New Delhi: For two years, Harishit Pandey burned the midnight oil preparing for the Engineering Services Examination and got All India Rank 2 in 2024. The 23-year-old was getting congratulatory calls, visits from relatives and friends. But every time he mentioned “UPSC” to friends or relatives, the response was the same: “Oh, so you’re becoming an IAS?”
“I had to explain that UPSC is not just about IAS and IPS to the relatives,” said Pandey. “It conducts many more exams, and the Engineering Services is a reputed cadre that plays a big role in nation-building.”
When we think UPSC, we think IAS. It has been 100 years since UPSC was formed, but in the popular imagination, it is still a byword for a handful of elite services. But India’s infrastructure, security, health, and data backbone run on UPSC recruits we rarely talk about. Apart from recruiting for IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS, UPSC also recruits engineers, doctors, economists, scientists, and paramilitary officers. It conducts the Engineering Services (ES), Combined Medical Services (CMS), Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service (IES/ISS), Combined Geo-Scientist (CGS), Indian Forest Service (IFoS), and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) exams. And lakhs of students appear for these exams every year for jobs that help build the nation.
Doctors recruited through CMSE strengthen our public health system. Economists and statisticians, recruited through the IES exam, shape fiscal and developmental policies. UPSC’s real role, therefore, is to integrate knowledge, specialisation, and leadership to serve India’s developmental aspirations.
B Singh, founder of NEXT IAS
Just like the Civil Services Examination (CSE), the number of candidates applying has increased drastically. In 1961, 3,986 students appeared for the ESE. In 2022, the number of applications had grown to 1,41,058. Similarly, the CMSE had about 2,144 applicants in 1961, which grew to 46,311 in 2022. The increase happened across disciplines, from statisticians to scientists to CAPF officers. As the pool of aspirants expanded, so did the ecosystem around them. The market for coaching institutes grew, and the booming education business helped take the UPSC beyond IAS/IPS.
“Very few people are aware of exams like the CAPF, IES, or CMS, even though the entry process and responsibilities are just as demanding in their own way,” Pandey said. “I went to the UPSC Bhawan to give my interview. We also have different boards. It’s just that in our exam, we get technical questions, and in CSE, they can’t predict the questions.”
Shadow of CSE
For 29-year-old Mishra, clearing CAPF was the highlight of his life back in 2020. But the road wasn’t straightforward. He first tried for the CSE and exhausted all six attempts before turning to the CAPF. When he finally got through, it was a moment of relief and pride. It was a uniform service. He got into the Border Security Forces.
“It was a government job, and it did bring respect to my family. I was so happy initially, but when I got into the service, I realised that it takes a lot of sacrifice to sustain here. But my family is proud,” Mishra said.
Mishra’s story reflects a wider reality: the shadow of CSE looms so large that many aspirants don’t even consider the other exams until they run out of attempts. But for thousands like him, CAPF, CMS or ESE offers a stable career, leadership opportunities, and a chance to serve the country—even if society doesn’t celebrate them with the same fanfare as IAS officers.
For many aspirants, these ‘other’ UPSC exams also serve as a crucial Plan B—a way to secure a respected government job even if the dream of IAS or IPS doesn’t work out.
“In civil services, you feel the immediate power, but in the force, you get a lot of respect and pride for securing the nation,” Mishra added.
Lakhs of candidates apply for the CAPF exam each year, competing for only a few hundred Assistant Commandant posts. In 2022-23, just 87,707 candidates actually appeared for the written test, reflecting the steep odds of selection.
The applicant-to-post ratio across UPSC exams underlines this intense competition. For every IAS candidate selected in CSE 2022, there are about 1,217 applicants. For the IFoS, the ratio is even steeper—over 2,590 applicants per seat, the highest across all UPSC exams. For ESE, the ratio is 662:1, while it is 59:1 for CMSE.
These numbers show that while the CSE dominates public imagination, the so-called “other” UPSC exams are also very competitive. Aspirants such as Mishra who eventually find their place in CAPF, CMS, or ESE navigate the same gruelling odds—but without the social recognition that IAS or IPS officers command.
A critical factor that many aspirants overlook is that the long-term stature of a service is shaped by its own officers—how effectively they safeguard cadre interests, push for cadre reviews, and demonstrate professional competence. Promotional avenues, too, are influenced by cadre size and the size of earlier batches.
Ravi Sharma, CISF officer
The UPSC itself acknowledges this growing challenge. In the latest UPSC annual report, the Commission noted that nearly 33.5 lakh applications were processed across 15 exams in 2022-23. It is a big number, posing a challenge to the UPSC in terms of maintaining fairness and transparency.
“A number of significant developments are taking place in the methods of recruitment, procedures of selection and use of Information Technology all over the world. This has brought new challenges for the recruiting bodies. To meet these challenges, it is essential to keep pace with the developments taking place all over the world,” former UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni wrote in the 73rd Annual Report.
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Deputation, cross-postings
If CAPF recruits to safeguard borders and internal security, the CMSE quietly supplies doctors to India’s public health system. In 2022-23, 46,311 candidates applied for the exam, but only 780 were finally recommended for appointment. These young MBBS graduates are posted in railways, municipal bodies, and central government hospitals. Many served as the first line of defence during the Covid pandemic, often in resource-starved conditions.
“Doctors recruited through CMSE strengthen our public health system. Economists and statisticians, recruited through the IES exam, shape fiscal and developmental policies. UPSC’s real role, therefore, is to integrate knowledge, specialisation, and leadership to serve India’s developmental aspirations,” said B Singh, founder of NEXT IAS.
For many aspirants, these exams also serve as a crucial Plan B—a way to secure a respected government job even if the dream of IAS or IPS doesn’t work out.
Ravi Sharma cleared the CAPF exam in 2022. He has been in the cycle of giving UPSC exams for the last eight years, appearing multiple times for the CSE. He even cleared it, but never got the desired rank. CAPF eventually gave him an entry into government service, and from that vantage point, he reflects on how the lesser-known UPSC exams compare with the civil services route.
“When we talk about services recruited through UPSC apart from the Civil Services Examination, such as CAPF (AC), IES, and ISS, the entry process is generally considered relatively easier than the Central Civil Services. These exams are shorter in length, involve fewer stages, and some of them are more domain-specific,” Sharma said.
In terms of the perks of the job, however, there doesn’t seem to be much distinction.
“In terms of pay and allowances, there is little difference—financial benefits across all central services broadly remain the same, since they are governed by the same pay commission framework,” he added.
Deputation opportunities are also open to officers from these services, and the government actively encourages such cross-postings to enable the exchange of ideas across ministries and organisations.
Forests are a very important part of our national identity, and protecting them means protecting our future. It is the best chance to be in nature and serve the country at the same time.
Priyanka, IFoS aspirant
In recent years, the government has also made the system more structured. In 2024, a deputation reserve pool of about 24,000 personnel was created across CAPFs and Assam Rifles, ensuring that deputations are no longer just ad hoc. This reserve would bring better promotion and mobility for officers, and more consistent staffing for inter-force and inter-agency duties.
Meanwhile, a 2025 Supreme Court ruling has directed that IPS deputations in CAPFs be reduced over time, so cadre officers can have a clearer path to promotion.
Sharma pointed out that while the perception of these services often depends on external comparisons with IAS or IPS, the real growth and satisfaction come from how well each cadre is nurtured from within.
“A critical factor that many aspirants overlook is that the long-term stature of a service is shaped by its own officers—how effectively they safeguard cadre interests, push for cadre reviews, and demonstrate professional competence. Promotional avenues, too, are influenced by cadre size and the size of earlier batches,” said Sharma.
Exams such as IES/ISS have much to offer for candidates with technical qualifications, he added.
“These exams reward domain expertise, and they have good promotional avenues, stable postings, and a good work-life balance.”
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Guardians of India’s forests
The Indian Forest Service (IFoS) is another critical but often overlooked UPSC exam. Created in 1966 to ensure scientific management of India’s forests, it has today become central to tackling issues such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, and tribal rights. In 2022-23, over 2.7 lakh candidates applied for IFoS through the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, competing for barely 150 seats. It is the most competitive of all UPSC exams.
Twenty-nine-year-old Priyanka has appeared for the CSE 2025 Mains, but she is more excited about the IFoS exam that will happen in October. The forest life attracts her more than the conventional route.
“Forests are a very important part of our national identity, and protecting them means protecting our future. It is the best chance to be in nature and serve the country at the same time,” said Priyanka, a resident of Haryana who is preparing in Delhi.
Forest officers manage tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, and implement afforestation projects. They also enforce laws against illegal mining and poaching, and are involved in policies about renewable energy and climate adaptation.
“Forests today are at the intersection of environment and economy. An IFS officer deals with everything from carbon trading to eco-tourism. Yet their contribution remains less visible to the public compared to IAS/IPS,” said a retired forest officer who did not want to be named.
Back in 1981, over 10,000 people applied for these services. But with time, both the number of candidates and the number of posts increased—and UPSC also expanded the range of exams it conducted.
“The change from a few thousand candidates in the 1960s to lakhs of aspirants today reflects both India’s demographic expansion and the transformation of its socio-economic landscape. The demand on India’s bureaucracy has grown manifold, and the power and benefits enjoyed by civil servants are great attractions,” said B Singh.
He added that the 2025 ESE has seen an expansion in vacancies, with 457 posts across engineering disciplines, of which 225 are earmarked for the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS). From 2025 onward, IRMS positions will be filled both via ESE (for technical roles) and CSE (for non-technical roles).
“It shows the quality of jobs through other UPSC exams is equally good,” Singh said.
However, Ravi Sharma doesn’t see prestige as the only measure of success.
“At some point, you realise it’s not just about the exam you clear but the career you build. Stability, promotions, and work-life balance matter as much as the service tag.”
This is the second article in ThePrint series UPSC@100.
An earlier version of this article stated that in 2022-23, the IFoS exam resulted in 400 selections. The actual number is 151. The article has been updated to reflect the change.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
Why you don’t want to highlight defence services entry through upsc, conducting CDS, NDA exams for Officers of IAF, Army n INA