Some candidates choose IPS over IAS .Why ?

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Most of the aspirants in the  UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) prefer IAS over IPS and IFS. However, there are always some candidates who select  IPS over IAS as their first preference. It is because there are certain attractions in IPS which other civil service cannot provide. Following are the main reasons or attraction to select IPS over IAS.

Why  IPS over IAS ?

1: Uniform

 IPS is a uniform force  service. An IAS officer or the officers of any other civil service are like anyone else cannot be recognized unless someone introduces them to you. However, an IPS officer is immediately identified by his/her uniform. How smart and beautiful an IPS officer looks like in his uniform? A smart IPS officer stand unique in the crowd from his/her body language and smartness.

Kerala IPS officer: Merin Joseph

2: Specialization

The best part of IAS is the variety of  tasks /posts assigned to this job. Although, it also produces an IAS officer jack of all trades and master of none. May be in agriculture department today as a secretary, head the revenue department tomorrow and  may be transferred  to the department of minority affair next day. They hardly spend ample  time at any single charge to develop specialization. Thus they loose to know much less than the officers who are working under them. Most services see IAS officers comes from outside and intrudes in the main administration domain.

An IPS officer specializes in police administration and investigation. IPS officers builds a brand identity  of efficiency and expertise in his chosen field and respected by everyone. The organisations like CBI, IB and RAW directly monitored by the Prime Ministers Office . CBI , IB and RAW are always headed by IPS officers.As per current scenario,National Security Adviser to Prime Minister is most powerful bureaucrat in the country which is always headed by a senior most IPS officer expert in security measures

3: Power

The IPS officers enjoy immense power directly. There is no one who can take conflict  even with low ranking police officers. They have plentiful discretionary power and they can put any person including a senior IAS official into trouble. The CBI which is almost exclusively manned at the senior level by IPS officer can arrest anyone including Ministers and IAS officers. IPS officers have power over every citizen of the country including other officers.

4: Job Satisfaction

The police administration job provides great job satisfaction since you are directly dealing with public. When you apprehend a criminal or an anti-social element, you are curing the society of an illness. An honest police officer bags the affection and admiration of the people who are suffering in the hands of the powerful and rich people. In IAS , your contribution is indirect except in the District Collector post. The satisfaction is greatest as an IPS officer. I know some IPS officers who are so much afraid by the antisocial elements that they would leave the town no sooner the officer is posted there.

Also read :Salary of an IAS Officer after 7th Pay Commission

5: Visibility

 Most visible service in the group of Civil Service is Indian  Police Service. You can’t move even a small distance in a city without facing a police officer on the road. There is nothing will be a matter how high you may be, you have to deal with police officer when you have some problem arising. While hardly anyone knows who is the Chief Secretary of  the State but even common people may very well know the  particular Police Commissioner or the Director General of Police.

6: Social Importance

No society can be peaceful or prosperous if the law and order situation of the state or country vulnerable. A single crime like rape and murder can disturb the conscience of the society ,state and nation. While it may not be serious issue if revenue targets are missed by a few hundreds of  crores or a project is suspended for couple of years. Our constitution guarantees the protection of  life and property of Citizen by Article 20 &21. So  it will be s very serious  issue  if a  innocent girl  attacked  in the city. Who can forget the Delhi Gang rape case of 2012 which shaken the country?

7: Glamour

Police is the public face of the real power of  government. You would seldom see any IAS, IRS or IFS or  any other officer in the cinema. However, almost all movie has police officer as a  powerful character. You cannot be a megastar unless you did played the role of a dashing police officer in a picture. They may be hated or loved,  but they cannot  be ignored by anyone. T Singham ,Dabang are such examples of  glamorisationof police  officer as a Superman.

 8: Public Adulation

The common people of India thinking the real  state power with police and treat police as above the rest. I recalled a small story which I read several years ago in a  a national daily.

An old lady  was fighting for  land dispute case for several years. Finally, the Judge pronounced the verdict  in her favour from the Court.

The old woman got extremely cheerful and she blessed the Judge: “May God make you a Thanedar (Police Inspector) soon!”

If a police inspector is place to be so high in the eyes and heart  of the common man,then imagine the place of an IPS officer whom dozens of such officer report? This would be surely beyond their comprehension.

You certainly miss a lot when you choose IAS over IPS.