POLICE SERVICES

The Indian Police Service [IPS] is primarily concerned and involves with maintenance of Law and Order in the country. This is the premier uniformed and respectable civil service in the country. An I.P.S officer is the one who works for both the Central and State Governments. One can serve the State Government in various capacities that are ranging from Assistant Superintendent of Police at the beginning of his career to the Director General of Police (who is the head of the police force in his state) at the stage of retirement. There are opportunities also to serve the Central Government in various organizations like the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), etc.

The IPS (Indian Police Service) is mostly responsible for public safety and security. The IPS officers mainly maintain the law and order, which, at the district level, is a responsibility shared with the IAS officials; crime prevention and detection ; and traffic control and accident prevention and management. In order to evenly fulfil these functions with greater efficiency, this service is divided into various functional departments, including: Crime Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Home Guards and Traffic Bureau.With changing times today however, more and more IPS officers are serving in departments and areas that usually are exclusively the forte of IAS officers, just as the IAS officers now at times head departments like vigilance which were exclusively given to IPS officers.

There are many widening of opportunities and huge exposure has made the IPS even more attractive. Again being an 'All India Service', it follows the Cadre system. In this system officers are allotted to various state cadres and your service is allotted to that state. So for all practical purposes you belong to that state service and may be deputed elsewhere but you'll always be recognized by your parent cadre. There are many systems though very usefull tends to positively and negatively affect careers. The cadre system is allotted on a basis of lottery and the toppers of each state may get a chance to get their home states if they have opted for such a preference.

The IPS is filled through the civil services exam conducted by UPSC.

The Union Public Service Commission mainly conducts Written Examination for the recruitment of Assistant Commandants (Group A) in the services like :

• Central Police Forces (CPF)


• Border Security Force (BSF)


• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)


• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)


• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)


• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)

Nationality:No person who is not a citizen of India shall, except with the consent of the Central Government signified in writing be appointed or employed under the Rules.

Sex : Both Male and Female candidates are today eligible for appointment to the post of Assistant Commandants in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). However, for the main appointment to the post of Assistant Commandants in Border Security Force (BSF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), only Male candidates are eligible.

Age Limits : A candidate must have attained the age of 20 years and must not have attained the age of 25 years on 1st August, of the year of examination .

The upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxable.

• (i) upto a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe.


• (ii) upto a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates.


• (iii) upto a maximum of five years for Central Government Servants in accordance with the existing instructions of the Central Government. Ex-servicemen will also be eligible for this relaxation. However the total relaxation claimed on account of Government Service will be limited to 5 years.


• (iv) upto a maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from 1st January, 1980 to the 31st day of December, 1989.

The candidate must hold a Bachelor's degree of a University incorporated by an Act of the 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 University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or posses an equivalent qualification. Candidates who are appearing in the final year degree exam are allowed to appear at the exam but are required to submit proof of passing along with the Detailed Application Forms which are to be submitted after qualifying the written test, medical standards test and Physical Efficiency Tests (PET).

The written examination usually comprise of two papers each of two hours duration.

• Paper I General Ability and Intelligence (250 Marks) -The questions in this paper will be of Objective Type -Multiple Answers - in which the questions will be set in English as well as Hindi.


• Paper II Essay, Precis Writing and Comprehension (150 Marks) -In this paper candidates will be allowed the option of writing the Essay Component in English or Hindi, but the medium of Precis Writing and Comprehension Components will be English only. The physical and medical standards test will conduct only for the candidates who qualify the written examination, Interview for Personality Test (200 Marks)


• There will be minimum qualifying marks separately in each Paper as may be fixed by the Commission in their discretion. Paper-I will be evaluated first and evaluation of Paper-II will be done only of those candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in Paper-I.

Agartala, Gangtok, Panaji ( Goa ), Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Patna, Aizwal, Imphal, Port-Blair, Allahabad, Itanagar, Raipur, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Ranchi, Bareilly, Jammu, Sambalpur, Bhopal, Jorhat, Shillong, Chandigarh, Kochi, Shimla, Chennai, Kohima, Srinagar, Cuttack, Kolkata,Thiruvananthapuram,Dehradun, Lucknow, Tirupati, Delhi, Madurai, Udaipur, Dharwar, Mumbai,Vishakhapatnam, Dispur, Nagpur.The Centres as mentioned above are liable to be changed at the discretion of the Commission. While every effort will be made to allot the candidates to the Centre of their choice for the Examination, the Commission may, at their discretion allot a different Centre to a candidate, when circumstances so warrant. Candidates admitted to the Examination will be informed of the timetable and place or places of Examination.

The candidates should here note that no request for change of Centre would normally be granted. However, when a candidate desires a change in Centre from the one he/she had indicated in his/her Application Form for the Examination, he/she must send a letter addressed to the Secretary, Union Public Service Commission, giving full justification as to why he/she desires a change in centre. Candidates must apply in the Common Application Form devised by the Commission for its examination, which can be purchased from the designated Head Post Offices/Post Offices throughout the country against cash payment of a requisite amount.Each such form can be used once and only for one examination.

Application Form can be got from the designated HPO's/POs, the candidates should immediately contact the concerned Post Master or UPSC's "Form Supply Monitoring Cell " over Telephone No. 011-23389366/Fax No. 011-23387310. All applications must reach the "Secretary, Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069" either by hand or by Post/Speed Post or by Courier. Reservation usually will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the Government.

Selection is through written examination, Physical Standards/ Physical Efficiency Tests and Medical Standards Tests, Interview/ Personality Test. Candidates qualified in the written examination are called for the Physical Standards/Physical Efficiency Tests and Medical Standards Tests. These tests are conducted under the supervision of a Nodal Authority nominated by the Ministry of Home Affairs. These tests will be conducted at various centres notified after the results of the written examination. The final merit list will be drawn on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in the Written Examination and Interview/Personality Test. An indicative list of physical standards is given here.

Physical Standards :

• Candidates should meet the prescribed minimum Physical and Medical Standards for admission to Central Police Forces Examination (Assistant Commandants). Men- Height 165 cms , Chest (unexpanded) (With 5 cms. Minimum expansion) Women - 157 cms , 81 cms. Weight 50 Kgs According to height but not less than 46 Kgs.

Medical Standards :

• Eye Sight : Distant Vision Near Vision Better eye Worse eye Better eye Worse eye (Corrected Vision) (Corrected Vision) 6/6 6/12 or 6/9 6/9 J.I J.II (b) The candidates must not have knock-knees, Flat Foot, Varicose Veins or squint in eyes and they should possess high colour vision. The candidates will be tested for colour vision by Ishahara's test as well as Edrich-Green Lantern Test. They must be in good mental and bodily health and free from any physical defect likely to interfere with the efficient performance of the duties.

Physical Efficiency Tests (PETs)

• Details for male and female are given:


• (a) 100 Meters race In 16 seconds In 18 Seconds


• (b) 800 Meters race In 3 minutes In 4 minutes


• (c) Long Jump 3.5 Meters (3 chances) 3.0 Meters (3 chances)


• (d) High Jump 1.05 Meters(3 chances) 0.90 Meters (3 chances)


• (e) Shot Put (7.26 Kgs.) 4.5 Meters

UPSC have developed an application form common for all their examinations which will be processed on computerized machines and is obtainable from the designated Head Post Offices/ Post Offices throughout the country against a specified cash payment.

Police Service Requisites General Mental Ability - The questions will be designed to test the logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude including numerical ability, and data interpretation. General Science - The questions will be set to test general awareness, scientific temper, comprehension and appreciation of scientific phenomena of everyday observation including new areas of importance like Information Technology, Biotechnology, Environmental Science. Current Events of National and International Importance - The questions will test the candidates' awareness of current events of national and international importance in the broader areas of culture, music, arts, literature, sports, governance, societal and developmental issues, industry, business, globalisation, and interplay among nations. Indian Polity and Economy - The questions shall aim to test candidates' knowledge of the Country's political system and the Constitution of India, social systems and public administration, economic development in India , including its indicators. History of India - The questions will broadly cover the subject in its social, economic and political aspects. This shall also include the areas of growth of nationalism and freedom movement. Indian and World Geography - The questions shall cover the physical, social and economic aspects of geography pertaining to India and the World.

This paper shall test the candidates ability to bring to fore his/her ideas on the given essay topic, arrange them in a coherent, orderly, concise, understandable and lucid manner in effective and grammatically correct language free from spelling errors. Further, this shall test the candidates ability to understand the given passages for précis writing and comprehension and their skills to summarise the pr�cis passage and reply to the short-answered questions on the comprehension passage.