How to Become an IPS Officer

So you want to become an IPS (Indian Police Service) Officer? IPS which is an All India Service is counted among the top three civil services in India. The other two being IAS and IFoS (Indian Forest Service). IPS has its own charm and status; you can serve the needy, stand for the helpless and voiceless, do good for the society at large. It also provides you high social standing and prestige. you can take on many challenges of different kinds like fighting organized crime, terrorism, traffic problems, women safety and so forth. No wonder many aspirants make IPS their first choice in the civil services examination.

IPS Exam Eligibility

For getting selected to the IPS, there are two types of eligibility. One is that you should be eligible for appearing for the IPS exam and the other is that after clearing the mains and while appearing for the physical tests during the interview stage you should meet all the physical and other requirements as mandated. Let’s discuss these in detail.

There are no special requirements for appearing for the IPS exam as it is part of the Civil Services examination. So if you fulfill the criteria for civil services exams you, by default, qualify for IPS exams as well. To be eligible for the civil services exams:

  • You must be at least 21 years of age at the time of filling the Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam form and not more than 30 years of age (various relaxations are available for different categories).
  • You must possess a graduate degree in any discipline of any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of Central or State legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.
  • Candidates who are in the final semester or have taken their final degree exam but are awaiting the results can also appear for the IAS and IPS Preliminary examination provided they furnish their proof of degree while filling the Mains form.

Special requirement for IPS and IAS

For these two services, a candidate MUST be a citizen of India. Whereas for other services the citizens of Nepal, Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who migrated to India after 1st January 1962, or persons of Indian origin from the countries mentioned in the notification can also apply.

Special Physical Requirements for IPS

As mentioned earlier candidates appearing for the personality test on clearing the civil services mains exam have to meet certain physical requirements to be eligible for IPS.

  • Minimum height of 165 cm for Men and 150 cm for Women (minimum height is relaxable to 160 and 145 cm for Men and Women respectively in the case of candidates belonging to ST and to races such as Gorkhas, Garhwalias, Assamese, Kumaonis, Nagaland Tribals etc.)
  • Min Chest girth fully expanded: 84 cm for Men and 79 cm for Women. Expansion of 5 cm for Men and Women.
  • Total amount of Myopia (including the cylinder) should not exceed minus 4.00 D and total amount of Hypermetropia (including the cylinder) should not exceed plus 4.00 D.
  • Presence of Squint is a disqualification.

Vision Requirement for IPS

You should meet these special vision requirements to be eligible for India Police Service.
Parameters

Better eye Worse eye
(corrected vision)

Distant vision: 6/6 or 6/9 6/12 or 6/9

Near vision J1: J2

Corrections permitted: spectacles

Color vision requirements: High grade

Binocular vision needed yes

Syllabus and Pattern for IPS Exam

Again, as mentioned above the IPS is not separate exam from the civil services exam. The syllabus and pattern of IPS exam are as follows. It consists of two papers common to all with the following syllabus:

General Studies Paper I

Maximum marks: 200
Number of Questions: 100
Total Time: 120 minutes (02 hours)
SYLLABUS

1. Current events of national and international importance
2. History of India and Indian national movement
3. Indian and World Geography – physical, social, economic geography of India and the world
4. Indian Polity and governance – Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, Rights issues, etc.
5. Economic and social development – sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives etc.
6. General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change – that do not require subject specialization
7. General Science

General Studies Paper II

Maximum marks: 200
Number of Questions: 80
Total Time: 120 minutes (02 hours)
SYLLABUS

1. Comprehension
2. Interpersonal skills including communication skills
3. Logical reasoning and analytical ability
4. Decision making and problem solving
5. General mental ability
6. Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude etc. – Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level)
7. English language comprehension skills (Class X level)

Complete UPSC Prelim and Mains syllabus

UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam and Syllabus

UPSC Syllabus of Prelims and Mains Examination

UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination and Syllabus of General Studies

All about IAS Exam and Syllabus, Eligibility, Papers, Strategy

UPSC GS Syllabus for Preliminary Test and Mains Exam

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