It is a well-known fact that IPS (Indian Police Service) is one of the prestigious posts in the country and the IPS exam is part of the UPSC Civil Services Exam which is conducted every year. Candidates who take the exam will be allotted to IPS depending on their abilities, determination and their rank in the final merit list. Let’s take a look at the required physical standards for IPS. UPSC Civil Services Exam is conducted every year and consists of three stages and the selection procedure for IPS (Indian Police Service) by UPSC (IPS requirements) is given below.

Selection Procedure of IPS officer:

i) Civil Services Preliminary Exam

ii) Civil Services Mains Exam

iii) Interview/Personality Test

There are two parts for the IPS exam at the preliminary level namely, the general studies paper I and CSAT paper II. The questions for the preliminary exam would be of MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) in nature.

Note:

1. The Civil Services Prelims Exam marks would not be counted for the final results of the IPS exam (generally for all Civil Services Exam).   Candidates who clear the prelims exam will move to the next level that is the Civil Services Mains (Written) Exam.
2. Candidates have to fill the UPSC Online Application to sit for the prelims examination.

IPS Papers:

Candidates have 9 papers in the mains stage. One Essay paper, four General Studies Papers, two language papers (of qualifying nature), two optional papers (Optional subject to be chosen by the candidate). Candidates who get through the UPSC Mains Exam will be summoned for interview/personality test round. During the personality test round, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) would assess the candidates on various criteria. Physical Criteria would be considered only after the candidate’s name has appeared in the final merit list.

Note: The merit list or the final selection list is declared by the UPSC based on total marks obtained by candidates in the Civil Services Mains Exam and Personality Test/Interview round.   The candidates applying for the Civil Services Exam should make sure that they meet all the eligibility criteria for IPS exam which is same for IAS as well. Candidates who clear all the stages of the exam will be selected for IPS Physical test.

Eligibility for IPS Exam:

The Physical Standard for IPS in decided by the UPSC. Following are the Physical requirements for IPS officer:

1. Eligibility to meet physical fitness and other requirements.
2. Age and number of attempts criteria.
3. Eligibility criteria for the IPS exam.

To get details on IPS Eligibility, check the linked article.

To be noted:

While filling an application form, IPS Aspirants have to indicate all the Zones and Cadres in the order of preference in their on-line DAF-II as per the extant Cadre Allocation Policy applicable for the UPSC 2022. With this DAF-II, a candidate will also be required to upload documents/certificates for higher education, achievements in different fields, service experience, OBC Annexure (for OBC category only), EWS Annexure [for EWS Category only], etc.

Read about EWS Certificate Eligibility in the linked article.

 IPS Physical Requirements:

The following table gives the physical qualification for IPS.

(As a part of the Physical test for IPS, in the first Medial Examination i.e., just after the interview, those who didn’t meet the Medical standards for IPS chest expansion criteria can appeal or show their chest expansion during second Medical Examination i.e., after the result. In case, if expansion is less during Medical Examination then the candidate will go to the next service).  Know more about the medical procedure for IPS in the linked article.

The other medical requirements other than physical fitness for IPS are as given below:

Physical Training:

Once a candidate meets all the physical and medical requirements he/she gets selected for IPS (Indian Police Service) post, the first 3 months of their 2 years assessment period would be in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie for the Foundation Course, which is regular training for IAS, IPS, and IFS officers. Then the candidates selected for IPS would proceed to the National Police Academy (NPA), Hyderabad for 11 months of academic training. Here candidates would undergo both indoor and outdoor training.

During the training period, candidates would also have to visit institutes across the country as part of training. Later, candidates will continue for 6 months of training in their allotted cadre, after which they have to spend one month for academic training then they will go back to their allotted cadre as confirmed IPS officers.

Age and number of attempts criteria:

The UPSC Civil Service Examination with effect from 2015 raised the upper age limit and number of attempts for applicants. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances published on the website says the upper age limit will be:

• 37 years for SC/ST candidates with unlimited number of attempts
• 35 years for OBC with 9 attempts
• 32 for the general category(unreserved) with 6 attempts
• 42, 45 and 47 years for physically handicapped candidates of General, OBC, and SC/ST categories respectively with 9 attempts

  Number of attempts:

• General- 6 attempts
• OBC- 9 attempts
• SC/ST- unlimited number of attempts
• Physically handicapped- 9 attempts for general and OBC, while unlimited for SC/ST

Eligibility for appearing for the IPS exam

• A candidate must be a citizen of India to become an IPS or IAS
• As of 1st August of the year of the examination, the candidates must be at least 21 years of age
• The candidates must hold a degree from a recognized university in any discipline. The candidates appearing for final degree exam can also apply for Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Candidates with equivalent to a professional and technical degree that is recognized by the Government can also apply
• The offer of appointment would be given to a candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary and the same has been issued to him/her by the Government of India

IPS Related Queries

1. What is the age limit for IPS?

Ans. To become an IPS officer, the candidate must be at least 21 years old. For General category IPS aspirants, the upper age limit is 32 years. For OBC and  SC/ST candidates, the upper age limit is 35 and 37 respectively.

2. What are the subjects for IPS?

Ans. UPSC recruits Indian Police Service (IPS) officers via the Civil Services Exam. Refer to IAS Syllabus for a detailed guide and to download the updated syllabus PDF for UPSC 2022.

3. What is the qualification for the IPS exam?

Ans. The minimum educational qualification needed for becoming an IPS officer in India is graduation from a recognised university.

4. What is the salary of an IPS officer in India?

Ans. After the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, an IPS Officer during the probationary period or an entry-level officer gets nearly 70,703 INR per month (including DA, HRA etc.). For more details on the pay scale and salary structure of IPS officers, see IPS Officers Salary after the 7th Pay Commission.

5. Is it possible to clear UPSC in the first attempt?

Ans. Yes, candidates on average take two or more attempts but check this list of IAS Toppers who cleared in the first attempt.

6. Where are IPS officers trained?

Ans. After clearing the UPSC CSE, all new recruits are given induction training at LBSNAA, Mussoorie. After the completion of induction training, the new IPS officers are trained at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad (SVPNPA) for a period of almost two years.

7. Are NCERT books a must for UPSC?

Ans. Yes, the NCERT books have concise information in simple language making it easy to understand. Moreover, they are important from both UPSC Prelims and Mains exam perspective.

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