New Delhi: In order to ensure gender balance in workforce, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has encouraged women candidates to apply for the prestigious civil services examination to select IAS and IPS officers.
"Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply," the UPSC said in the notification issued for civil services preliminary examination 2015.
Women had bagged the top slots in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 civil services examinations. Whereas, a male candidate topped in the 2013 exam. There were 15 males and 10 females in top 25 positions in 2013 civil services exam results. The result of civil services examination 2014 is yet to be declared.
The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC annually in three stages, preliminary, main and interview to select candidates for prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.
This year, the preliminary examination will be held on August 23 in 71 centres at about 3,000 venues.
This time the candidates are required to apply only through online mode for the civil services and Indian Forest Service examinations and "no other mode for submission of applications is allowed", it said.
The candidates also have the option to choose either the civil services or the Indian Forest Service or both, the Commission has said.
Candidates should note that the government has changed the pattern of Indian Forest Service (IFoS) examination from 2013 by introducing a component of screening mechanism through civil services preliminary examination.
"All the candidates applying for Indian Forest Service examination are therefore required to appear in the civil services preliminary examination and qualify the same for going to the second stage of Indian Forest Service (main) examination (written and interview).
"Candidates desirous of applying for Indian Forest Service examination as well as for the civil services examination can apply through a common online application from subject to meeting the requisite eligibility criteria by them," the notification for the IFOS said.
Candidates are required to apply through online mode on the Commission's website, www.upsconline.nic.in. Filing of online applications started on May 23 and will conclude on June 19 (till 11.59 PM), the Commission said.
