User:Anurag.mcc7/sandbox/Assam Civil Service (ACS)

ACS is an acronym for Assam Civil Service. Candidates selected through this process are eligible to serve some of the administrative roles in the state. The statewide exam is equivalent to IAS exam conducted nationwide. The selection procedure involves prelims and mains examination followed by a personal interview. ACS officers form the backbone of the state’s administrative mechanism. It is a dynamic work force comprising men and women from diverse academic and socio- cultural background.

Assam with its uneven topography is still an infrastructurally backward state. These Officers are posted all over the state and perform the task of managing administration and delivering government services to the rural masses all over the state

ACS officers are posted as Circle Officers under the Revenue Department, Assistant Commissioner (AC), Sub Divisional Officers (SDO), Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADC), Project Directors and as Deputy Commissioners (DC). ACS officers are also posted in various directorates and in different Departments of the State Secretariat. An ACS officer can attain the rank of Commmissioner and Secretary in the State Secrateriat following which they can be nominated to the IAS.

HISTORY

In the initial days of the Raj, the Europeans manned all the high offices in India. The Statute of 1870 allowed recruitment of Indians to the Civil Services then called the Statutory Civil Service. The Statutory Civil Service was divided into two categories: Covenanted Civil Service and Uncovenanted Civil Service. The Uncovenanted Civil Service embraced a large number of public servants in India who filled executive and judicial charges not reserved for Covenanted Civil Service. In non-regulated areas like Assam, some officers of British origin and military officers were also employed in the Uncovenanted Civil Service along with the Covenanted Civil Servants on account of their special knowledge and experience. With demands for more appointment of natives of India in the administration, the Aitchison Commission in 1886 recommended abolishing Covenanted Civil Service and Uncovenanted Civil Service. As per recommendation the administrative service was divided into three branches: Indian Civil Service, Provincial Civil Service and Subordinate Civil Service. The posts of Extra Assistant Commissioner were manned by officers of the Provincial Civil Service while the Subordinate Civil Service was composed of Sub Deputy Collectors, which was a lower grade of appointment. The Aitchison Commission also recommended that certain posts held hitherto by the Officers of Covenanted Civil Service/ Indian Civil Service should be earmarked and called “Listed Posts” and manned by the better class of uncovenanted civil servants so that experienced officers of the Provincial Civil Service may be recruited to such posts. Accordingly, the Government in 1892, reserved one-sixth of the posts held by the ICS as “Listed Posts” and allotted to the Provincial Civil Service. The recruitment of Provincial Civil Service was made partly by promoting officers from the Subordinate Civil Service and partly by direct recruitment

Till the time the Assam Public Service Commission was constituted on 01-04-1937, all the administrative officers in the Uncovenanted Civil Services were appointed by nomination from educated and relatively well to–do families of Assam. Higher family background and deeper allegiance and loyalty to the British regime were the primary considerations for such appointments. The first competitive examination was held only in 1942. Till 1986 there was recruitment to both ACS Class-I & Class-II. These two services were eventually amalgamated in 1989 to constitute the Assam Civil Service, as it is presently known.

Recruitment Process

The ACS officers selected to serve in the administrative roles of the state go through a tough recruitment process conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). First they have to clear a prelims test, which comprises of two papers of 200 marks each. The questions are of MCQ (multiple choice type) and it is basically a screening test to eliminate most of the other candidates. Around 40,000 appear out which only 2200 clear this test. Next, the mains examination which consists of 1400 marks and consist of General Studies, General English and 2 optional papers having 4 parts of 200 marks each. The optional papers are selected by candidates from a range of more than 24 subjects. only about 400 clear this test.

Personality Test

The Commission calls for personality test, at the ratio of 1:2 based on the number of vacancies in the order of merit on the basis of the results of the main Examination, taking into consideration the vacancies reserved for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Personality test carries a maximum of 200 marks. The object of the Personality test is to assess the personal suitability of a candidate to the service or services for which he is a candidate. The qualities judged at the time of personality test are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion, leadership and intellectual depth of the candidate. Only the to 40-50 candidates are selected for the ACS.

External links

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