ICAS Full Form

What is the Full Form of ICAS?

The Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) is a 'Group A' service of the Union Ministry of Finance that reports to the Department of Expenditure. ICAS was founded in 1976 to provide auditing and accounting services to the Indian government. It is led by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and operates under the auspices of the Indian Civil Accounts Organization. This agency handles government-wide accounting, payment services, and financial reporting functions, supports the tax collecting system, budget estimates development, and Internal Audit in civil ministries of the Union Government. The ICAS department's primary goal is to perform government-wide accounting, financial reporting, tax collecting systems, payment services, budget estimation, and internal audits.

Roles and Functions

The ICAS is responsible for the following tasks:

• Development of government accounting methods, systems, and forms for the Union of India and the states.

• Manuals, regulations, and processes for accounting receipts and payments following Government Accounting Rules, 1990, were developed and optimised.

• Monthly and annual account statements, as are periodic audits of revenue, deficits, and borrowings, are prepared.

• Monitoring and reconciliation of the Government of India's cash balances

• Coordination of management accounting systems and developing and implementing human resource augmentation programmes for service and related organisations.

The ICAS service now employs 9000 people and has 226 officers.

Eligibility Criteria

The qualifying requirements for the ICAS are the same as for other civil service exams:

1. Nationality:

• Must be an Indian citizen or a citizen of Nepal, Bhutan, or Bangladesh.

• Must be a PoI from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Zaire, or Vietnam who intends to reside permanently in India.

• Candidates in the second, third, fourth, and fifth categories must provide a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Such candidates/individuals may take the test before receiving their eligibility certificate. Still, they would not be appointed until the Government of India released the paper.

2. Educational Qualification:

• The candidate must have a Bachelor's degree from a government-approved university or an equivalent certification.

• Candidates in their final year who still need to take their final test or are awaiting the results are also eligible to take the UPSC preliminary examination. All applicants must submit documentation of passing the specified examination with their application for the main exam.

• Candidates with recognised professional and technical qualifications in the appropriate stream or equivalent are also eligible to apply.

• Aspirants who have completed their internship but have not completed their final year of MBBS or any other Medical Test may also sit for the examination. They must, however, present a certificate of course completion (including internship) from the relevant University/Institution authorities along with the Main Examination application.

Age limit

The applicant must be at least 21 years old as of August 1 and no older than 32 years old. In the eligibility requirements, the age limit is critical. As a result, aspirants enrolling for the UPSC Exam should thoroughly check the data before completing the online registration form.

Pay scale of ICAS officers

ICAS officials are compensated following the recommendations of the 7th pay commission. The basic pay is as follows:

• Assistant Controller: Rs.56100

• Assistant Controller General/Deputy Controller: Rs.67700 – Rs.78800

• Deputy Controller General/ Controller: Rs.118500- Rs.144200

• Joint Controller General/Chief Controller: Rs.182200

• Principal Chief Controller: Rs.205400

• Additional Controller General: Rs.225000

• Controller General: Rs.250000

Training

ICAS training is available throughout India; applicants must attend training sessions at the National Institute of Financial Management for about ten months. This Faridabad-based school is well-known for its ICAS training. The National Academy of Direct Taxes, headquartered in Nagpur, is the other academy where applicants are taught. After completing the training programme, applicants are awarded a certificate in Public Financial Management. The officer is moved to the Institute of Government Accounts and Finance after a series of training and appreciation exercises. The next phase is to provide candidates with on-the-job training in several departments. Candidates willing to travel overseas for training from other nations are also offered the opportunity.

Career Prospects

The Controller General of Accounts (CGA) post is the highest in the Department of Expenditure. CGA is supported by ICAS personnel of various levels and grades, who carry out their tasks following Ministry of Finance directives. ICAS cadre officials in several ministries handle accounting and auditing. Chief Controller of Accounts, Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, and Controller of Accounts are among the lucrative roles available for senior-level ICAS cadre officials.