What is IES ?
Indian Engineering Services comprise of engineers who work under the government of India and designated as Class – 1 officer. They administer a large segment of the public sector economy, which constitutes of Indian Railways, Power, Telecommunications, Central Water engineering, Defence service of Engineers, Central Engineering Service, etc. The nature of work performed by these bureaucrats largely depends on their engineering branch and the service or cadre they are recruited in. The career progression goes smoothly attaining high esteem. The first position offered is that of Asst. Executive engineer and the hierarchy ends at the position of Chairman/ Managing Director.
A combined competitive examination is conducted by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to the Indian Engineering Services. The Examination constitutes of a written examination followed by an interview for the personality test. The recruitment of qualified candidates is made under the following categories:
- Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
IES 2020 Eligibility
The candidates applying for the examination should ensure that they fulfil all eligibility conditions for admission to the Examination. Their admission at all the stages of the examination will be purely provisional subject to satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions.
(I) Nationality:
A candidate must be either:
(a) a citizen of India, or
(b) a subject of Nepal, or
(c) a subject of Bhutan, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or from Vietnam with the intention of permanently setting in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India.
(II) Age Limits:
(a)A candidate for this examination must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on the 1st January, 2019 i.e., he/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd January, 1989 and not later than 1st January, 1998.
(b) The upper age-limit of 30 years will be relaxable upto 35 years in the case of Government servants of the following categories, if they are employed in a Department/ Office under the control of any of the authorities mentioned in column 1 below and apply for admission to the examination for all or any of the Service(s)/Post(s) mentioned in column 2, for which they are otherwise eligible.
- A candidate who holds substantively a permanent post in the particular Department/Office concerned. This relaxation will not be admissible to a probationer appointed against a permanent post in the Department/Office during the period of his probation. However, this relaxation will be admissible to a probationer so appointed provided he/she already retains a lien on a permanent post in a Department/Office under the control of any of the authorities mentioned in column 1 below.
- A candidate who has been continuously in a temporary service on a regular basis in the particular Department/Office for at least 3 years on the 1st January, 2019.
Column 1 | Column 2 |
Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) | I.R.S.E. |
I.R.S.M.E. | |
I.R.S.E.E. | |
I.R.S.S.E. | |
I.R.S.S. | |
Central Public Works Department | C.E.S. Group ‘A’, CE&MES Gr ‘A’ |
Directorate General Ordnance Factories | I.O.F.S. Group ‘A’ |
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways | Central Engineering Service (Roads) Gr. ‘A’ |
Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology, Deptt. of Telecommunication | Indian Radio Regulatory Service Group ‘A’ Indian Telecommunication Service Group ‘A’, J.T.O. (G.C.S. Gr. ‘B’) |
Min of Defence, Deptt. of Defence Production, Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance | Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service(DAQAS) Gr ‘A’ |
Min of Science and Technology, Deptt. of Science and Technology | Survey of India Gr ‘A’ Service |
Geological Survey of India | Assistant Executive Engineer Gr ‘A’ |
Border Roads Organisation | BRES Gr. ‘A’ |
Indian Navy | Indian Naval Armament Service, Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade-I |
Military Engineer Services | Indian Defence Service of Engineers (lDSE) Group ‘A’ AEE(QS&C) in Military Engineer Service (MES) Surveyor Cadre |
Note – The Period of apprenticeship if followed by appointment against a working post on the Railways may be treated as Railway Service for the purpose of age concession.
(c) The upper age-limit prescribed above will be further relaxable :
- Up to maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe.
- Up to maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates. The closing date fixed for the receipt of the application will be treated as the date for determining the OBC status (including that of creamy layer) of the candidates.
- Up to maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu and Kashmir during the period from the 1st January, 1980 to the 31st day of December, 1989.
- Up to maximum of three years, in the case of Defence Services personnel, disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area, and released as a consequence thereof.
- Up to maximum of five years in the case of Ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs, who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st January, 2019 and have been released (i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due) to be completed within one year from 1st January, 2019 otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency, or (ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or (iii) on invalidment.
- Up to maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/ SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service as on 1st January, 2019 and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and they will be released on three months’ notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.
- Up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of candidates of PwBD (viz. Locomotor Disability including Cerebral Palsy, Leprosy cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack victims & Muscular Dystrophy and Hard of Hearing).
Note I : Candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes who are also covered under any other clauses of Para 3(II)(c) above, viz., those coming under the category of Ex-servicemen, persons domiciled in the State of J&K, Locomotor Disability including Cerebral Palsy, Leprosy cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack victims & Muscular Dystrophy and Hard of Hearing etc. will be eligible for grant of cumulative relaxation under both the categories.
Note II : The term ex-servicemen will apply to the persons who are defined as Ex-servicemen in the Ex-servicemen (Re-employment in Civil Services and Posts) Rules, 1979, as amended from time to time.
Note III : The age concession under Para 3(ii)(c)(v) and (vi) will not be admissible to Ex-Servicemen and Commissioned Officers including ECOs/SSCOs, who are released on own request.
Note IV : Notwithstanding the provision of age relaxation under Para 3(ii)(c)(vii) above, a physically handicapped candidate will be considered to be eligible for appointment only if he/she (after such physical examination as the Government or appointing authority, as the case may be, may prescribe) is found to satisfy the requirements of physical and medical standards for the concerned Service/ Posts to be allocated to the physically handicapped candidate by the Government.
Note V : A candidate will be eligible to get the benefit of community reservation only in case the particular caste to which the candidates belong is included in the list of reserved communities issued by the Central Government. If a candidate indicates in his/her application form for Engineering Services Examination that he/she belongs to General category but subsequently writes to the Commission to change his/her category to a reserved one, such request shall not be entertained by the Commission.
IES 2020 Exam Pattern
Preliminary Examination | Paper – I | Objective | General Studies & Engineering Aptitude | 2 hours | 200 marks |
Paper – II | Objective | Engineering Discipline | 3 hours | 300 marks | |
Mains Examination | Paper – I | Conventional | Engineering Discipline – I | 3 hours | 300 marks |
Paper – II | Conventional | Engineering Discipline – II | 3 hours | 300 marks |
IES - 2020 Notification
Section-III
(Standard and Syllabi)
The standard of paper in General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (Preliminary Stage-I Examination) will be such as may be expected of an Engineering/Science Graduate. The standard of papers in other subjects will approximately be that of an Engineering Degree Examination of an Indian University. There will be no practical examination in any of the subjects.
General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (Preliminary Examination/Stage-I, Paper I, Objective type, Common to all Candidates)
- Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development.
- Engineering Aptitude covering Logical reasoning and Analytical ability.
- Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis
- General Principles of Design, Drawing, Importance of Safety
- Standards and Quality practices in production, construction, maintenance and services
- Basics of Energy and Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, Climate Change, Environmental impact assessment
- Basics of Project Management 8. Basics of Material Science and Engineering 9. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering such as networking, e-governance and technology based education. 10. Ethics and values in Engineering profession.
Note: The paper in General Studies and Engineering Aptitude will include Knowledge of relevant topics as may be expected from an engineering graduate, without special study. Questions from all the 10 topics mentioned above shall be set. Marks for each Topic may range from 5% to 15% of the total marks in the paper.
IES 2020 Exam Schedule
Examination Stage | Date of Notification | Last date of receipt of Application | Exam Date |
---|---|---|---|
Preliminary Examination | 25th September 2019 | 15th October 2019 | 5th January 2020 |
Mains Examination | — |
Departments Allocation Through IES
The number of vacancies to be filled on the results of the examination is expected to be approximately 581.
CIVIL ENGINEERING
- Indian Railway Service of Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service (Civil Engineering Posts).
- Central Engineering Service
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service AWM/JTS (Civil Engineering Post)
- Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group-A (Civil Engineering Posts).
- Survey of India Group ‘A’ Service.
- AEE(Civil) in Border Road Engineering Service.
- Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
- AEE(QS&C) in MES Surveyor Cadre
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
- Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
- Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service AWM/JTS (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
- Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Mechanical).
- AEE in GSI Engineering Service Gr ‘A’.
- Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
- Indian Naval Armament Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
- Naval Store Officer Grade-I (Mechanical Engineering Posts) in Indian Navy.
- AEE(Mech) in Border Roads Engineering Service.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
- Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service (Electrical Engineering Posts).
- Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service (Electrical Engineering Posts).
- Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
- Indian Naval Armament Service (Electrical Engineering Posts).
- Naval Store Officer Grade-I (Electrical Engineering Posts) in Indian Navy.
ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
- Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service (Telecommunication/Electronics Engineering Posts).
- Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr ‘A’.
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service AWM/JTS (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts).
- Indian Telecommunication Service Gr ‘A’.
- Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts).
- Naval Store Officer Grade-I(Electronics and Telecom Engg. Posts) in Indian Navy.
- Junior Telecom Officer Gr ‘B’.
Medical Standards for IES
Height & Chest Measurement
Service | Gender | Height | Chest Girth
Fully Expanded |
Expansion |
BRES. Gr. ‘A’ in Border
Roads Organisation |
Male | 152 cm | 84 cm | 5 cm |
Female | 150 cm | 79 cm | 5 cm | |
MES Service Gr. A | Not Required | 5 cm | ||
Indian Ordnance
Factories Service Gr. A |
Not Required | 5 cm |
Vision
S. No. | Service | Distant Vision | Near Vision | ||
Better Eye
(Corrected Vision) |
Worse Eye | Better Eye
(Corrected Vision) |
Worse Eye | ||
A. Technical | |||||
1 | Railway Engineering
Service (EE, ME, CE & Signal) |
6/6 or 6/9 | 6/12 or 6/9 | J/I | J/II |
2 | 1. Central Engineering
Service, Group-A 2. Central Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Service, Gr. A 3. Central Water Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ 4. Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ &Gr ‘B’ 5. Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group-A 6. Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr ‘A’ 7. Indian Telecommunication Service Gr. ‘A’, J.T.O Gr. B, 8. Assistant Executive Engineer in P&T Building works (Gr. ‘A’) Service 9. Indian Naval Armament Service. Indian Naval Stores Service, 10. Indian Ordnance Factories Service Group A. Survey of India Gr ‘A’ Service, 11. Indian Inspection Service (Asstt. Dir. Grade-I) |
6/6 or 6/9 | 6/12 or 6/9 | J/I | J/II |
3 | 1. AEE Gr ‘A’ in Corps
of EME 2. Military Engineer Service, Gr. A. (IDSE) 3. AEE(QS&C) in Military Engineer Service(MES) Surveyor Cadre 4. BRES Gr.‘A’ in Border Roads Organisation
|
6/6 or 6/9 | 6/18 or 6/9 | J/I | J/II |
B. Non Technical | |||||
4 | 1. Indian Railway
Stores Service 2. Indian Supply Service Gr ‘A’ 3. Geological Survey of India Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ |
6/9 | 6/12 | J/I | J/II |
NOTE (1) : (a) In respect of the Technical Service mentioned at A above, the total amount of myopia (including the cylinder) shall not exceed—4,00 D. Total amount of Hypermetropia (including the cylinder) shall not exceed+400D :
Provided that in case a candidate in respect of the Services classified as “Technical” (other than the Services under the Ministry of Railways) is found unfit on grounds of high myopia the matter shall be referred to a special boards of three Ophthalmologists to declare whether this myopia is Pathological or not. In case it is not pathological the candidate shall be declared fit provided he fulfils the visual requirements otherwise.
(b) In every case of myopia funds examination should be carried out and the results recorded. In the event of any pathological condition being present which is likely to be progressive and affect the efficiency of the candidate, he shall be declared unfit.
(c) Radial Keratotomy/Laser Correction etc. shall be considered as disqualification for appointment in Railway Technical Services (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics). Permitted correction for conforming to prescribed visual standards is spectacles only.
Colour Perception Criteria
NOTE (2) : The testing of colour vision shall be essential in respect of the Technical Services mentioned at A above.Colour perception should be graded into higher and lower grade depending upon the size of aperture in the lantern as described in the table below:
S. No. | Grade | Higher Grade of Colour Perception | Lower Grade of Colour Perception |
1 | Distance Between
the Lamp & the Candidate |
16 Feet | 16 Feet |
2 | Size of aperture | 1.3 mm | 13 mm |
3 | Time of Exposure | 5 seconds | 5 seconds |
For the Railway Engineering Services (Civil, Electrical, Signal and Mechanical) and other service connected with the safety of the public, Higher grade of colour vision is essential but for others lower grade of colour vision should be considered sufficient.
Technical Services or Posts Requiring Higher Grade Colour Perception:
(1) Railway Engineering Services
(2) Indian Defence Service of Engineer (IDSE)
(3) Central Engineering Service (Roads)
(4) Central Power Engineering Service. (Gr. ‘A’ and Gr. ‘B’)
(5) Assistant Executive Engineer (Group ‘A’) in the Corps of EME
(6) BRES Group ‘A’ in Border Roads Organisation
(7) Survey of India, Group ‘A’ Service
(8) Assistant Executive Engineer(QS&C) in Military Engineer Service(MES) Cadre
(9) Indian Inspection Service (Asst. Dir. Grade-I)
Technical Service or Posts Requiring Lower Grade Colour Perception:
(1) Central Engineering Service
(2) Central Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Service
(3) Indian Naval Armament Service
(4) Indian Naval Stores Service
(5) Indian Ordnance Factory Service
(6) Central Water Engineering Service
(7) Indian Radio Regulatory Service
(8) Geological Survey of India Gr ‘A’ Service
(9) Asstt. Executive Engineer in P&T Building Works Gr ‘A’ Service
Services for which Colour Perception is not Required:
(1) Indian Telecommunication Service Group ‘A’
(2) Junior Telecom Officer (General Central Service Group ‘B’ Gazetted, Non-ministerial)
(3) Indian Railway Store Service, Group ‘A’
(4) Indian Supply Service Group ‘A’
How to prepare for IES?
- ESE written exam consists of both objective and conventional type questions hence theory, conceptual knowledge and problem solving techniques are equally important.
- Good writing skills, excellent presentation, subjective theory, explanations, derivations, diagrams and equations will fetch you good marks in conventional or subjective paper.
- Be aware of exam pattern like how many technical & non-technical questions are asked, negative marks, weightage, exam duration and marks per question. Always make a habit of referring previous year question papers.
- Prefer Reference books for derivations, equations, conceptual thinking, theory etc.
- Short Cut Techniques: Use short techniques for numerical solving instead of traditional approach.
- Reading news paper, watching morning bulletin, surfing websites will help the candidates to prepare and score better in the General ability paper carrying 200 marks. Do not neglect General Ability part as this section is scoring and also plays an important role in personal interview.
- Practice previous year question papers and analyze the weak topics and concentrate more on those topics. Always try to solve the papers in given time to obtain an idea that how many questions you are able to solve in given time limits.
- Intense knowledge of the subjects, strong basics, and clear concepts helps in better understanding of the subjects and prove to be instrumental in getting good scores.
- Personal Interview: Sound technical knowledge, Positive attitude, Body language, Good communication skills, knowledge about current affairs plays an important role to clear personal interviews. Candidates should be prepared for the questions about their strengths and weaknesses.
IES Exam - How to Apply?
- Candidates are required to apply Online using the link www.upsc online.nic.in and fill up the form with all necessary details
- Aspirants will have to scan the copies of photograph, signature and all the required documents to upload them online
- Aspirants should carefully read out the instructions and fill the application form in the suggested format and submit the application form
- A unique registration ID is provided, keep it safe for future correspondence
- After the form is submitted it is advisable to take the hard copy of the duly filled application form and keep it safe for future use.
Note – The candidates applying for the Examination should ensure that they fulfil all the eligibility conditions for admission to the Examination. Their admission at all the stages of examination for which they are admitted by the Commission viz. Written Examination and Interview Test will be purely provisional, subject to their satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. If on verification at any time before or after the written examination or Interview Test, it is found that they do not fulfil any of the eligibility conditions, their candidature of the Examination will be cancelled by the Commission
Application Fees :
- No application form fee for SC/ ST/Female/ PH category candidates.
- Other category candidates need to pay online application form fee of RS 200/-