To become an IPS officer is a dream for most of the people in their school days. But it is very difficult to make dream come true. You may have a doubt that how to become an IPS officer after the 12th? Don’t worry we will help you by providing the required details on how to become an IPS officer in India. Every year lakhs of people will be applying for the vacancy to fill the post of IPS.
You need to work hard to crack the job. Every year 150 members will be selected by UPSC for IPS officers post. The main duty of an Indian Police Service Officer is to protect the public and to main law and order. They are specially trained by the senior officers of various departments. Fetch the information regarding what to study, eligibility criteria, pay scale from here.
- Indian Police Service
- How to Become an IPS Officer?
- What to Study to Become an IPS Officer (Indian Police Service)?
- Roles and Responsibilities of IPS Officer – Indian Police Service
- Eligibility Criteria | Education Qualifications & Age Limit to Become an IPS Officer
- IPS Officer Professional Growth and Pay Scale
- FAQs on How to Become IPS Officer in India
Indian Police Service
The full form of IPS is the Indian Police Service. The IPS Officers provide leadership to the police force both state-wide and central-wide. Indian Police Service was established in the year 1948 after the independence that was replaced from Imperial Police by the Indian Police Service. To crack the IPS Officer post you have to crack the civil services exam that has three stages – Prelims, Mains and Interview.
How to Become an IPS Officer in India?
There are 7 steps to success to become an IPS Officer. They are as follows,
- The candidate must be an Indian citizen to become an IPS officer.
- Join IPS Classroom Program where you will get guidance regarding the UPSC exam preparation.
- Prepare notes on your own based on the classes.
- Apply for the UPSC services examination.
- Write Online mock tests and clear Prelims exams.
- In the same way, write mains mock test and try to clear mains exams.
- After two stages participate in the IPS interview program.
Read More:
- How to become a DGP in India
- How to become DSP in India
- How to become SP Superintendent of Police in India
What to Study to Become an IPS Officer (Indian Police Service)?
There will be a tough competition to crack the IPS officer post. Because every year some lakhs of students will apply for the IPS officer post out of them 150 members will be selected by the UPSC board. You need to apply for the UPSC Civil Service Exam and score good marks in the prelims, mains, and interview, physical test, and medical test. The subjects to be covered for the UPSC exams are given below.
Topics to cover to write the Prelims Exam:
Paper-I:
- Economics and social development
- Political science
- History
- Science
- Geography
- Current affairs
Paper-II:
- General Mental Ability
- Interpersonal skills and communication skills
- Comprehension skills
- Decision-making skills
- Problem-solving ability
- Basic numeracy
Preparation books to study to become an IPS officer
- Economic survey
- History of Modern India
- History of Medieval India
- Indian and World Geography for Civil Services
- India’s Struggle For Independence
- Indian Economy 8th Edition
- Indian Polity 5th Edition
- India’s Ancient Past
- Oxford School Atlas
- The Wonder That Was India
- Facts of Indian Culture Geography of India
- Science and Technology in India
CSE IPS Mains Paper:
Students who clear the prelims will be eligible to write the mains exam. The civil services exam mains paper will be of the descriptive type.
Reference Books:
- India’s National Security: A Reader
- India After Gandhi
- India and the World, written by Surendra Kumar
- Pax Indica – Shashi Tharoor
- Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude for Civil Services Mains
- Governance in India for CSE
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper 2
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper 3
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper 4
- Challenges to Internal Security of India
- History of Modern World
- Social Problems In India
| Paper | Marks |
| General Essay Type Paper | 200 |
| Essay Type Indian Language Qualifying Paper | 300 |
| English Qualifying Paper | 300 |
| 2 General Studies Paper | 300 |
| 4 Optional subjects paper | 300 |
Personal Interview
Students who clear successfully both prelims and mains exams are eligible to attend the personal interview. The interview part is the toughest of all the stages of the civil services exam. Because in exams we will be having an idea of what questions will be asked but in interviews, we don’t have any idea. Follow the steps given below to know the procedure of the personal interview for the IPS officer post in India.
- Around 400 to 500 candidates will be shortlisted for the post of Indian Police Service.
- After completing the mains exam the shortlisted candidates will get the interview call letter by with the regime of the UPSC.
- Authorities will test the aspirant’s subject knowledge and mental ability.
Frequently Asked IPS Interview Questions
1. What are the reasons to choose civil services?
2. Why do you want to become an IPS officer?
3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
4. How Do You Take An Elephant With One Hand?
5. If you have 3 Apple And Four Oranges in one Hand, on the other hand, Four Apples And 3 Oranges, then what do you have?
6. 8 People Take 10 Hours To Build A Wall-mounted, How Many Days It Would Take To Four People.
7. What Looks Like Half An Apple?
8. If I Go Away With Your Sister, What Would You Do?
9. How Can A Man Live Up To 8 Days Without Sleep?
10. Can You Names Wednesday, Friday, And Sunday Three Consecutive Days Without Taking Their Name?
Choose the right course for you from our Course Details page and know the career options and scope it brings you up in the future if you pursue it.
Roles and Responsibilities of IPS Officer – Indian Police Service
The responsibilities or duty of an IPS officer is to command and lead Indian Intelligence Agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Research and Analysis Wing (R & AW), Civil and armed forces in all the states and Union territories and Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.
The duty of IPS officer includes
- Border Responsibilities
- VIP security
- Reducing the accident
- Following the rules laid by the government
- Soliciting offenders
- Railway policy
- Controlling substance abuse in society
- Detection and the prevention of crime
- Keeping up the underage laws in check
- Anti-smuggling and drug trafficking
The duty of an IPS officer at the state level starts from Deputy Superintendent of Police, Director-General of Police. The duties of IPS officers will be posted in different sectors they are as follows,
- Counter-terrorism
- Investigation of different cases
- Areas in public to maintain law order
- Checking vandalism and delinquency
- Enforcement of socio-economic legislation, biodiversity, and defending of environmental laws
- Juvenile Offenses
- Prevention of illegal activities like smuggling and drug trafficking
- Railway policing
- Ensuring VIP security
- Prevention of crime
- Disaster management in case of natural calamities
- Economic Offences
- Avoiding finance-related crime
- Upholding the laws of the state
Eligibility Criteria | Education Qualifications & Age Limit to Become an IPS Officer
Eligibility criteria to apply for IPS have different possibilities they are age limit, educational qualifications, physical requirements, and nationality.
- Educational Qualification
- Age Limit
- Physical Requirements
- Nationality
Educational Qualification for IPS Officer:
The aspirant must have completed his/her under graduation with a good percentage from any recognized institution of India. Students who are pursuing their final year can also apply for the IPS post. If you have cleared the professional course by any recognized board then you are eligible for writing the prelims exams of civil services.
Age Limit to Apply for IPS:
The minimum age to apply for the vacancy of Indian Police Service is 21 years and the maximum age limit will be different for different categories. The age limit for an IPS officer is shown in the below table.
| Category | Age Limit | No. of attempts |
| General/OC | 32 years | 7 |
| OBC | 35 years | 9 |
| SC/ST | 37 years | No limit |
Age Relaxations
- Candidates who belong to the general and OBC categories can attempt 9 times if he/she is physically disabled.
- The age limit for physically disabled candidates is up to 10 years.
- The maximum age limit can be done for the candidates who belong to Jammy and Kasmir up to 5 years.
- Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have served in the military for a minimum period of 5 years can have age relaxation of up to 5 years.
Physical Requirements:
The physical requirements for an IPS officer include height, chest of men, eye test, and weight.
- The distance vision must be 6/6 or 6/9 for better vision.
- Lenses/spectacles are allowed
- If the candidate has a squint he/she will be disqualified immediately.
- The minimum height for the candidate(men) in the general category is 165 cm and the candidate in the other category is 160 cm.
- The minimum height for women in the general category is 150 cm and the candidate in the other category is 145 cm.
- The chest of women is 79 cm and expandable up to 5 cm and the chest of men is 84 cm and expandable up to 5 cm.
Medical Qualifications:
- Nasal: The aspirant shouldn’t hesitate while speaking.
- Ear: Listening skills will be tested in this section, 1000-4000 frequency hearing damage should not be more than 30 decibels.
- No night blindness.
- In the case of a woman, she should not be pregnant at the time of the medical test.
| Age | Blood Pressure |
| 23 | 123 |
| 24 | 124 |
| 25 | 122 |
| 28 | 124 |
| 30 | 125 |
| 32 | 126 |
| 34 | 127 |
Nationality:
- It is mandatory that the applicant must be Indian.
IPS Officer Career Path and Pay Scale
The details of an Indian Police Service Officer’s career path and salary are discussed in the below table. Go through the table and know the job role according to the IPS rank in state and pay scale.
| IPS Ranks in State & Central Police Force | Position in Delhi Police | Salary/Pay Scale per month |
| Deputy Superintendent of Police | Assistant Commissioner of Police | 56,000 |
| Additional Superintendent of Police | Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police | 67,700 |
| Senior Superintendent of Police | Deputy Commissioner of Police | 78,800 |
| Deputy Inspector General of Police | Additional Commissioner of Police | 1,31,000 |
| Inspector-General of Police | Joint Commissioner of Police | 1,44,000 |
| Director-General of Police | Special Commissioner of Police | 2,05,000 |
| Director-General of Police/ Director of IB or CBI | Commissioner of Police | 2,25,000 |
FAQs on How to Become IPS Officer in India
1. What are the educational qualifications required to become an IPS officer?
Candidates must have completed Bachelor’s degree in any course to apply for the post of IPS officer.
2. What is the selection procedure for an IPS officer in India?
There are three stages to recruit the candidates for the post of Indian Police Service.
- Prelims Exam
- Mains Exam
- Personal Interview
3. What is the age limit to apply for the IPS?
The minimum age to apply for the IPS is 21 years and the maximum age is 32 years.
Conclusion
Hope the information regarding how to become an IPS Officer in India is helpful for all the aspirants who wish to serve the nation. One more important thing to keep in mind is that you should have any criminal case in the past or future too. Stay tuned to our website to get more information on various courses. Share this link with your friends and help them to fulfill their dreams.How to become an IPS Officer in India? What to Study to become an IPS Officer?