How to Become an IPS Officer?

“With great powers come great responsibilities”. Not everyone gets a chance to serve and work for their country at the grassroots level. Becoming a civil servant, especially an IPS (Indian Police Services) officer is something millions of Indians dream of becoming but being one takes an immense amount of time, money, energy, and dedication of an individual. Considered to be on the top of the list of the best jobs in India, IPS is not as easy as it seems to be. Donning the responsibilities of maintaining the law and order in society and safeguarding the citizens to ensure harmony, the job of an IPS is challenging as well as demanding. If you are one such aspirant who wants to bring change to society through this coveted career, then we are here to help you with a complete guide on how to become an IPS Officer. 

Who is an IPS Officer?

IPS (Indian Police Service) is a branch of the All India Service and is not a protection authority but grants officers to take higher-level positions in the state police mechanism and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). The IPS, established in 1948, serves for the subsistence of civil peace and order. The organization controlling authorization for the IPS is the Ministry of Home Affairs. The IPS exam is a component of the Civil Services Examination (CSE) administered by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year. IPS officers are designated based on either Civil Service Examination or advanced from the state cadre officers.

A Brief History of the IPS

The senior police officers of the Imperial Police (IP) were appointed by the Secretary of State as per the results of an assessment, before independence. The first civil services exams were conducted in England in 1893. The top ten candidates were appointed in the Indian (Imperial) Police on probation. In the year 1907, the Secretary of State’s officers were directed to wear the letters ‘IP’ on their epaulettes. This helped in distinguishing them from the officers who were not recruited by the Secretary of State through the examination. After the freedom of India in 1948, the Imperial Police were replaced with the Indian Police Services (IPS).

How to Become an IPS Officer: Step-wise Guide

Every year, UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts the All-India Civil Services Examination, one of the toughest exams in India, wherein lakhs of aspirants try their luck and only a handful of them succeed. Given below is a complete step-wise guide on how to become a successful IPS officer.

Step 1: Apply for Civil Services Examination

The first and foremost step taken towards becoming an IPS Officer is to apply for the civil services examination by filling the application form released by the Union Public Services Commission every year. Aspiring candidates are advised to check the newspapers daily or the official website of UPSC in order to be aware of any such recruitment advertisements.

Step 2: Clear All the Stages of the Civil Services Examination 

Exam	Civil Service Examination
Exam level	National
Organization body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam type	Offline
Number of services	24
Number of attempts	6
Number of vacancies	800 (approx.)
Expected registrations	8 lakhs (approx.)

The Civil Services Examination comprises of 3 stages- 

• Preliminary Examination
• Mains Examination
• Interview Stage

The first exam taken by the candidates is the preliminary exam, which is objective in nature. Once the candidate clears the exam, they go to the next level and prepare for the mains examination, which is a subjective test. Upon qualifying for the main exam, the candidate is then eligible to appear for the interview or personality test round wherein the basic general knowledge, mental ability, subject knowledge, and critical thinking skills of the candidate are evaluated. 

Step 3: Undergo Physical Training 

Once the candidate clears all the three competitive exams of the Civil Services Examination, including prelims, mains, and interviews, the top rankers are then admitted as IPS probationers and are sent to Sardar Vallabhai Patel Police Academy for a year. At this time, probationers go through rigorous physical training and are taught all aspects of policing and administration. Subsequent to successful training, the IPS Officers are then posted as per the requirements of the state and the central government in policy and investigative organizations.

Read About Kiran Bedi, A Fearless Women of Many Firsts

Eligibility for Becoming an IPS Officer 

Serving as an IPS Officer is not everyone’s cup of tea. The candidates are required to satisfy certain eligibility parameters to prove themselves worthy of working as civil servants. The following are the eligibility criteria for how to become an IPS officer in India:

• Education Qualification 
• IPS Age Limit 
• Physical Requirements
• Medical Qualifications
• Nationality Requirements

Education Qualification 

The educational requirements for taking the UPSC Exam are mentioned below:

• One should have received their diploma.
• Any of the universities approved by the University Grants Commission should conduct the graduation (UGC).
• If you are in your last year of graduation, you are qualified to apply for the position.
• The student’s stream will not be taken into account.
• If you have passed the final level of any professional course offered by authoritative bodies such as ICAI, ICSI, CMA, and so on, you are qualified to apply for the CSE preliminary test.

IPS Age Limit 

The candidate must be at least 21 years old before August 1 of the year in which they take the Civil Services Exam. The age restriction for Defence Service Personnel might be lowered. The age restriction for an IPS officer is shown in the table below:

Category	Age Limit	Number of attempts
General	32 years	7
OBC	35 years	9
SC/ST	37 years	No limit

Note the following points on age relaxations:

• Candidates who are physically handicapped can take 9 tries in the General and OBC categories, and there is no limit for those who are SC/ST. Residents of Jammu and Kashmir can request a maximum age concession of five years.
• Commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have served in the military for a minimum of 5 years are eligible for maximum age relaxation of up to 5 years.
• The physically impaired with blindness, deafness, orthopaedics, or muteness get an age relaxation of up to 10 years.

Physical Requirements

Even after passing the preliminary exam, only those who pass the IPS officer physical exam are qualified for the Personal Interview. The physical criteria for IPS officers, including IPS height and weight, are shown below:

• In the general category, the minimum height for IPS for males is 165cm, while in the other category, it is 160cm.
• The minimum height necessary for IPS is 150 cm for women in the general category and 145 cm for women in the other categories.
• Men’s chests should be at least 84 cm and extendable up to 5 cm, while women’s chests should be at least 79 cm and expandable up to 5 cm.
• If the candidate squints, they are automatically rejected.
• For improved eyesight, the distant vision should be 6/6 or 6/9.
• Spectacles/lenses are permitted.
• Binocular vision and exceptional colour vision are necessary.

Medical Qualifications

IPS medical test is an additional requirement required during the journey of becoming an IPS officer. It includes the following:

1. Blood Pressure (High)

Age Limit	Blood Pressure (High)
23	123
24	124
25	122
28	124
30	125
32	126
34	127

2. Nasal: While speaking, the candidate should not stammer.
3. Ear: Good hearing and a normal ear cavity; hearing impairment at 1000-4000 Hz should not exceed 30 dB.
4. Women should not be pregnant at the time of the Medical Test.
5. A high standard for the Colorblind test. There must not be inborn night blindness. The vision must be stereoscopic.

Nationality Requirements

If the candidate meets any of the following requirements, they are deemed qualified for the position:

• To apply for IPS, all you need is a graduation degree from any recognized university, and you must be an Indian citizen. If so, you, too, have the potential to become an IPS officer.
• A Nepalese or Bhutanese subject
• If you are an immigrant from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, or East African nations such as Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, or Vietnam.

For more information on eligibility criteria for becoming an IPS Officer, visit the official web link by clicking here.

Also Read: UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria

How to Fill an IPS Exam Form?

The IPS or Indian Police Services exam is conducted on a national level. Aspiring students are required to fill out an application form first. The eligibility criteria must be checked thoroughly beforehand. Following are the steps to filling out the form:

1. The application form can be filled out on the website https://upsconline.nic.in from February 2nd-22nd, 2022. 
2. Candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs. 100/- by remitting the money in any branch of the State Bank of India or by using Visa/Master/RuPay or any other card.
3. Before filling out the online application form, the candidate must have their photograph and signature duly scanned in the .jpg format. These files should be 20- 300 KB in size. 
4. The details of one photo ID (Aadhar Card, PAN card, Passport, Driving License, etc.) The details of this photo ID will have to be provided by the candidate in the application form. 
5. The scanned copy of this photo ID must be scanned and uploaded by the candidate. This photo ID should be carried by the candidate when appearing for the examination.

What is UPSC?

The UPSC examination, more commonly known as the IAS exam is one of the examinations conducted by the Union Public Services Commission in order to recruit the top candiates into the civil services of India such as IAS, IPS, IFS, etc. The first phase of the IAS exam is the UPSC Preliminary Examination. This is a screening etsts and is qualifying in nature. The Prelims paper consists of two papers which are objective in nature and contain MCQs. The Mains Examination is a descriptive exam consisting of nine papers. 

IPS Officer Job Prospects

• An IPS officer’s duties are not confined to the state or central levels, and they are part of Group A of civil services that assure the preservation of law and order across the country. IPS officials at the state level can advance from the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to the position of Director-General of Police (DGP), which is the most prestigious job for an IPS officer at the state level.
• The IPS officials will also serve as Superintendent of Police, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Director-General of Police, and so on at the state level.
• On a national scale, one can serve the country by joining civil, military, or paramilitary groups. The Central Bureau of Investigation, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Intelligence Bureau, and Research and Analysis Wing are a few examples. 
• The IAS and IPS officers work together to achieve the same goal.

Must Read: IPS Lakshay Pandey’s Tips for Scoring Perfect Marks in UPSC

Roles and Responsibilities of an IPS Officer

The Indian Police Service (IPS) comes beneath the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The roles and duties of the IPS officers are:

• Border function and responsibilities: Counter-terrorism, Border policing
• Preserving civil peace and order: Crime restriction, The examination, apprehension, and compilation of intelligence
• Anti-smuggling and narcotic trafficking, VIP safety
• Railway patrolling, addressing economic offences: Frauds in civic life
• Disaster control: Biodiversity and security/implementation of environmental laws
• High-level posts in the Indian Intelligence Agencies: CBI, R&AW, IB, CID
• Enforcement of socio-economic legislation
• Leading and commanding the Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies: Civil and Armed Police Forces in all the union territories and states; CAPF – Central Armed Police Forces
• Serve as HoDs in policymaking in the Ministries and Departments of Central and State Governments, Public sector undertakings (PSUs) both at the center and states
• Interact and coordinate closely with Other All India Services; The Indian Army. and Armed Forces in general

IPS Officer Ranks

• Director General of Police
• Addl. Director General of Police
• Inspector General of Police
• Deputy Inspector General of Police
• Superintendent pf Police Deputy Commissioner of Police (Selection Grade)
• Superintendent pf Police Deputy Commissioner of Police (Junior Management Grade)
• Addl. Superintendent of Police/Addl.Deputy Commissioner of Police
• Assistant Superintendent of Police
• Addl. Superintendent of Police / Addl. Deputy Commissioner of Police.
• Odisha Police Service
• Dy Superintendent of police/Asst.Commissioner of Police.
• Odisha Police Service
• Inspector of Police
• Sub Inspector of Police
• Asst. Sub. Inspector/Havildar Major

IPS Officer Salary

The IPS officers in India get a starting monthly salary of INR 56,100. The average salary in IPS as per the ranks of IPS officers are:

Designation or IPS rank in State Police/Central Police Force	Salary as per 7th Pay Commission in INR (per month)
Director-General of Police	2,25,000.00
Additional Director General of Police	2,05,400.00
Inspector-General of Police	1,44,200.00
Deputy Inspector General of Police	1,31,100.00
Senior Superintendent of Police	78,800.00
Additional Superintendent of Police	67,700.00
Deputy Superintendent of Police	56,100.00

Top IPS Officers of India

Here is a list of the top IPS officers in India:

1. Narendra Kumar
2. Dr. Nazrul Islam
3. Kiran Bedi
4. Shivdeep Waman Lande
5. Ajit Kumar Doval

FAQs

We hope that we have provided you with all the information you need regarding the job profile of an IPS Officer. We believe that dedication and hard work is the key to success and nothing is impossible in this world. Especially in your career journey, a mentor can guide you in making the best use of your abilities and skills to shine in your chosen field. Sign up for a 30-minute free career counselling session with our experienced mentors at Leverage Edu and we will help you realize your potential by equipping you with the necessary guidance you need to sail towards your chosen career.