IPS Eligibility

The Indian Police Service or IPS is one of the all-India services that candidates who clear the IAS exam can get into. It is a coveted service as it forms leadership roles in the police forces of India. To enter into this service, candidates should clear the UPSC civil services exam and get the required rank for this service.

This article will provide you with details on eligibility criteria for applying for this exam and also the particular conditions to be satisfied if you wish to opt for the IPS.

The candidates can apply for IPS Exam by filling up the IAS Online Application details of which are provided in the linked article.

UPSC Eligibility Criteria for Indian Police Service (IPS)

UPSC Nationality Criteria for IPS

The candidate must be a citizen of India.

UPSC Age Criteria for IPS

The IPS Eligibility Criteria for 2023 will be released in the official notification of 2023.

The candidate must have attained the age of 21 years as on 1^st August of the year in which the exam would be held. This means, for the UPSC 2023 exam, the candidate must be 21 years as on 1^st August 2023.

The upper age limit for the IAS exam is 32 years. This means the candidate must not have attained the age of 32 years as on 1^st August 2023 for the forthcoming IAS exam. So, if a candidate wishes to take the 2023 UPSC exam, his or her date of birth should fall between 2^nd August 1991 and 1^st August 2002.

The age relaxations for candidates belonging to the reserved categories are discussed below in the table:

Note:

Such candidates on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment would complete within one year from 1st August 2023) other than those who have been dismissed or discharged on account of misconduct or inefficiency. Also, includes those servicemen who have been released due to physical disability attributable to military service; and also who have been released owing to invalidity.

To know more on UPSC eligibility criteria, check the linked article.

Points to note:-

1. Candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC who also fall under the category of ex-servicemen/physically or visually challenged/hearing impaired will be eligible for grant of cumulative age relaxation under both the categories.
2. The term ex-servicemen is defined as in the Ex-servicemen (Re-employment in Civil Services and Posts) Rules, 1979.
3. Ex-servicemen and Commissioned Officers including ECOs/SSCOs who are released on their own will not be eligible for the age concession as explained above.
4. Physically disabled candidates will have to satisfy the requirements of physical and medical standards for the concerned posts/services after examination by the Government or appointing authority.
5. The proof of date of birth/age is the matriculation or secondary school leaving certificate, or a certificate recognized by an Indian University as equivalent to matriculation.
6. These certificates should be submitted only while applying for the UPSC mains exam.
7. No other certificate like horoscopes, affidavits, birth extracts from Municipal Corporation, service records would be accepted as proof of age.
8. While entering the DOB online at the time of applying for the UPSC prelims exam, make sure it is as entered in the matriculation certificate. Otherwise, disciplinary action can be taken against the candidate by the Commission.

Check EWS Certificate Criteria for IAS Exam in the linked article.

UPSC Number of Attempts Criteria

The number of times candidates are permitted to take the civil services exam is given in the below table:

Points to note:-

• If a candidate appears for the UPSC prelims exam, it will be deemed as one attempt.
• If a candidate clears the UPSC prelims, he/she will be eligible for appearing for the USPC mains of that year only.
• Even if a candidate’s candidature is disqualified or cancelled, his/her taking the exam will be counted as one attempt.

UPSC Educational Qualification Criteria for IPS

• The candidate must have at least a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university to take the UPSC exam.
• Even those candidates who have written the final year exams of the qualifying exam (bachelor’s degree) and are awaiting results can apply. Also, candidates who would write the final exam are also eligible to apply for the UPSC prelims exam. But, these candidates must produce the proof of passing the exam while applying for the IAS mains exam.
• In exceptional cases, the UPSC may allow a candidate who does not fall under the aforementioned categories if the candidate has passed an exam conducted by other institutions, the standard of which the UPSC is convinced justifies his/her admission to take the UPSC exam.
• Those candidates with professional/technical qualifications which are recognized by the Government as equivalent to professional/technical degrees are also eligible.
• MBBS candidates who have not yet completed their internship by the time of applying for the UPSC Mains will be given a provisional admission to take the mains, provided they submit a copy of the certificate from the concerned University/institution authority that they have passed the requisite final professional medical examination. At the time of the interview, such candidates will have to produce a certificate from the University/institution stating that they have completed all the requirements (including completion of internship) for the award of the medical degree.

Medical Tests After IAS Exam

After a candidate clears the civil services exam, he/she will be subjected to a medical examination as per the rules prescribed by the UPSC. A candidate must clear the board’s medical examination in order to be selected into a service. But certain services called technical services (such as the IPS, the Railway Protection Force, DANIPS, PONDIPS and the Indian Railway Traffic Service) require the candidate to satisfy certain special medical status with respect to height, chest, etc.

Physical Standards for IPS

Check the physical fitness for IPS officers in the linked article.

Standards for Distant and Near Vision for IPS

Note: High standard for the colour blind test. No inherent night blindness. Candidates’ vision should be stereoscopic.

Other Medical Requirements for IPS

Other requirements:

• Nasal: candidate should not stutter while speaking
• Ear: good listening and normal ear cavity; 1000 – 4000 frequency hearing impairment should not be more than 30 decibels
• Female candidates should not be pregnant while at the time of the medical test.

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