In the Government of India (i.e.. in the ministries) you will deal with the formulation of policies and supervise their implementation. In each Ministry you will supervise the allotment and utilization of funds by the field officers in your Ministry.

You will also be asked to furnish information to the Parliament in response to queries relating to your Ministry. You will have to work late into the night and under much pressure when Parliament is in session. Sometimes, your work will entail visits to the States. Depending on your rank, you might even be the government nominee on the Board of Directors of some Public Sector Corporation. You will also at times be nominated to independently represent India at International forums or accompany the Minister for such meetings. From the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, you can sign international agreements on behalf of the Government of India.

However, more than half your career life will be spent in the State you are allocated, where you will look after law and order, general administration, revenue work and developmental functions. During the course of your two year probation you will be attached to various training schools, to the Secretariat and field offices and to a district collector's office. Here you will do the work of a sub magistrate.

On completion of your two year's probation you will be appointed as a Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM). As S.D.M. you will look after law and order, general administration, revenue work and such developmental work as may be assigned to you. In the next three scales i.e.. Senior Scale, Junior Administrative Grade and Selection Grade you will serve as District Magistrate, Chief Development Officer, Director of a department, Managing Director of a Public Sector Unit or a Senior officer in the State Secretariat. In other words, you could be a District Magistrate in your fifth year of service and remain a D.M. till you are promoted to the Super Time Scale in the 17th year of your service.

What your rank in the State Secretariat will be varies widely from State to State,. For example, in Jammu and Kashmir, young I.A.S. officers in the Junior Administrative Grade become Secretaries. In most States, however, I.A.S. Officers become Secretaries to the State Government when they reach the Selection Grade. In all States, supertime scale officers are Secretaries or Divisional Commissioners. Following this there are promotions in scale to the ranks of Principal Secretary and additional Chief Secretary. The highest post in the State is that of the Chief Secretary. 

The Indian Administrative Service is a premium service in the non-military aspect of government sector. The service was originated in the year 1947 and is meant to place people straight at the top of any government organization. The job of an IAS carries a lot of responsibilities. There are three levels at which an IAS officer operates – central, district and divisional. The job definition of an IAS officer at the central level is framing and implementation of policies. At a district level the job of an IAS encompasses all district affairs with focus on development. The responsibility of an IAS officer at the divisional level is maintenance of law and order, general administration and development work.

The Indian Administrative Service follows a cadre system, by which the officer are allotted to a state cadre. The service of the officer is owned by the parent state to which they belong to. But they may be deputed elsewhere. The cadre system is allotted on a basis of lottery and toppers of each state may get a chance to get their home states if they have opted for such a preference.

The member of the IAS holds various administrative posts like District Collector, Heads of Departments, Head of Public Enterprises at state level or can be posted on deputation to the central government to the various posts.