the life
“For a serving officer: a genuinely varied mix of policy work, public grievance handling, and on-ground administration.”