The Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) is a civil service of the Government of India. IOFS officers are Gazetted (Group A) defence-civilian officers under the Ministry of Defence. They are responsible for the administration of the Indian Ordnance Factories, which provide the indigenous defence production capabilities of India.
Composition
During the colonial times, the administrative service of Ordnance was known as the Indian Ordnance Service. It was constituted in the year 1935. It had only European officers in the years that followed. Only engineering graduates from the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, etc., were allowed to appear in the examination. They had to undergo specialised training prior to joining the service. In 1939, there was only one Indian officer and the remaining forty-four officers were of European origin.
IOFS was reconstituted in its present form in 1954 with the cadre controlling authority of Ministry of Defence – Department of Defence Production, with a cadre size of 1760 posts. The source of recruitment was through direct recruitment 60%; by promotion 40% and no lateral entries.
IOFS is a multi-disciplinary composite cadre consisting of technical – engineers (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Electronics), technologists (Aerospace, Automotive, Marine, Industrial/Product design, Computer, Nuclear, Optical, Chemical, Metallurgical, Textile, leather) and non-technical/administrative (Science, Law, Commerce, Management and Arts graduates). Technical posts account for about 87% of the total cadre. The doctors (Surgeons and Physicians) serving in OFB belong to a separate service known as the Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service (IOFHS). IOFHS officers are responsible for the maintenance of health of the employees, and the hospitals of OFB. They report directly to the IOFS officers. IOFS and IOFHS are the only two civil services under the Department of Defence Production.
OFB's background
Ordnance Factory Board is engaged in research, development, production, testing, marketing and logistics of a comprehensive product range in the areas of air, land and sea systems. It comprises forty-one Ordnance Factories, nine Training Institutes, three Regional Marketing Centres and four Regional Controllerates of Safety, which are spread all across the country.
OFB is the world's largest government operated production organisation, and the oldest organisation run by the Government of India. It has a total workforce of about 164,000. It is often called the "Fourth Arm of Defence", and the "Force Behind the Armed Forces" of India. It is amongst the top 50 defence equipment manufacturers in the world. Its total sales were at $3 billion ( 19982.71 crores) in 2015–'16. Every year, 18 March is celebrated as the Ordnance Factories' Day in India.
Recruitment
The recruitment in the Indian Ordnance Factories as a Group A officer is done by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), based on the performance in the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) and the Civil Services Examination (CSE). Engineering posts are filled through the Engineering Services Examination, while technologists are selected through interviews by UPSC. Posts in the non-technical streams are filled through the Civil Services Examination. IOFS is the only cadre in which officials are selected by all four means – CSE, ESE, interviews and promotions. IOFHS officers are selected through the Combined Medical Services Examination, conducted by UPSC. All appointments to the Group A Civil Services are made by the President of India.
Training
National Academy of Defence Production (NADP), Nagpur, provides training to the IOFS officers in areas of technology, management, public administration as induction and re-orientation courses.