How to become an IPS officer? The primary focus is to clear the civil service exam and complete four parts of training at various national academies in India.
How to become an IPS officer is the first question that comes to an aspirant's mind. Well, the primary step to becoming an IPS officer is to clear the UPSC exam and the final physical training at LBSNAA. The process includes a few more steps like the Preliminary and Mains exams followed by the Interview round. Along with the given steps an aspirant is advised to meet the basic requirements and eligibility criteria such as nationality, education qualifications, and age.
Steps to How to Become an IPS Officer
The duty of the IAS and the IPS is to maintain law and order in society. Home guards, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Crime Branch, and Traffic Bureau are a few departments into which the IPS service is divided to ensure that the duties are carried out more efficiently.
Following are the steps on how to become an IPS officer
- Step 1: Apply to UPSC
- Step 2: Write the Preliminary Exam of CSE
- Step 3: Write the CSE Mains
- Step 4: Personal Interview
Step 1: Apply to UPSC
The first step for a student to become an IPS officer is first to understand how to apply for the UPSC exam. UPSC is an Entrance Exam conducted by government bodies to select candidates for IPS.
The following are the ways to apply for UPSC exams.
- Like other Civil Services Exams, the exam for the post of an IPS officer is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
- The candidates will be notified about the exam in December through popular newspapers like 'Rozgar Samachar,' 'Employment News,' 'Gazette of India,' etc.
- Before the exam, one has to get the application form and the information brochure from the Head post offices or any post office all over the nation and mail it to the UPSC head office.
- The address that has to be addressed to is
The Secretary
Union Public Service Commission
Dholpur House
New Delhi- 110011
Step 2: Write the Preliminary Exam of CSE
UPSC exam is divided into three parts: Preliminary exam, Mains exams, and Interview. To become an IPS officer, students first need to clear the preliminary exam of CSE.
Below are the details about how to prepare for the IPS officer and details of the Preliminary Exams.
- The CSE preliminary exam for IPS officers will be conducted usually in May/ June, and the results for the same will be announced in July/ August. If any change in the exam dates will be announced in the UPSC official announcement.
- The marks allotted for the examination are 400 marks, which are distributed among two papers.
- The paper will be objective type, i.e., multiple-choice questions.
- It is a qualifying level exam for the CSE Mains or the final exam. Only the candidates who have successfully got through the preliminary exams can appear for the mains. This is very important for how to become an IPS officer.
- Candidates can qualify if they have fulfilled any other eligibility criteria for the CSE Mains.
The contents of Paper I are as follows.
- History of India and the National Movement.
- General Science
- Indian Polity and Governance: The political system, Panchayati Raj, constitution, rights issues, public policy, etc.
- General issues on environmental ecology, climate change, and biodiversity.
- Current events of national and international importance
- Indian and World Geography: Social, economic, and physical geography of India and the world.
- Economic and Social Development: Poverty, social sector, demographics, inclusion, sustainable development, etc.
Candidates have the option to select a subject of their choice for Paper 2. In addition, they can choose from the options listed below.
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Basic English language comprehension skills
- Comprehension of the language chosen by the candidate
- Decision-making skills and problem-solving ability
- Basic Numeracy: Numbers and their relations, magnitude, data interpretation from sources like data sufficiency, table, graphs, etc.
- General Mental Ability
To prepare for the IPS officer, many people are unclear about what to study to become an IPS officer, and the books listed below can be referred to for preparing for CSE Prelims.
Some of the good preparation books include,
- India's Ancient Past
- India's Struggle For Independence
- Indian Polity 5th Edition
- Indian Economy 8th Edition
- Indian and World Geography for Civil Services
- History of Mediaeval India
- History of Modern India
- Facts of Indian CultureGeography of India
- The Wonder That Was India
- Science and Technology in India
- Oxford School Atlas
- Economic Survey
Step 3: Write the CSE Mains
The second part of the UPSC exam is the Mains exam, which students need to clear to become an IPS officer.
Find out more about the CSE Mains below
- CSE Mains can only be written by students who have successfully completed the CSE Prelims.
- The CSE Mains are usually held in October.
- The exam will be of descriptive type.
The students have to answer the following papers.
| Paper | Marks Allotted |
| 1 General Essay Type Paper | 200 Marks |
| 1 Essay Type: Indian Language Qualifying Paper | 300 Marks |
| 1 English Qualifying Paper | 300 Marks |
| 2 General Studies Paper | 300 Marks |
| 4 Optional Subjects Paper | 300 Marks |
The UPSC reference books listed below can be referred by students who are appearing for CSE Mains.
- India After Gandhi
- India's National Security: A Reader
- India and the World, written by Surendra Kumar
- Social Problems In India
- History of the Modern World
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper 2
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper 3
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper 4
- Governance in India for CSE
- Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude for Civil Services Mains
- Challenges to Internal Security in India
- Pax Indica - Shashi Tharoor
Step 4: Personal Interview
After clearing both the Preliminary and mains exam of CSE, students need to go from a rigorous interview section, which according to some candidates, are the toughest part of the process.
Following are the steps involved in the Personal Interview process.
- After completing CSE Mains, qualified candidates are called for an interview with the authorities of the UPSC.
- During this Interview, candidates' subject knowledge, as well as mental ability, will be tested.
- Approximately 400-450 candidates get into the final list of selected candidates.
- Those who have secured the top ranks will be admitted as IPS probationers into the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Police academy.
- They will be trained rigorously for a year, where the candidates will be taught all aspects of administration and policing.
- According to the requirements of the central and the state governments, they will be posted into Police and Investigative Organizations.
Eligibility Criteria for IPS Officer
IPS eligibility criteria have different prospects such as Education, Age, Physical Requirement, and Nationality. The date of birth accepted by the Commission is entered in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate. You can get IPS officer training easily. A candidate appointed to the (IAS) Indian Administrative Service or the (IFS) Indian Foreign Service on the previous examination results and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to participate in this examination. It is very important to know about the IPS qualification.
Below are the IPS officer exam eligibility details.
Educational Qualifications for IPS
The primary educational qualification is to complete theirs under graduation, i.e., eligible IPS courses. The eligible course of study is any bachelor's degree under the recognized educational institute of India.
Find below the educational qualifications to appear for the UPSC Exam.
- One should have completed their graduation.
- Graduation should be done by any one of the universities recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
- If you are in the final year of your graduation, you are considered eligible to apply for the post.
- The stream of the student will not be taken into consideration.
- If you have cleared the final level of any professional course by authoritative boards like ICAI, ICSI, CMA, etc., you are eligible for applying to the preliminary examination of CSE.
Which Subject is Best for IPS?
If one wants to become an IPS officer, the best stream they can choose in their undergraduate is the commerce or arts stream to learn about History, Geography, Civics, and Economics, which helps crack the exam.
IPS Age Limit
The age limit for the candidate should be at least 21 years of age before August 1 during the year of writing the Civil Services Exam. The age limit can be relaxed for Defence Service Personnel.
The age limit for an IPS officer is as follows in this table.
| Category | Age Limit | Number of attempts |
| General | 32 years | 7 |
| OBC | 35 years | 9 |
| SC/ST | 37 years | No limit |
Some of the other age relaxations include
- Physically disabled candidates can make nine attempts in the General and OBC categories, and there is no limit for those who belong to the SC/ST category. The maximum age relaxation that can be done for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir is five years.
- Commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have served a minimum period of 5 years in the Military get the maximum age relaxation of up to 5 years.
- Age relaxation for the physically disabled with blindness, deafness, orthopedics, or muteness is up to 10 years.
Physical Requirements for IPS Officer
Even after clearing the preliminary test, only candidates who clear the IPS officer's physical test are eligible for the Personal Interview.
The following are the physical requirements for IPS officers, including IPS height and weight.
- The minimum height for IPS for men is 165cm in the general category and 160 cm in the other category.
- The minimum height required for IPS for women in the general category is 150 cm, and for women in the other categories, it is 145 cm.
- The chest of men should be at least 84 cm and expand up to 5 cm, and for women, it is 79 cm and should be expandable up to 5 cm.
- If the candidate has a squint, then they would be immediately disqualified.
- The distance vision should be 6/6 or 6/9 for better vision.
- Spectacles/lenses are allowed.
- Binocular vision and high-grade colour vision are required.
Other Medical Qualifications for IPS Officer
IPS medical test is an additional requirement required during the IPS journey.
The other medical qualifications for an IPS officer are as follows
- Blood Pressure (High):
| Age | Blood Pressure (High) |
| 23 | 123 |
| 24 | 124 |
| 25 | 122 |
| 28 | 124 |
| 30 | 125 |
| 32 | 126 |
| 34 | 127 |
- Ear: Good listening and normal ear cavity; 1000-4000 frequency hearing impairment should not be more than 30 decibels.
- Nasal: The candidate should not stammer while speaking.
- Women should not be pregnant at the time of the Medical Test.
- A high standard for the Colorblind test. No inherent night blindness. The vision needs to be stereoscopic.
Nationality Requirements
If the candidate is one of the following, then they are considered eligible for the post.
- All you need to have is a graduation degree from any recognized university to appear for IPS, and the candidate should be an Indian citizen. If so, you too can become an IPS officer.
- The subject of Nepal or Bhutan
- If you are an immigrant from countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma or from East African countries like Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, and Vietnam
Responsibilities of IPS Officer
The primary duty is to command and lead to the Indian Intelligence Agencies like Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Civil and Armed Forces in all states and union territories, and Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.
Duties and work of IPS officer include:
- Detection and the prevention of crime
- Controlling substance abuse in society
- Keeping up the underage laws in check
- Soliciting offenders
- Mitigating the accident
- Ensuring the rules laid by the government are followed
The duties of IPS officer may be differentiated in various sectors like
- Areas in public to maintain law order
- Prevention of crime
- Investigation of different cases
- Railway policing
- Counter-terrorism
- Prevention of illegal activities like smuggling and drug trafficking
- Economic Offences
- Ensuring VIP security
- Disaster management in case of natural calamities
- Enforcement of socio-economic legislation, biodiversity, and defending of environmental laws
- Juvenile Offenses
- Upholding the laws of the state
- Checking vandalism and delinquency
The responsibilities of an IPS officer are also to exchange information with different intelligence agencies of the nation like the Criminal Investigation Department, Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing, and Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.
- An IPS officer is also responsible for leading the Central Armed Police Force (CRPF), staying coordinated with them, and checking their activities.
- To avoid finance-related crime, they are constantly connected with the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
- They also have a role to play in the Indian Armed forces like border patrol.
- All these duties can be fulfilled with utmost responsibility only if the officer does it whole-heartedly and with complete honesty, without traces of corrupt intent and misrepresentation on the whole.
IPS Officer Job Prospects
The duty of an IPS officer is not limited to the state level or the central level, and they belong to group A of civil services that ensure the maintenance of law and order all over the nation. The IPS officers at the state level can start from the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) position and go up to the Director-General of Police (DGP), which is the most reputable post for an IPS officer at the state level.
At the state level, the IPS officers will also play Superintendent of Police, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Director-General of Police, etc.
At the national level, one can serve the nation by joining civil, defence, or paramilitary organizations. A few organizations are the Central Bureau of Investigation, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Intelligence Bureau, and Research and Analysis Wing. The IAS and IPS officers work with the same aim and in coordination with one another.
Salary of IPS Officers
Most of the candidates must be wondering what the salary of IPS officers is? After the 7th pay commission, there has been an increase in the pay received by the IPS Officers. Most of the new joiners' salaries are INR 70,000 per month. ASPs, SPs, and ACPs, draw a salary of roughly INR 1,09,203 per month. DIGs, IGs, and DGPs draw around INR 2,12,650 per month.
