TheCentral Civil Services (CCS) encompasses the variousCivil Services of India that are exclusively under the jurisdiction of theGovernment of India. This is in contrast to theAll India Services, which are common to both the central and state government entities, or the state civil services, which fall under the purview of individual states.
The Group A officers are appointed by thePresident of India, and appointments to Group B are made by the authorities specified by a general or special order of the President.
The Central Civil Services (CCS) is run as per the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rule, and all service members work under restrictions and rules of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules. The Indian Railway Services work under the Railway Services (Conduct) Rules of 1966.
The Central Civil Services also follows CCS (Commutation of Pension) Rules and has its own Recognition of Service Associations Rules 1993 and Leave Travel Concession Rules 1988. TheUniversity Grants Commission (UGC), in a circular released in October 2018, directedcentral universities to adopt the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules 1964 for professors at the university.
The members of Central Civil Services are eligible for deputation to state governments either on personal grounds or official approval from bothGovernment of India Staffing Scheme of Government of India.
The employees performance review is conducted under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J) and 56 (I), and also under Rule 48 (1) (b) of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, that gives "absolute right" to the appropriate authority to retire a government servant, "if it is necessary to do so in public interest".[4]
A government servant can be retired "in public interest" under Central Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1965, as a penalty for possession of assets disproportionate to known source of income or for accepting gratification as a reward for doing or forbearing to do an official act.[5]
The attributes of an Organised Group ‘A’ Service (OGAS) are as follows
The highest cadre post is not below the Senior Administrative Grade (Level 14)
The service has all standard grades, such as Junior Time Scale (Level 10), Senior Time Scale (Level 11), Junior Administrative Grade (Level 12), Non-Functional Selection Grade (Level 13), and Senior Administrative Grade (Level 14)
At least 50% of vacancies in Junior Time Scale (Level 10) are filled through Direct Recruitment
All vacancies above Junior Time Scale (Level 10) and up to Senior Administrative Grade (Level 14) are filled by promotion from the next lower Grade
CLASSIFICATION OF CENTRAL GROUP 'A' CIVIL SERVICES
For Group Bcivil service posts only, the Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGLE) is conducted by theStaff Selection Commission (SSC).[g][13]All appointments to Group B are made by the authorities specified by a general or special order of the President.[h][13]
In May 2025,Supreme Court of India upheld the organised service status of theCentral Armed Police Forces. The judgement clarified that “for all intent and purposes, CAPFs belong to OGAS [Organised Group-A Services],"[11]
^As on year 2021, CSS cadre has a total strength of 12,500 members and is controlled by DOPT, Ministry of Personnel GOI. According to a PTI report published by ThePrint on 7 March 2024, the sanctioned strength of the CSS officers is 13,016.[1]
^The Indian Revenue Service is not one entity and not one service. The two independent branches are controlled by two separate statutory bodies, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). The IT and C&CE also have two different independent service associations. The total members are 4192 (Income Tax) and 5583 (Customs and Indirect Taxes).
^According to a PTI report published by ThePrint on 7 March 2024, the sanctioned strength of the CSS officers is 13,016.[1]
^Indian Railway Management Service is a single service, but includes eight sub-cadres: Traffic, Accounts, Personnel, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Signal & Telecommunication, and Stores. Recruitment for the first four is through the Civil Services Exam, while the remaining are recruited through the Engineering Services Exam. .
^The Schedule of Central Civil Services for Group 'B'. The complete list as per Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Govt. of India
^The Schedule of Central Civil Services for Group 'B'. The complete list as per Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Govt. of India
