In India, members of the All India Services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS) ultimately serve which level or levels of government?

Introduction / Context:
The All India Services occupy a special and unique place in the Indian administrative system. They are created under Article 312 of the Constitution and include prominent services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS). This question tests whether you understand the dual control and dual-role nature of these services, which is central to India's cooperative federalism model.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question specifically refers to the All India Services, not to central services or purely state services.
Examples include IAS, IPS and IFoS, which are commonly mentioned in polity and governance textbooks.
You must determine whether these officers serve only the Union, only the states, only the Union Territories, or both the Union and the states.

Concept / Approach:
All India Services are so named because officers of these services are recruited and appointed by the Union Government, but they serve both the Union and the state governments. An IAS officer, for instance, may serve as a District Magistrate in a state for many years, and later be deputed to a central ministry or international organisation. The cadre management is shared, and the idea is to create an administrative link between the Centre and the states. The correct conceptual understanding is therefore that they serve both the Union and state governments, depending on postings and deputations.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the constitutional provision that Parliament can create one or more All India Services common to the Union and the states under Article 312. Step 2: Recognise that officers are recruited by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and appointed by the President, reflecting central involvement. Step 3: Remember that most of their field postings, especially early in their career, are in the states, serving as district-level and state secretariat officers, thus serving state governments. Step 4: Understand that officers can also be deputed to central ministries, constitutional bodies and other Union-controlled institutions, where they serve the Union Government. Step 5: Conclude that All India Services serve both the Union and state governments, not just one level.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard polity textbooks emphasize that the All India Services are a key instrument for maintaining administrative unity in a federal country. Their dual allegiance is reflected in cadre allocation to different states, as well as central deputation possibilities. If they served only the Centre, they would be called Central Services; if they served only the states, they would be purely State Services. The very name All India Services implies a pan-Indian role that cuts across Union and states, confirming the conclusion that they serve both levels of government.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Central Government only: This would describe Central Civil Services such as the Indian Revenue Service, not IAS or IPS, which primarily start their careers in state postings. State Government only: This would describe State Civil Services, recruited through state public service commissions, not All India Services which have a clear central component and central control in recruitment and cadre rules. Union Territories only: Officers of All India Services may serve in Union Territories, but that is not their exclusive domain. This option is far too narrow.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to think that because IAS officers spend much of their early career in states, they are purely state-level officers. Others think that since recruitment is done through the UPSC by the Union Government, they must be purely central officers. Both views miss the dual character. Always remember that All India Services are designed to serve as a strong administrative bridge between the Centre and the states, making their service domain explicitly both.

Final Answer:
Members of the All India Services, such as IAS and IPS officers, serve both the Union and State Governments at different stages of their careers.