Central Civil Services
Under the sole jurisdiction of the Indian central government
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Through Government of India, President of India and Natural resource
The services with the most personnel in the entire Civil Services of India and also the Central Civil Services are with the Central Secretariat Service and Indian Revenue Service (IT and C&IT).
The Cadre Controlling Authority for each established Service is controlled by the respective union government ministries of India. The higher-level positions in the Central Civil Services are classified into Group A and Group B, both of which are gazetted.
History
British India
With the passing of the Government of India Act 1919, the Imperial Services headed by the Secretary of State for India, were split into two – All India Services and Central Services.
The All India and Central Services (Group A) were designated as Central Superior Services as early as 1924. From 1924 to 1934, Administration in India consisted of 10 All India Services (including Indian Education Service, Indian Medical Service) and 5 central departments, all under the control of Secretary of State for India, and 3 central departments under joint Provincial and Imperial Control. The Central Services were headed by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
Modern India
The Group A officers are appointed by the President of India, and appointments to Group B are made by the authorities specified by a general or special order of the President.
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Nature, deputations and rules
Rules and regulations
The Central Civil Services (CCS) is run as per the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rule, and all service members work under restrictions and rules of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules. The Indian Railway Services work under the Railway Services (Conduct) Rules of 1966.
The Central Civil Services also follows CCS (Commutation of Pension) Rules and has its own Recognition of Service Associations Rules 1993 and Leave Travel Concession Rules 1988. The University Grants Commission (UGC), in a circular released in October 2018, directed central universities to adopt the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules 1964 for professors at the university.
Deputations
The members of Central Civil Services are eligible for deputation to state governments either on personal grounds or official approval from both Government of India Staffing Scheme of Government of India.
Performance review and dismissal
The employees performance review is conducted under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J) and 56 (I), and also under Rule 48 (1) (b) of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, that gives "absolute right" to the appropriate authority to retire a government servant, "if it is necessary to do so in public interest".
A government servant can be retired "in public interest" under Central Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1965, as a penalty for possession of assets disproportionate to known source of income or for accepting gratification as a reward for doing or forbearing to do an official act.
Recruitment
The recruitment of the CCS (Group A) is made through Civil Services Examination, Engineering Services Examination, Combined Geo-Scientist and Geologist Examination, I.E.S./I.S.S. Examination, Combined Medical Services Examination, Central Armed Police Forces of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). All promotions or empanelment in the CCS are either by the Civil Services Board or by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Central Civil Services (Group A)
The Central Services (Group A) are concerned with the administration of the Union Government. All appointments to Central Civil Services (Group A) are made by the President of India.
Organised Service
The attributes of an Organised Group 'A' Service (OGAS) are as follows:
- The highest cadre post is not below the Senior Administrative Grade (Level 14).
- The service has all standard grades, such as Junior Time Scale (Level 10), Senior Time Scale (Level 11), Junior Administrative Grade (Level 12), Non-Functional Selection Grade (Level 13), and Senior Administrative Grade (Level 14).
- At least 50% of vacancies in Junior Time Scale (Level 10) are filled through Direct Recruitment.
- All vacancies above Junior Time Scale (Level 10) and up to Senior Administrative Grade (Level 14) are filled by promotion from the next lower Grade.
In 2019, based on the Bibek Debroy committee report of 2015, the Cabinet of India approved the plan to merge eight railway services. In 2022, the government released a gazette notification about the merger of the existing eight services, which fall under the Central Civil Services, into a new Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS). The eight services includes Indian Railway Accounts Service, Indian Railway Personnel Service, Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers, Indian Railway Service of Engineers, Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers, Indian Railway Stores Service, and Indian Railway Traffic Service. The merged Indian Railways Management Service was again demerged into various specific services as of 2024.
Central Government Services (Group B)
For Group B civil service posts only, the Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGLE) is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). All appointments to Group B are made by the authorities specified by a general or special order of the President.
- Armed Forces Headquarters Services (Civil Service)
- Botanical Survey of India, Group 'B' (Natural Resource)
- Central Electrical Engineering Service, Group 'B' (Engineering)
- Central Engineering Service, Group 'B' (Engineering)
- Central Excise Service, Group 'B' (Civil Service)
- Central Health Service, Group 'B' (Health Science)
- Central Power Engineering Service, Group 'B' (Engineering)
- Central Secretariat Official Language Service, Group 'B' (Civil Service)
- Central Secretariat Service, Group 'B' (Section and Assistant Section Officers Grade only) (Civil Service)
- Central Secretariat Stenographers Service, Group 'B' (Private Secretary and Personal Assistant Grade only) (Civil Service)
- Customs Appraisers Service, Group 'B' – (Principal Appraisers and Head Appraisers) (Civil Service)
- Customs Preventive Service, Group 'B' – (Chief Inspectors) (Civil Service)
- Defence Secretariat Service (Civil Service)
- DANICS (Civil Service)
- DANIPS (Civil Service)
- Geological Survey of India, Group 'B' (Natural Resource)
- Indian Foreign Service, Group 'B' – (General Cadre, Grade I and General Cadre, Grade II only) (Civil Service)
- Indian Posts and Telegraphs Accounts and Finance Service, Group 'B' Telecommunication Wing. (Civil Service)
- Indian Posts & Telegraphs Accounts & Finance Service, Postal Wing, Group 'B' (Civil Service)
- Income Tax Service, Group 'B' (Civil Service)
- Indian Salt Service, Group 'B' (Engineering)
- India Meteorological Service, Group 'B' (Natural Resource)
- Survey of India, Group 'B' (Engineering)
- Postal Superintendents' Service, Group 'B' (Civil Service)
- Postmasters' Service, Group 'B' (Civil Service)
- Railway Board Secretariat Service, Group 'B'(SO and ASO only) (Civil Service)
- Telecommunication Engineering Service, Group 'B' (Engineering)
- Telegraphs Traffic Service, Group 'B' (Engineering)
- Zoological Survey of India, Group 'B' (Natural Resource)
Corruption, challenges and reforms
Corruption and challenges
In 2016, the Ministry of Finance for the first time, dismissed 72 and prematurely retired another 33 Indian Revenue Service officers for non-performance and on disciplinary grounds. In 2019, Government of India dismissed 12 (IRS IT) and 15 (IRS Customs and Central Excise) officers for corruption and bribery charges. In 2019, Department of Personnel and Training in Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions listed 284 Central Secretariat Service officers for performance audit by review panel headed by Cabinet Secretary of India.
Reforms
In December 2019, as per a decision approved by Union Cabinet of India, a new Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) was created by merging eight existing Group A Indian Railway services in the Central Civil Services. A new Indian Skill Development Service was created as a technical cadre within the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Supreme court cases, directions, and verdicts
In May 2025, Supreme Court of India upheld the organised service status of the Central Armed Police Forces. The judgement clarified that "for all intent and purposes, CAPFs belong to OGAS [Organised Group-A Services],"