IP & TAFS Full Form
IP & TAFS stands for Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service and is a Group ‘A’ service under the Central Civil Services of the Union of India. This is an organised Accounts & Financial Services and was constituted in 1973. IP & TAFS serves the Department of Posts and the Department of Telecommunications, and its purpose is to manage their financial and accounting needs. The IP & TAFS cadre currently has more than 376 professionals posted in cities all across India. The Service has its headquarters in Delhi, and employees are posted mostly in State and UT capitals. Recently the IP & TAFS was renamed as the Indian Communication Finance Service (ICFS).
Roles And Responsibilities IP & TAFS Officers
Some of the important roles and responsibilities of IP & TAFS Grade “A” Officers are briefly stated below:
Managing the finances and accounting for the Department of Telecommunications and Department of Posts.
Performing internal audits for the Department of Telecommunications and Department of Posts.
Making policies for the Department of Telecommunications and Department of Posts.
Assessing and collecting the license fees and spectrum usage charges that are paid by various telecom licensors.
Performing Human Resource Development activities and capacity building of IP&TAFS, Grade “A” officers.
Conducting auction for 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G spectrums.
Assessing and collecting the license fees and spectrum usage charges that are paid by various Telecom Licensors.
Managing the pensions of BSNL, DoT, MTNL, and DOP.
Grade and Salary of IP & TAFS
The entry position of an IP & TAFS officer is in the post of Junior Time Scale with a salary in the pay scale of Rs.15600 to Rs. 39100 + Grade Pay Rs. 5400. As one progresses in their career they can get promoted to higher posts. Currently, the highest grade in the
IP & TAFS Grade “A” cadre is the Higher Administrative Grade+ with a pay scale of Rs. 75500 to Rs. 80000. The following table describes the various posts along with the grade and pays scale of IP & TAFS:
Grade | Department of Telecommunication | Department of Posts | Pay Scale (in Rupees) | ||
HQ | Field | HQ | Field | ||
Junior Time Scale | Assistant Chief Accounts Officer | Assistant Chief Accounts Officer | Assistant Chief Accounts Officer | Assistant Chief Accounts Officer | 15600-39100 + Grade Pay 5400 |
Senior Time Scale | Assistant Director- General | Deputy Controller of Communication Accounts | Assistant Director- General | Deputy Director | 15600-39100 + Grade Pay 6600 |
Junior Administrative Grade | Director | Joint Controller of Communication Accounts | Director | Director | 15600-39100 + Grade Pay 7600 |
Senior Administrative Grade | Deputy Director- General/Joint Administrator | Controller of Communication Accounts | Deputy Director- General/ General Manager | General Manager | 37400-67000 + Grade Pay 10000 |
Higher Administrative Grade | Senior Deputy Director- General | Principal Controller of Communication Accounts | —— | —— | 67000(annual increment @ 3%)-79000 |
Higher Administrative Grade+ | Advisor (Finance) | —— | —— | —— | 75500-80000 |
IP & TAFS Examination
The first step of the IP & TAFS Examination is to clear the UPSC Prelims exam which is generally conducted in May. Once the candidate clears the UPSC Prelims Exam, the candidate has to appear for the IP & TAFS Main Examination will be conducted by Union Public Commission Services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The IP & TAFS Examination 2023 notification will be released on 1st February 2023
No, the IP & TAFS Mains Examination is not an online examination. It is a Pen and Paper based examination.
The number of people the Service recruits varies from year to year, and the requirement of the departments. In 2017 IP & TAFS recruited 25 people through the UPSC Exam.
The maximum number of attempts a candidate can give for the IP & TAFS Examination is as follows:
7 maximum attempts for General Candidates
9 maximum attempts for OBC Candidates
No maximum attempt restrictions for SC/ST candidates
The candidates who are selected through UPSC Examination are put on a probation period of 2 years, during which they undergo several training courses and tests that are regulated by the Cadre Controlling Authority. The details of the training courses that IP & TAFS officers undergo are mentioned in the table below:
Module | Institution | Duration |
Foundation Course | LBSNAA, Mussoorie | 16 days |
Professional Training Course | National Institute of Finance Management, Faridabad | 44 weeks |
Department Training | National Institute of Communication Finance, New Delhi | 36 weeks |