If you are someone who has been dreaming of securing one of the most prestigious positions in the Indian administrative system, this article is for you. Here, we will discuss how you can become a collector and try to understand the entire process in detail.
Let us first understand what being a Collector means. As Indians, we have heard this word being synonymous with someone successful in life. Not only that, we have seen our movies portraying someone important being called the Collector. We do know that a Collector is an influential government authority. But let us look into that in a bit more detail.
Who is a collector
One of the most essential pillars in the smooth functioning of a government and ensuring the sanctity of the relationship between the government and its people is called a Collector. A Collector is a government representative who ensures the proper functioning of a district. A collector facilitates the direct contact between a citizen and their government.
The collector is a public representative who takes care of the law and order and the revenue management for a district. They are the highest authority after the state government and are directly appointed by the center through the Union Public Service Commission.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Collector
Now that we understand who a Collector is, let us see their roles and responsibilities in a bit more detail to understand their importance. In a federal democratic governmental structure like our country, it is indispensable to have officials in between to ensure the proper functioning of the democracy. A Collector ensures the same through the following ways.
- Being the head of the revenue administration of the district, a Collector is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who is in charge of the revenue management and court.
- They are responsible for keeping a check on excise duties along with the collection of various government taxes like land revenue, government taxes, and all land-related matters like land recovery, land reform, and others.
- A Collector, being the highest judicial authority in the district, is authorized to issue statutory certificates like marriage nationality, etc.
- One of the most important roles assigned to a Collector is to ensure the judicial use of the public welfare schemes. They make sure a proper distribution of resources takes place in the health, education, and social security schemes.
- As a Collector, one must ensure fair and unbiased elections take place. They not only help prepare the electoral lists but ensure there are no logistical challenges either.
- Most importantly, a Collector is the first responder in case of any disaster, and ensuring public safety and rehabilitation is their first and foremost duty. Not only that but seeing through disaster management’s operations and crisis preparedness is also one of their essential job roles.
- A Collector is responsible for ensuring the law and order of the district is never interrupted. Furthermore, after a Collector transcends to the position of the District Magistrate, they head the police and are responsible for mobilizing the force as per the situation.
Steps To Become a Collector
Now that we know what a significant role a Collector plays in our socio-political structure, we must not forget that becoming one entails cracking one of the toughest and most prestigious exams in the country. Let us quickly go through the steps to become a collector and understand as a student how you need to prepare for the same.
1. Eligibility Criteria
Before you set out on the journey to become a Collector, you must first ensure that you are eligible by keeping in mind the below points.
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- As a student, you must pass your 10+2 in any given stream from a recognized board to sit for the IAS entrance exam, also known as the civil service exam (CSE).
- You must be aged between 21 and 32 years as of the 1st of August in the year of the examination. However, certain relaxations are there for SC/ST and OBC candidates.
- Lastly, only people who are citizens of India are eligible for this exam.
2. Applying for the Civil Service Exam
For you to work as a Collector, it is imperative for you to crack the Civil Service Examination conducted by the UPSC. Once you crack the prestigious exam and establish your merit, you can see yourself fulfilling your dream.
The Civil Service Exam is one of the most esteemed exams in the country, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. It is conducted once a year and almost lakhs of participants sit for it to prove themselves eligible. The exam has three layers divided into Preliminary, Mains, and the Interview. Once a candidate passes the Preliminary test, it is only then that they are allowed to sit for the Mains exam and proceed further.
Let us take a quick look at the Civil Service Exam in a bit of detail and understand what is demanded of a candidate.
3. Prelims and Mains Exam
There is usually a three to four-month gap between the two exams, which allows you a decent time to revise. Both the exams are conducted through pen and paper mode and are for 200 and 1750 marks respectively. The Preliminary exam is an MCQ based exam, which consists of two papers and the Mains exam aims to test the knowledge of a candidate in depth and is divided into seven papers. Let us quickly look at the syllabus for them both at a glance below.
UPSC Preliminary General Studies Paper-I Syllabus:
It consists of 200 questions of 100 marks each to be completed in two hours:
- Current events of National & International importance.
- History of India & Indian National Movement.
- Indian & World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India & the World.
- Economic & Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
- General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity & climate change – that do not require subject specialization.
- Indian Polity & Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
- General Science.
UPSC Preliminary General Studies Paper-II Syllabus:
The second preliminary paper consists of 80 questions for 200 marks to be answered in two hours and focuses on the below topic:
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills, including communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)
UPSC Mains Syllabus:
Once you secure the cut-off for the year, you will be allowed to sit for the Mains exam, which is divided into seven papers each of 250 marks. It will test your capability and knowledge on topics like Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society, Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations along with other topics. It also consists of two optional papers that you can write of your choice. You can check the UPSC’s website for further insights.
4. Personality Test/Interview
After passing the two sets of exams, you are required to attend a personality test or an interview which is the final layer of the selection process. The interview is conducted by UPSC panel members and aims to test your confidence, presence of mind and quick thinking skills. It majorly focuses on your interpersonal life choices, including hyper-situational or realistic questions.
5. IAS Training at LBSNAA
Once you have sat through one of the toughest exams in the country and cracked its interview, you get to hold the prestigious position of an IAS officer. You will be sent to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for training to make sure you are ready to hold a position of this stature. It is a two years program that ensures you inculcate the required skills and demeanor to succeed as an IAS officer.
Courses to Become a Collector
Now that we know what a Collector does and how to become one, let us take a look at some courses that will aid you in your journey. Cracking this prestigious exam does sound exciting but it is not an easy path to travel on. Hence, it is only wise to start early. You can surely opt for an undergraduate degree that will help you enhance your knowledge of History and Politics. It is also of critical importance that you keep updating yourself with not only current affairs, but major economic changes taking place around the world.
So, choosing an undergraduate degree that will help you understand these concepts is indispensable. Furthermore, you can always start preparing either through coaching or by yourself along with your degree so that you have an upper hand with the syllabus.
Skills Required to Become a Collector
As we have discussed at the beginning of the article, being a collector is a very demanding job. In a profession like this you will not be working for yourself but for many people that you represent.
Hence, It is of utmost importance that you do not falter since you will be the connecting link between a citizen and the government.
The desirable skills of a collector can be defined in the following way.
- A collector must have indispensable leadership skills, since they are the first respondents in case of any disaster or crisis.
- Secondly, you needto have impeccable planning skills, since you’ll be responsible for the implementation of long-term schemes and policies in the favor of the citizens.
- A critical-thinking mind is always appreciated in Collectors since you have to make a lot of data-driven decisions.
- A Collector needs to be well-informed about the legal framework and administration of our country to execute fair decisions.
- A Collector needs to be not only accountable but also have high ethical standards to ensure the smooth functioning of the government.
- It is of utmost importance that being a Collector, you have an intense level of social awareness so that you can bring in the desired change.
- Furthermore, a Collector needs to have a friendly demeanor about them. They need to appear as approachable and friendly to connect with the people.
Now that we know what it takes to become a Collector and the path that you need to walk to become one, let me tell you one most important thing. Apart from being a fulfilling career option, it is also a high-paying one. The salary range of an IAS officer depending on their expertise and promotion can range up to 2 lakh Rupees per month.
Conclusion
Needless to say, being a collector is a dream come true for a lot of people. Yes, the journey does seem tough, but anything can be achieved with a little bit of hard work and consistency.
All you have to do is to be focused on your goal so that you can fulfill your dreams and work towards the betterment of our society.
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Frequently Asked Question
1. Is collector equal to IAS?
Yes, an IAS officer is directly posted as a Collector after a few years of service.
2. Which study is best for Collector?
– Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in any arts, science, or commerce stream can be extremely helpful for someone aspiring to be a collector.
3. How many years can it take to become a Collector?
Once you work as an IAS officer for five to six years you can be promoted as a Collector depending on your expertise and skills.
4. What is the qualification required to become a Collector?
A student must complete their graduation to be considered eligible for the IAS exam.
5. Which is the highest post in the revenue administration?
The Deputy Commissioner is the highest post in the revenue administration.