IPS

Indian Police Service (IPS)

One among the three all India services of Government of India, the Indian Police Service (IPS) is one of the potential sector when it comes to career making. The aim of IPS is to safe guard the nation and its public. For functional service, the IPS is further divided into wings like Crime Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Home Guards and Traffic Bureau.

The IPS examination is conducted by the  Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and is a part of Civil Service exam in India. The idea of Indian Police Service Limited Competitive Examination was proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

IPS  is one of the all India exams conducted by UPSC. The others are India Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

The IPS Examination first happened in 2012.

Almost 100000+ candidates take up the IPS test every year of which only 200 are finally selected.

Top designations that are served by IPS officers are as follows:

• Director General of Police
• Inspector General of Police
• Deputy Inspector General of Police
• Additional Commissioner of Police
• Superintendent of Police
• Additional Superintendent of Police
• IPS Probationer
• Asst. Superintendent in charge of sub division

Difference between IAS and IPS services

Physical eligibility –

The physical criteria to apply for the position of IPS officer is:

Height

• Men : 165cm
• Women : 150 cm

Applicants from backward communities are considered approx 5-cm, in terms of physical height.

Chest Width

• Men – 84 cm
• Women – 79 cm

Myopia (including cylinder) : – 4.00D

Hyper Myopia (including cylinder) : – 4.00D

Other Physical criteria:

• The presence of Squint is a disqualification.
• Candidates with squint cannot apply.
• Spectacles are permitted.
• Distant vision for better eye(Corrected Vision) : 6/6 or 6/9.
• Distant vision for the worse eye(Uncorrected Vision) : 6/12 or 6/9 .
• Near vision : J1 and J2 respectively.
• High grade color vision and Binocular vision is needed.
• Candidates with stammering problem are not allowed.

Nationality criteria of IPS applicants:

• Indian citizen
• Subject of Nepal
• Subject of Bhutan
• Tibetan refugees entering India before January 1, 1962 for permanent settlement in India.

Migrants from any of the following neighboring countries for permanently settling in India:

Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

Educational background of IPS applicants:

The minimum educational qualification of an IPS applicant should be graduate (Bachelor’s degree) from any UGC registered college or equivalent qualification.

Age Criteria for IPS applicants:

• IPS applicants need to be in the age bracket of 21 – 31 years.
• The age limit is relaxed upto 10 years for Blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped IPS applicants.
• The age limit is relaxed upto 3 years for OBC candidates.
• The age limit is relaxed upto 5 years for SC/ST candidates, candidate from the State of Jammu & Kashmir, Defence Services personnel, ex-servicemen including Commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least 5 years military service and have been released, ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of 5 years of Military Service.

Retaking the IPS test:

• General category applicants : 4
• SC/ST candidates: No restrictions
• OBC candidates: 7 attempts

Note* – The candidates who qualify in the Indian Administrative Services or Indian Foreign Services are not allowed to appear for the Indian Police Services Exam.

Click here to apply for IPS exam.

 Structure of IPS Exam:

The IPS exam has three parts –

a) Preliminary Exam (once in a year in the August month, and results in mid-October)

b) Mains Exam (once in a year in the month of December and results in March)

c) Interview (once in a year in the month of May)

IPS Exam Syllabus

IPS Prelims Exam

The papers for IPS Prelims exam are as follows:

The subject alternative for IPS Prelims Optional paper are as follows:

• Botany
• Philosophy
• Geography
• Agriculture
• Chemistry
• Medical Science
• Law
• Essays
• Psychology
• Commerce and accounts
• Maths
• Physics
• Statistics
• Sociology
• Electrical engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Animal husbandry
• Economics
• Geology
• Indian history
• Political science

IPS Prelims General Studies Syllabus:

• Current events of national and international importance
• History of India and Indian National Movement,
• Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India
• The World, Indian Polity and Governance- Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc,
• Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc
• General issues on Environmental ecology,
• Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that does not require subject specialization

IPS Prelims Language Syllabus:

• Comprehension
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem-solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy questions

IPS Prelims General English Syllabus:

• Comprehension
• Composition
• Grammar
• Precis Writing
• Usage and Vocabulary
• Paragraph writing

Noteworthy points about IPS Prelims exam:

• The IPS Prelims exam comprises two compulsory papers, 200 marks each.
• Both the question papers of IPS Prelims exam will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions).
• For each paper of IPS Prelims exam, the total time duration is 2 hours.
• Blind candidates will be permitted an extra time of twenty minutes in each paper of IPS Prelims exam.
• There is negative marking for wrong answers in IPS Prelims exam. 

 IPS Mains Exam

 The paper pattern of IPS Mains exam is:

 Paper-A: This paper will contain one of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.

Paper-B English: In this paper marks to be counted for merit.

Paper-I Essay: In this exam candidates have to write essay. Essay will be written on the topics Indian Society/ politics/ Economy/ Development, Indian Growth etc.

Paper-II General Studies-I:

• Indian Heritage and Culture
• History and Geography of the World and Society

Paper-III General Studies –II:

• Governance
• Constitution
• Polity
• Social Justice and International relations

Paper-IV General Studies –III:

• Technology
• Economic Development
• Bio-diversity
• Environment
• Security and Disaster Management

Paper-V General Studies –IV:

• Ethics
• Integrity and Aptitude

Paper-VI & VII Optional Subject

For detailed syllabus of Civil Service Exams click here.

Scoring in IPS exam:

• IPS Main exam : 1750 marks
• IPS interview : 225 marks
• Total : 2025 marks

IPS exam Registration:

• To appear for IPS exam, an applicant can start by collecting “Application form’’ along with Information brochure from any head post office/ post office of the country. The filled application form needs to be sent to :
  The Secretary
  Union Public Service Commission
  Dholpur House
  New Delhi – 11
• To remain updated about dates and alterations (if any) in IPS exam students need to keep an eye on Employment News/Rozgar Samachar and other leading newspapers of the nation.
• In May/June, students have to appear for the IPS Prelims Test, followed by the Mains exam in October (only for students who qualify the Prelims).

The next level is the final interview from where, the list of first 400-450 rank holders are declared. Those who secure a rank at the top starts their IPS career as IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad.

Tips to crack IPS exam:

Here are some simple tips which you can follow from the beginning of IPS exam preparation to bag good score:

a) Begin preparing for IPS Interview round from the month of January, though it actually happens around March. This will help you to be confident and upfront in your approach and answers.

b) Pay attention and respect to each member from the board of officials who will take your IPS interview. Focusing on one of them, might offend the other IPS officer.

c) Decide in two languages (one has to be English) and a regional language. You need to have flair of writing, reading and speaking in these two languages.

d) Exercise and remain fit for IPS exam, as your physical statistics will impact your score in IPS exam.

e) Time management is a must in case of IPS Mains exam, as the answers need to be descriptive while the time is limited.

Books to read for IPS exam:

You too can become an I.P.S. Officer Paperback by C. Sylendra Babu –
Start reading the book at the very initial stage when you decide to sit for IPS exam. This will inspire you and also help you learn the benefits of appearing for this exam. Written in simple language, you can read this in the middle your IPS exam preparation.

Training of IPS by Kaneez Zehra –
As you appear for the IPS exam, its very different and unique as a profession. Learn the standout factors and roles of an IPS officer before approaching the exam center. You can add points from the book for constructive answers during the IPS Interview session.

General Studies-Paper I&Ii (Topic-Wise 20 Years Solved Papers) (Civil Services (Preliminary) Examinations) Paperback – 27 Jun 2016 –
Make General Studies the easiest beat of your IPS exam preparation with this book. It solves and also explains questions from 20 years IPS prelims papers. Hence your knowledge will be vivid and will add depth to your IPS exam preparation.

CCNP Security IPS 642-627 Official Cert Guide, 1e Paperback –
In this book, Senior security engineers David Burns, Odunayo Adesina and Keith Barker share insights on how to prepare for IPS exam. Students should read this before beginning to prepare for extensive coverage of the syllabus and vivid depth of knowledge.

POLICE OPERATIONS Hardcover by IPS Viplav Choudhry and IPS Mukesh Singh –
Before applying for IPS exam, its important to know about police services, roles and functions. Learn the role of police from this book by two IPS officers a perfect brainstorm.

For further details on IPS exam, https://www.urbanpro.com/assets/new-ui/sharing_job.png