Difference Between DM and SDM - DM Vs SDM

The Difference Between DM and SDM

District Magistrate (D.M) is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. A DM is the senior-most executive magistrate and chief in charge of the general administration of a district in the country of India according to Wikipedia. In simple words, a DM is a chief authority in a district of India. In India, DM (District Magistrate) is chosen by the State government for every district. India is a democratic country and has a very sophisticated system of power and authority.

A Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) is a title given to the head office of a district subdivision. SDM is an administrative officer who is below the level of the district, depending on a country's government structure. SDM is normally an officer of PCS ranking. Every district is divided into tehsil which is empowered by the tax inspector, Collector magistrate. All the subdivisions (tehsils) are under the charge of SDM.

Difference Between DM and SDM

SDM stands for Sub District Magistrate which is also known as sub-collector. SDM is an entry-level officer rank in IAS. After completing the training in LBSNAA, the candidate has to move to their allotted cadre and has to begin his service in the cadre. The duties of an SDM are to follow the instructions of a higher level officer DM, examining various fields such as manufacturing plants, agriculture, factories, schools, villages, etc. After two years of training, an IAS probationer becomes SDM. A district has more than one SDM.

SDM has to report to DM about the entire task assigned to them. In other words, SDM is a junior-level officer to DM. SDM is the first post which an IAS officer gets when they inducted into the service. Though, a Provincial civil service (PCS) or another state-level administrative officer can also be promoted to the ranks of SDM and sometimes DM after 20 to 25 years of their career in the state civil services. There are several criteria for promoting PCS to IAS.

DM stands for District Magistrate which is also known as District collector. A DM is an officer rank in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). SDM is promoted to the post of DM after 5 to 6 years of their service in the post of SDM. A DM is responsible for many responsibilities within the district. He or She is the CEO of the district who has to maintain law and order in their district.

In addition to this, they have to collect revenues from time to time and head the district and complete several tasks that are assigned to them. Some of the tasks are writing service reports to SP and other district-level officers and report to higher officials. A DM has greater powers than SDM. There is only one DM in a district.

Both DM and SDM enjoy similar perks and benefits in their service, but a DM will get a little increase in their salary.

DM Vs SDM

DM	SDM
Organize revenue tax dues, excise duties, irrigation dues, and arrears	Follow the instructions of a higher level officer DM
Arbitrator of land acquisition, its assessments, collection of land dues	Examining various fields such as manufacturing plants, agriculture, factories, schools, Village, etc
Registration of property documents, sale deeds, power attorneys, defacement, share certificates	SDM has to report to DM about the entire task assigned to them
Inspection of various district offices, subdivisions, and tehsils	A district has more than one SDM
Relief and Rehabilitation	SDM is a junior level officer to DM

How to Become a DM (District Magistrate)

To become a DM, candidates need to appear for the UPSC Civil Service Exam. The exams are conducted in three stages.

• Prelims
• Mains
• Interviews

Eligibility	Graduation
Age Limit	The candidate must be a minimum of 21 years
Number of Attempts	6 attempts for General candidates 9 attempts for OBC Candidates No restriction for SC/ST

Details of Civil Service Exam

Paper 1	Essay
Paper 2	General Studies –I
Paper 3	General Studies –II
Paper 4	General Studies –III
Paper 5	General Studies –IV
Paper A	Indian Language
Paper B	English
Paper 6	Optional Paper -1
Paper 7	Optional Paper -2

Civil Service Exam Highlights

Exam Level	National Level
Organizing Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Type	Pen and Paper-Based (Offline)
Admit Card	Online mode
Expected Registrations	More than 8 lakhs

Eligibility Criteria for Becoming a DM

• Candidates must hold a degree from any university recognized by the government of India.
• The candidate must be between 21 to 30 years of age.
• Candidates must be in good mental and physical health, without any physical defects.
• The candidates who have completed a degree from any foreign university, which is recognized by the Association of Indian Universities.
• All the candidates who have passed the final exam of ICAI, ICWAI, or the ICSI.
• MBBS graduates can also apply for the UPSC exam before applying for an internship.
• A degree recognized from the Central, State, or any other Deemed University.
• Correspondence or Distance learner candidates can also apply for the UPSC exam.

Functions of a DM

• Maintenance of Law and Order
• Conducts Criminal Court of Executive Magistrate
• Police Coordination and Smooth functioning
• Disaster Management
• Granting of Arms and Ammunition
• Child Labour or Bonded Labour-related matters.
• Crisis Management during Riots, etc.
• Authorizing parole orders for criminals
• Inspection of Police Stations and prisons
• Appoints a panel of members for appointment in the Public Prosecutor's office with a consultation with the Session Judge.
• Hearing cases that come under the Criminal Procedure Code
• Supervision of magistrate (Subordinate executive)
• Certification of Execution orders for criminals

How to Become SDM

Eligibility Criteria for becoming SDM:

• Candidates must hold a degree from any university recognized by the government of India.
• The candidate must be between 21 to 30 years of age.
• Candidates must be in good mental and physical health, without any physical defects.
• Candidates should be proficient in the local state language.
• The candidates who have completed a degree from any foreign university, which is recognized by the Association of Indian Universities.
• All the candidates who have passed the final exam of ICAI, ICWAI, or the ICSI.
• MBBS graduates can also apply for the UPSC exam before applying for an internship.
• A degree recognized from the Central, State, or any other Deemed University.
• Correspondence or Distance learner candidates can also apply for the UPSC exam.

Responsibilities of SDM:

1. Revenue Functions
2. Magisterial Functions
3. Executive Functions

Exam Pattern for Becoming DM and SDM Officer

The UPSC exam is conducted in 3 stages.

1. Prelims – 2 papers – objective-type questions (MCQs)
2. Mains – 8 papers – essay/descriptive type
3. Interview

Name of the Exam	Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services (General Recruitment/Physically Handicapped – Backlog/Special Recruitment) (Preliminary) Examination
Number of Papers	Two Paper 1 – General Studies I Paper 2 – General Studies II (CSAT)
UPPSC Exam Date (Prelims 2024)	June
Duration of Exam	2 hour each Both papers were conducted on the same day Paper 1 – 9.30 AM – 11.30 AM Paper 2 – 2.30 PM – 4.30 PM
Maximum Marks	Both Papers consist of 200 marks each. However, only Paper 1 will be considered for merit ranking Paper 2 is the qualifying paper on the lines of IAS Prelims (33% qualifying criteria)
Number of Questions	Paper-I: 150 questions Paper-II: 100 questions
Type of Exam	Offline (Pen-paper) OMR sheets
Nature of Questions	All questions will be of Objective type (MCQs)
Negative Marking	According to the new UPPSC exam pattern, there will be a 0.33% negative marking for each incorrect answer. E.g., if the maximum marks are allotted for a question is 2, then answering it incorrectly would make a loss of 0.66 marks Filling multiple circles on the OMR sheet for the same question will be treated as an incorrect answer There is no negative marking for leaving any question blank

UPSC Exam Subjects

Agriculture & Veterinary Science	Arabic Lit.	Zoology
Statistics	Chemistry	Hindi Lit.
Philosophy	Psychology	Medical Science
Economics	Geology	Sociology
English Lit.	Mechanical Engineering	Law
Electrical Engineering	Social Work	Geography
Persian Lit.	Anthropology	Defense Studies
Management	Urdu Lit	Public Administration
Agricultural Engineering	Physics	Commerce & Accountancy
Animal Husbandry	Sanskrit Lit.	Political Science & International Relations
History	Civil Engineering	Botany
Mathematics

UPSC Exam Syllabus

Prelims

Paper 1

1. Indian History and National Movement
2. Current events of National & International importance
3. Environmental Ecology, Climate Change, and Biodiversity – general issues that do not require subject specialization
4. Indian and World Geography – Socio-economic, Physical geography
5. Indian Governance and Polity – Political System, Constitution, Public Policy, Panchayati Raj, Rights issues, etc.
6. General Science
7. Social and Economic Development – Demographics, Sustainable Development, Poverty Inclusion, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

Paper 2

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills (including communication skills)
• Analytical Ability & Logical Reasoning
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
• General Mental Ability
• Elementary Mathematics (class X level – Algebra, Statistics, Geometry, and Arithmetic)
• General English (class X level)
• General Hindi (class X level)