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*Tracing Your Roots > South Asian > Perspective on UK Records
* Indian Civil Service (ICS) 
 
Many Indian students came to Britain to take the Indian Civil Service examination as it could only be sat in this country. The National Archives holds the records created by the Civil Service Commission Department. The National Archives reference *(PRO) CSC5/110 includes reports for the period 1926-39 on the Asiatic origin candidates who sit with credit, but performed unsuccessfully at the London open competition. It gives:

  • The name of the candidates
  • Their rank in order of merit for ICS
  • Their religion
  • In some cases date of birth, details about school and university education and total marks scored.
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Annual Reports
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A detail from one of the Indian Civil Service annual reports between 1926-39 which gives details of candidates of outstanding merit and suitability for ICS nomination.
* Moving Here catalogue reference (PRO) CSC 5/109
The National Archives reference *(PRO) CSC 5/109 contains selected Asian candidates who passed their final examination successfully at the competition held in India in 1926 and in London in 1927.

It also contains probationers who passed their examination during the period 1922-39. It gives:

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Province to which attached
  • School, university and college before competition or nomination
  • University and college at which probation was passed
  • University distinctions
There are some case files where candidates were removed from the list of probationers for the ICS on the grounds of ineligibility with regards to character and age. For example, the *(PRO) CSC9/2 case of K. P. Padmanabha Pillai, 1913 includes his application to the Civil Service, which gives:

  • Full name
  • Postal address
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Father's name and profession
  • Names of the referees in Britain and their postal address
  • Schools and universities attended
If looking for other examples there are several other files, such as the appointment of Indian candidates into the ICS that have survived and are available at the National Archives in the CSC series.

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Creators: Abi Husainy

 
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