Depends on the IAS officer but my husband's schedule goes like this -
1. Leave home by 9/9:30 and reach home by 9/9:30.
2. During the day even if the wife calls, she gets a text on her phone 'in a meeting.. will call you later'. I prefer to send him sms and not call because I know he wouldn't be picking it up.
3. His phone has to be switched on, just in case of an emergency. Like, in the recent rains in Delhi on Saturday, he reached home at 7:30 pm and left again at 8:30 pm and then returned at 1:15 am in the morning with two other IAS officers. They hadn't had their dinner so we all ate together at 1:30 am.
4. He can't leave the station without an approved leave.
5. Half of the times, he loves to talk about country's issues.
6. He is hardworking, sincere and honest and so are almost all the IAS officers I have met.
Hope this helps in clearing out the image that IAS officers do nothing! :)
Edit: Or maybe I can simply state that an IAS officer has the same lifestyle what another person can afford with an income of about INR 50,000. That is what my husband gets right now and that is all we have got to spend on our expenses.
Edit: I noticed almost 3K upvotes on the answer in just one day. So maybe you enjoy this post as well that I wrote last week. Surabhi Surendra's answer to Are Indian girls crazy for Indian Administrative Service (IAS) guys?
Edit: Many people are questioning the perks here. So let me clarify.
1. Yes, his phone bill gets paid by the government. And so does my uncle's (he is in a bank) and my aunt's (she is in a PSU) so IAS isn't the only job here. Also.. 90% of the calls that an IAS makes are official.
2. They do get a vehicle with a driver. But who doesn't? My dad works with a govt organization and he gets the petrol reimbursed. Driver? Yeah, that comes with the job but which other job entails this much of traveling solely for the purpose of official work. How else do you expect an IAS/IPS to reach a place in case of emergency like what happened on saturday evening when an old age home got flooded in rains and the older people who couldn't even move were on the verge of dying? By metro? or by DTC bus? Or you want them to drive themselves in their personal car when they are needed to be at a place in like half and hour? And when they receive 100 calls in between asking how far they have reached and what the situation is currently.
3. Electricity bill - yes, we pay half of it. Because half of the time their house is turned into an office with people pouring in with files and these people are public, common man like everyone. I have people ringing my doorbell as early as 8 am and as late as 11 pm!!
4. A house - yes. We do get some good houses, no doubt. And this is the ONLY perk that is not easily available with other jobs though almost all the govt jobs have provisions of residential quarters.
EDIT: I do not want to answer any more questions or comments about IAS officers. So please comment if you wish to but please do not ask questions.
EDIT: Even though I mentioned please don't ask questions, I am still getting lot of questions on messages and comments. BUT 8.6K UPVOTES in just 2 days show that majority of people here are well read, can understand things and support and encourage positivity. Thanks guys! We will make the country a better place. :)
EDIT: I see many comments stating 'I know IAS officers who do nothing' OR 'My friend(s) is/are IAS and they say they have joined the service to make money' OR 'The IAS officers I know make lot of money' etc etc. TO all these people I have this to say -if you know or are friends with such IAS officers, immediately UNFRIEND or UN-KNOW them. Simply because you should complain only when you are NOT part of that system. By being friends with these IAS officers, you guys are boasting about, you have become a part of the system and have thus lost the right to complain.
