Nature & Qualities of an IAS Officer: What should be the Qualities of an IAS Officer?

Indian Administration service is not everyone’s cup of tea but the ones who have passion, perseverance, determination, and skills can reach it positively. Every year lakhs of candidates join the bandwagon of becoming officers.

This is certainly the most desirable and honourable post in the government sector. Many people want to grab it. This is worthy because of working for the betterment of the nation along with monetary compensation and associated perks.

If you want to be a civil servant, keep reading this article because it has all the data regarding the nature & qualities of an IAS officer. You need to acknowledge all the facts to become one in the future.

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Qualities of an IAS Aspirant

UPSC conducts civil services exams in India to select the most deserved personalities to develop the nation. The candidates must have rigorous preparation of all the spheres to get good scores in this esteemed examination.

An IAS aspirant must be determined and focused along with knowing every sector and area. The curious mind and passionate heart make you an administrative officer. There are uncountable things that you must inculcate to be supreme and administer the country. The candidates must be calm and composed with intellect and presence of mind. The major quality to have is leadership which is rare and difficult to have. A good bunch of qualities will lead you towards your targets.

How to Check If I Have Qualities of an IAS Officer?

The exam has been designed in such a way that it pushes the candidate to his maximum limit. The long arduous exam which has such a vast syllabus is designed to test whether the aspirant has the attitude of an IAS officer. Is he/she cut out to take the job? Remember, as they say, ”This is an exam to fail the candidate not to pass the candidate.”

Keeping this in mind one needs to possess certain skills which can help him clear the exam and also be successful in his job. The behaviour of an IAS officer has to be possessed or developed in the exam stage itself. Here is a list of qualities of an IAS aspirant that are needed for you to crack the exam and become a great IAS officer.

Also Read: IAS Saumya Pandey Biography: Check-out This Inspiring Journey of UPSC Topper

What Should be the Qualities of an IAS Officer?

The job of an IAS officer is the most respected and powerful. No other job or profession stays in front of this frivolous and wonderful designation. It should be envisioned as the opportunity to serve the nation wholeheartedly and most courageously. An IAS officer must have an outlook to always be available for the general public. It should be kept in mind, “Public is not to be underestimated as fools’ !

All the civil servants must have the power of decision making and policy implementation to the public. If you want to know about the behaviour of an IAS officer, look below and know it all.

#1. Perseverance

To keep trying till one reaches his/ her goal is called perseverance and this is one of the must-have qualities of an IAS aspirant. For clearing this exam one needs to possess the quality of perseverance. He has to try till he succeeds. That’s the reason a candidate is allowed to attempt the exam multiple times.

Perseverance plays a vital part in the career of a successful administrator, as such, it is an important quality of an IAS officer with so many stakeholders and interest groups, an IAS should possess the quality to pursue his targets with perseverance. He should be stubborn enough to keep trying till you succeed.

#2. Being Patriotic

This is the basis of being an IAS officer. If you are patriotic and want to serve the country with your never-ending efforts then you are best suited for this profession. As soon as you are posted to this prestigious position, you must start thinking of administering the people, bringing new policies, and implementing them with diligence.

#3. Selflessness

You must be a people’s person to hold on to such a great designation. For the implementation of the policies or any provision of the government, you must think about the nation selflessly and must put your motherland before yourself.

There are times when you have to be fearless and emotionless to serve the nation. This is because you are working to make the country develop and be proud. So, work for the things which will have a massive impact on the growth of the country.

Also Read: How do I Schedule Time Table for UPSC Preparation? Know the Strategy for Prelims and Mains

#4. Curiosity

The most important quality of an administrative officer is curiosity. The syllabus for UPSC covers multiple subjects ranging from economics, polity, history, geography, and environment. Keeping this in mind a person needs to be curious to develop interest and study all the subjects. If the individual is not curious, he cannot cover the entire syllabus.

Moreover, he/ she should be keen to constantly keep learning because the questions in the exam are very dynamic and related to current happenings.

#5. Curious Mind in Service

In his job too, an IAS officer has to be curious. For someone who is heading a district, an IAS officer has to deal with the political, social, economic situations in the area. His decisions are influenced by the historical and geographical characteristics of the area.

Also, an IAS works in multiple departments of the government. He might be in the ministry of finance someday and in the ministry of defence the other. Considering this, a curious mind is very important for a person to learn the intricacies of the job.

#6. Responsible and Liable

An IAS officer must be responsible. This is a mandatory trait because when you hold such an honourable position, you cannot be irresponsible. You have the charge of the people and the growth of the nation. An IAS officer makes sure about the happy life of all the people in the area. The key function is to carry out the administrative functions along with checking the jurisdictional activities.

An IAS officer must apprehend the liability of the people. It is possible only when he/she is responsible and prudent. The government policies and their proper utility is checked by an IAS officer. If you lack it, the major function you have to carry out is left behind.

#7. Patience

Patience is another crucial quality of an IAS officer. The exam spans over one year, the preparation usually takes one year. So on average, a candidate has to work towards this exam for two years, provided he clears in the first attempt.

An average aspirant spends anything between 2-3 years cracking the exam. Such a long period of consistent efforts needs patience.

In the system, which is so sluggish, patience is the key. It is said that “policy-making moves one-two steps forward and one step backwards.” Based on this a person needs to be extremely patient to achieve targets. Hasty decision-making and impatience can cause more damage than good.

# 8. Excellence

Excellence is something that has to be achieved by an IAS officer because he/she is holding the administrative powers of the country which cannot withstand chaos. A civil servant must have out-of-the-box thinking to resolve every problem of the citizens. The most challenging part of being excellent is the diversity of India.

Due to different cultures, traditions, language, mentality, norms, and social causes, the problems are quite different for all the people living in different areas. It requires an IAS officer to be wise and mindful to overcome the hurdles of the people and give them a healthy and sustainable environment to live in.

#9. Analytical Ability

As you study for this exam you will understand that not all situations are black and white. In such a case the need of the exam is for you to understand the issue, get different perspectives on the situation and give a balanced judgment.

Similar analytical ability is required for the job as well. For example, if you close a factory that employs child labour, you will steal the livelihood of the children who might resort to criminal activities which are equally bad.

You need to have balanced decision-making abilities to ensure that the rights of children are not violated and that their livelihood is also saved.

Also Read: Salary of an IAS Officer: How Much You can Earn per Month after Clearing the UPSC Exam?

#10. Utilitarianism

The theory of judgment between right and wrong is called utilitarianism. It has to be checked or measured by one’s reactions and policies. It is an ethical theory based on decisiveness. An administrator must hold this quality to provide the correct judgment to people for their functions and gestures.

It is a theory taken into account by the people’s behavior, policy, or interests. The decisions taken by the civil servant must be perfect and for the betterment of the country and its people. It should reach the maximum number of people to let them understand the right things to do.

#11. Focus and Goal Orientation

To keep all distractions away and to concentrate on one aim is a much-needed quality of an IAS officer. While appearing for this exam you will see that your friends are enjoying their financial independence.

Watching movies, going out to eat, meeting friends are some things you cannot think of. You have to keep such distractions at bay and work towards your goal.

The same goes for your job. Being an administrative servant has its perks and privileges. Sometimes the power, respect, and status that you get can go to your head. In such a situation, a successful IAS officer can keep these things at bay and focus on his work.

#12. Jurisdiction Power

An IAS officer needs to have the principle of justice. If the person doesn’t know how to differentiate between right or wrong, he/she can’t implement the policies properly. It is important in dealing with the people with the right balance and doing a fair job. An IAS officer is responsible for the entire area.

He/ she must have the power and vision to manage the situations fairly by looking into it. This is a mandatory quality to have to maintain peace and harmony in the area and to grow the nation. So, if you have this quality, you must start preparing for the CSE.

#13. Time Management

Time management and punctuation are immensely important if you want to be an IAS officer. This is significant because you have to reach out to every place to solve the problems of the people. If you are not punctually active, you can’t make people free from obstacles. Studying such a vast syllabus, reading it, understanding it, and then revising it requires a lot of time.

A person needs to manage his/ her time well or else he/ she won’t be able to complete the syllabus in time. Similarly, an IAS is in charge of close to 150 committees in a district. The workload is tremendous and it is humanly not possible to complete it if we do not know how to manage our time.

#14. Written and Oral Communication Skills

These are magnificent qualities to have if you are an IAS officer or want to become one. A student has to write 20 questions in a single paper in 3 hours. On average, he gets 6 minutes only to write a single question. This fact itself portrays the importance of written communication. Similarly, in the interview, it is important to show your best side in such a short period.

An IAS aspirant also has to have great communication skills. For on the job he needs to compile all the information and project it to his political bosses for them to make the decision. Communication is of utmost importance for an IAS officer to work with so many stakeholders.

#15. Integrity and Clarity

These two qualities are a must if you are an aspirant of administration authority. The virtues of honesty and integrity must be in a person to live a life with dignity. It is more important for an IAS officer because he/she has not only to take the responsibility of securing other people’s rights and living standards but also to manage the situations in the entire nation.

If he/she will not have the discipline and transparency of thoughts and opinions, the functions can’t be carried out positively and people will not feel reliable to trust you. If an aspirant has such qualities, they can reach their desires at a greater pace.

Also Read : All About the Curriculum of IAS Training: A Glimpse the Journey of an IAS Officer

#16. Leadership and Knowledge

These two things are different yet magnificent to be inculcated in a person who wants to be an IAS officer. Leadership is important because an officer has to do many functions, he/she must know how to influence the people and make the best out of their capabilities to make the work possible. Knowledge is the basis of every success in the world.

You must have the knowledge to be on any post. During the preparation, all the candidates reach out to different sources to attain maximum knowledge and skills. Knowledge makes you worthy to sit in an intellectual group and instils the notion and wisdom to catch out the problems and ways to resolve them.

How can You get the Ideal Attitude of an IAS Aspirant?

The good qualities of an IAS officer discussed here are the prerequisites of a successful IAS officer. Even if you do not possess them at this stage, they can be developed over time with persistent efforts and proper guidance. Experts believe that no one is born with these qualities, it needs proper grooming to mould an IAS officer.

For this, we have launched the inception course, where we provide personalized mentorship to each student. The mentor provides strategies to study, solves doubts, and motivates you to keep on working consistently till you achieve your goal. The good qualities of an IAS officer are being loyal to the country and standing straight with dignity.

Also Read: What is The Salary of an IAS Officer in India? Net Worth, IAS Grades and Roles Explained

Conclusion

Therefore, it is not easy to be an administrative servant. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to handle the administrative responsibilities imposed on a person. If you want to be an IAS officer in the future, you need to follow your ambitions fearlessly and be confident in your opinions and choices. Be a curious human to know about the policies of the government and their implementation on the general public.

When you become an IAS officer, you are differentiated from the normal citizens by a thin line which is responsibility. The candidates searching for various things for the UPSC exam must visit UPSC Pathshala and acknowledge the ways to step forward for the accomplishment of their dreams.