Those who want to serve the nation by joining the police service of India usually dream of becoming an IPS officer. In general, this is a dream of many people in the country, but not everyone’s dream comes true. To become an IPS officer in India, one must clear the IPS entrance exams, and it is not going to be easy for anyone to clear the IPS entrance exam. But by putting in your interests and efforts, you can achieve your career goals.
IPS or Indian Police Service is a department of civil service of the government. IPS officers are responsible for safeguarding the people and maintaining the law & order. An IPS offer usually serves at the state as well as central levels. The Indian police service is divided into many departments such as Home Guards, Traffic Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department, and Crime Branch.
The duties of an IPS officer include minimizing accidents, ensuring that the government rules are followed properly, preventing crime in society, etc. Apart from that, IPS officers can also lead and command the Indian intelligence agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), and Armed & Civil Forces in all states and union territories.
In this article, we are going to discuss how to become an IPS officer in India in detail. If you are interested in pursuing this career, then this article is for you.
About IPS:
The term IPS or Indian Police Service is the new name for the Indian (Imperial) Police which is changed in the year 1948. Then Indian Police Service comes under the All India Services as per Article 312 of the constitution. The All India Services usually include three services, and those are IPS, IAS, and IFS. The officers of this department work at both state and central levels to provide senior-level leadership to police forces. To join any of these services, one needs to appear for the UPSC civil service exam, which is conducted by Union Public Service Commission.
What Are the Responsibilities of An IPS Officer?
IPS officers usually have many responsibilities in the country in different sectors. IPS officers usually investigate different cases, prepare policies for railways, prevent crime, provide security for VIPs, prevent illegal activities in the country, and maintain the laws of the state. Apart from these, IPS officers are also responsible for disaster management in case of natural calamities, leading the Central Armed Police Force, coordinating with the Indian revenue service, exchanging information between different intelligence agencies, etc. So, after becoming an IPS officer, you will play an important role in the senior leadership team of the police force and work in different sectors to maintain law and order in the country.
Eligibility Criteria for Becoming an IPS Officer:
In order to make a career as an IPS officer, one must fulfill the eligibility criteria for IPS. So, it is crucial to know the eligibility criteria for this job post.
Educational Qualification:
Here are the educational qualifications required for becoming an IPS officer.
- The candidates should have completed their graduation from a University Grants Commission (UGC) recognized university.
- Those who are in the final year of their graduate studies are also eligible for applying for this post.
- Candidates who have completed a professional course by any authoritative board such as CMA, ICAI, ICSI, etc., are also eligible for the preliminary exam of the UPSC civil service exam.
- Candidates who have completed their degree in any stream can apply for this post because the stream of the candidates is not considered.
Age Requirements:
The age limit for appearing in this exam is different for different categories. For the general category, the age limit is 32 years, while for OBC and SC/ST categories, it is 35 and 37 years, respectively. General candidates can attempt this exam 7 times, while OBC candidates can attempt this exam 9 times. But for SC/ST candidates, there is no limit to attempting this exam. They can attempt this exam as many as times they can.
- Those who are applying for the IPS officer post should be 21 years old before 1st august of the year in which they appear for the UPSC civil service exam.
- The residents of Jammu and Kashmir can avail of an age relaxation of 5 years maximum.
- The age relaxation for physically abled candidates is up to 10 years.
Physical Requirements:
The physical requirements for the IPS post are as follows:
- The height requirement for the candidates of the general category is 165 centimeters. For other categories, the minimum height is 160 centimeters.
- For women candidates of the general category, the minimum height is 150 centimeters. It is 145 centimeters for the women candidates of other categories.
- The chest requirement for male candidates is 84 centimeters which can be expanded up to 5 centimeters. For women candidates, it is 79 centimeters which can be expanded up to 5 centimeters.
- The applicant will be disqualified immediately if he/she has a squint.
- The candidates should have a distance vision of 6/6 or 6/9. For women candidates, it is 6/12 or 6/9.
- For this job role, the candidates should have binocular vision and high-grade color vision.
Medical Requirements:
- The candidates should have a good listening ability and a normal ear cavity. The hearing impairment should not be more than 30 decibels. The hearing frequency should be 1000 to 4000 Hz.
- The candidates who have a stammering problem are not eligible for this post.
- The women candidates shouldn’t be pregnant during the medical test.
- Applicants shouldn’t have inherent night blindness. The high blood pressure should be 123 for 23-year-old candidates, 124 for 24-year-old candidates, 122 for 25 years candidates, 124 for 28, 125 for 30, 126 for 32, and 127 for 34-year-old candidates.
Steps for Applying for The IPS Exam:
To become an IPS, you will need to clear the UPSC Civil Service Exam. This exam is conducted in three parts, and those are preliminary test, UPSC Main Exam, and interview round. The following are the steps to appear for the UPSC exam.
- First, you will need to apply for the UPSC exam after the release of notification. You will need to fill the application form and send it to the UPSC head office.
- Then, you can appear for the preliminary exam of the UPSC civil service exam.This exam has two papers, and each paper is 200 marks. It is generally conducted in May or June month, and the results are declared in July or August month. This exam has multiple choice questions from general studies subjects. After clearing this exam, you can appear for the UPSC Civil Service Main Exam.
- The CSE main exam is conducted in October month. The CSE main exam has a total of 9 papers. It has two general studies papers, four optional subjects’ papers, one English paper, one general essay paper, and one Indian language paper.
- After clearing the CSE main exam, the candidates can appear for the interview round. Those who clear the interview round will become an IPS officer and get jobs in different governmental departments.
Job Opportunities for IPS Officers:
IPS officers can work in different departments at state and central levels. They can also apply for Group A jobs of civil service and maintain law & order across the country. At the state level, IPS officers can work in various job profiles like the Superintendent of Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Assistant Director-General of Police, Director General of Police, Inspector General of Police, etc.
At the central level, IPS officers can apply for jobs in defense, civil, or paramilitary organizations. Generally, IAS and IPS officers work in coordination with each other and have the same objective to serve the nation. At the national level, IPS officers can work in various organizations like the Border Security Force, Central Bureau of Investigation, Central Reserve Police Force, And Research & Analysis Wing.
Salary of IPS Officers:
IPS officers get higher salaries depending on their job profiles. The salary of IPS officers is increased dramatically after the 7th pay commission. According to the 7th pay commission, fresher IPS officers get a monthly salary of 70,000 rupees. Medium-level officers like SPs, ACPs, ASPs, etc., earn a salary of 1.1 lakh rupees per month. Senior-level officers like IGs, DIGs, DGPs, etc. can earn a monthly salary of roughly 2.1 lakh rupees.
Conclusion:
Being one of the most demanding and excellent career options, the Indian Police Service offers great opportunities to candidates. Those who clear the UPSC Civil Service Examination will become an IPS officer and work at the state and central levels. This job profile offers a range of opportunities and higher salaries, which makes this profession an ideal choice for many individuals. Although the entrance exam for the IPS job post is tough, you can crack it by putting extra effort into the preparation process. We hope this article will guide you to become an IPS officer in India and achieve your career goals.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
