IRS FULL FORM 

The abbreviation IRS stands for Indian Revenue Service. The IRS Civil Services Examination is one of the most coveted examinations and is grouped under the A category of service under the government of India. The IRS officer works under the Ministry of Finance and has the responsibility of collecting direct and indirect taxes that accrue to the government of India. An IRS officer will be working under the department of revenue in the government of India.
In order to become an IRS officer, candidates must pass the Civil Service Examination. Candidates must be at least 21 years old to qualify for UPSC-CSE, and their maximum age is 32 years old. 

IRS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Just like every other exam, the eligibility criteria for UPSC-CSE are quite strict and candidates not adhering to the eligibility criteria can be disqualified from taking the exam. Therefore, before applying for UPSC-CSE, check the eligibility criteria given below -:
The candidate must have a minimum age of 21 years and the age limit must not exceed 32 years.
The candidate must have completed graduation from any recognized university in any stream.
The candidate must have an Indian nationality.

Exam Pattern

Becoming an IPS, IFS, IRS, etc. Officer, the candidate needs to qualify for the national Civil Services Examination, also referred to as UPSC-CSE, conducted and regulated by UPSC alongside other government services. To become an IPS officer, the candidate will have to pass through a rigorous selection procedure. Candidates who qualify for the preliminary exam are called for the main exam. On the basis of marks secured in the Main exam, they will be called for an interview. The total marks of the Main exam and Interview sum up to produce the final result.

1.) PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

Name of the Paper	No of Questions	Marks Allotted	Time Allotted	Nature of Exam
Paper 1: General Studies 1 Objective Type	100	200	2 hours	The score will be considered for Cut-off
Paper 2: General Studies 2(CSAT) Objective Type	80	200	2 hours	Qualifying Nature- Candidates will have to score 33% to qualify CSAT.

2.) MAIN EXAMINATION

• One of the toughest exams to qualify for, the Mains examination is a theoretical paper consisting of 9 papers out of which 2 papers are qualifying in nature. These papers cover both the English and Indian languages. Both papers are 300 marks each
• If a student fails the language portion of the paper, the rest of the paper will not be checked.
• Apart from this, 2 papers are optional. This means the candidate can select one optional subject out of 48 options given depending upon which these 2 papers will be based.
• The papers, with the exception of the language papers, each carry 250 points.

3.) Interview

As soon as a candidate passes the main examination, they will be invited to a personal interview that will last 45 minutes to 1 hour. The interview will be conducted offline and by a highly experienced panel. After the interview process is done, the compilation of marks is done in which the marks of qualifying exams aren’t added.

Syllabus- Prelims Examination

1. Paper I: This paper is of 200 marks.

a. General Knowledge consisting of national and international current affairs,

b. Indian History as well as National Movements,

c. Indian and World Geography

d. Political Science/Civics comprising of Indian Political System

e. Economics 

f. Environment

g. Basic Science

2. Paper II: This paper is of 200 marks.

a. English Reading and Comprehension

b. Interpersonal skills

c. Logical and analytical reasoning 

e. General Mathematics 

f.  Data interpretation

Main Examination

The main exam for civil services consists of a written examination and an interview. The written examination consists of a total of 9 papers, of which two are for qualifying (A and B) and seven for merit. The syllabus for prelims and mains is almost the same. The only difference is that mains give candidates the option to select their optional subject.

The written examination consists of the following papers:

Paper	Subject	Parts of Subject	Duration	Total Marks	Nature of paper
Paper A	Compulsory Indian language	One of the Indian Languages to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.	3 Hours	300	Qualifying
Paper B	English	English	3 Hours	300	Qualifying
Paper 1	Essay	Essay	3 Hours	250	Merit
Paper 2	General Studies I	General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society)	3 Hours	250	Merit
Paper 3	General Studies II	General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations)	3 Hours	250	Merit
Paper 4	General Studies III	General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)	3 Hours	250	Merit
Paper 5	General Studies IV	General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude)	3 Hours	250	Merit
Paper 6	Optional I	Optional Subject-Paper 1	3 Hours	250	Merit
Paper 7	Optional II	Optional Subject Paper 2	3 Hours	250	Merit
Sub Total (Written Test)	1750
Personality test	275
Grand total	2025

 Interview

After qualifying for the mains examination, candidates are invited for a personal interview which roughly lasts from 45 minutes to 1 hour· The interview of the candidate will be offline and taken by a highly experienced panel. After the interview process is done, the compilation of marks is done in which the marks of qualifying exams aren’t added.

Training

• After qualifying for the Civil Services Examination, qualified candidates undergo 3-month training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). 
• In the first 3 months, the candidates undergo a foundation course following which they are sent to the IPS Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) Hyderabad. 
• The total duration of training for IPS officers is about two and a half years.
• Candidates who perform exceptionally well in the training are honored with the Prime Minister’s Baton.
• IPS training tests the physical fitness of an individual.

IRS Job roles and Salary

• Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax – The basic pay scale is approximately Rs. 80,000.
• Chief Commissioner of Income Tax – The basic pay scale is approximately Rs.80,000
• Principal Commissioner of Income Tax – The basic pay scale is approximately Rs. 80,000.
• Commissioner of Income Tax – The basic pay scale is approximately Rs. 67,000 
• Joint Commissioner of Income Tax – The basic pay scale is approximately Rs. 50,000
• Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax – The basic pay scale is approximately Rs. 45,000

Responsibilities of the IRS 

A member of the IRS is one of the most integral positions in the civil service, which entails a lot of responsibilities and values. There are two types of IRS officers, namely IRS Customs and Central Excise officers and IRS Income Tax officers. Therefore, some of the responsibilities associated with both are:

• The IRS officers can be appointed in various investigation or intelligence bureaus like law enforcement in CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), IB (Intelligence Bureau), and RAW (Research and Analytics Wing). 
• As an IRS officer, you have the authority to search and seize illegal wealth or carry out operations to expose scams in the country.
• The IRS officer is also responsible for protecting the country from illegal activities such as smuggling operations and invasive activities.
• They are also responsible for detecting and confiscating corrupt money in India and overseas. 
• They have the power and the authority to conduct investigations under both domestic and international agreements to investigate money transactions.
• They are also responsible for enforcing economic law and order.
• An IRS officer also handles and advises on policy issues related to taxes.

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