IPS

The abbreviation IPS stands for Indian Police Services. Indian Police Services is a central civil service that comes under the All India Services as per the Constitution of India. Article 312 of the Indian Constitution mentions the All India Services as Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services, and Indian Foreign Services. 

All the three central civil services have great reputations and the competition is tough to become one. 

History of IPS

Before India got Independence from British Rule, the police services were named as Indian Imperial Services.  A year later after the Independence, in 1948, it was renamed to Indian Police services. The word imperial was replaced by Police. 

Role of the Indian Constitution

Under the article 312 of the Indian Constitution, the provision of All India Services is mentioned. There  are three All India Civil  Services mentioned: 

1. Indian Administrative Services( IAS)
2. Indian Police Services ( IPS) 
3. Indian Foreign Services ( IFS) 

All the three are highly coveted and respected services. 

Officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) are responsible for overseeing the police forces of several states and the federal government. Mentoring members of the state’s police force is one way they help keep the peace.

How can you become an IPS officer? 

The UPSC test is required to become an IPS officer in India. It is a three-step process that includes a preliminary exam, the main exam, and a personal interview with the panel that has been selected. It’s a tough test, and the final rankings are determined by a combination of the test’s three parts. The position is determined by the rank one receives. Indian Administrative Officers (IAOs) are the highest-ranking officers in the government, followed by the IPS and IFS. 

Who appoints the IPS officers? 

The Ministry of Home Affairs’ police division is responsible for appointing the IPS officers in various cadres. The cadre distribution is solely in the hands of the MHA. Various other decisions such as policy making, recruitment, pay, allowances etc are also managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The distribution of the IPS officers happens in all the 26 states. Their period of duty is monitored for every 5 years and based on their performance, the appraisal is done. 

Indian Police Service Eligibility

• The age requirement for the Indian Police Services is 21-32 years. 

(please note : It is the same for other services like IAS and IFS). 

• The provision for the  relaxation in the age limit is available to candidates of SC, ST, or OBC. 
• In order to appear for the exam, the candidate needs to be a graduate. Graduation degree is a must. There is no boundation to the choice of subjects in the Graduation course
• As Indian Police Service employs police personnel, the candidate also needs to fulfill the physical requirement needed. A minimum standard for height and girth of chest is set which is compulsory for physical exam qualification. . 
• The various physical requirements for an IPS officer are:

Height Requirement for an IPS officer

There is a minimum  height criteria set for the male and female candidates. 

For a male candidate : 165 cm is the minimum height required. 

For a female candidate : 150 cm is the minimum height required. 

• For a ST male and female, there is a relaxation of 5 cm made. 

160 cm and 145 cm is the minimum height required for ST male and female respectively. 

However, there is a provision of relaxation of height to other tribes like Gorkhas, Assamese, Nagaland, Kumaonis, etc because people of these regions are short in stature. 

Chest Girth Requirement for an IPS officer

The chest girth measurement is taken when fully expanded

For males, the minimum chest girth requirement is 84 cm. 

For females, the minimum chest girth requirement is 79 cm. 

Note : Apart from the above mentioned criteria, the candidate should also be able to expand their chest by a minimum of 5 cm more. 

Eyesight requirement for an IPS officer

As an IPS officer is directly involved in fighting with the robbers, dacoits etc , it is important to have a clear and sharp colour and binocular vision , to aim at them. 

The minimum eyesight requirement are:

Distant vision : For a person with normal vision , it should be 6/6 or 6/9.

For a person with little poor vision, it should be 6/12 or 6/9 at the most. 

Near vision : For a normal person , it should be J1**. 

                        For a worse eye, J2** should be the corrected vision. 

Permitted corrections: People with poor vision can wear spectacles and  coloured lenses. Refractive Surgery like IoL, Lasik, etc are also allowed. In case of prior Refractive Surgery done, it should be mentioned and the candidate is referred to the special board of Ophthalmologists. 

Refractive error allowed : People suffering from Myopia of more than 6.00D should mention it and the candidate is referred to the special board of Ophthalmologists.

Note : If a candidate suffers from a squint, he or she is declared unfit for the post of an IPS officer.

IPS and Civil Services Examination

As it is mandatory to clear the Civil Service Examination, here’s a look at the Civil Services Examination and it’s a pattern. 

The Civil Services Examination is conducted by the Union Public Services Examination every year. The exam is divided in three stages:

• Stage 1 or Preliminary Examination
• Stage 2 or Mains Examination
• Stage 3 or Personal Interview with the panelist.

Note : It is important to clear both Stage 1 and Stage 2 in order to be eligible for Stage 3.The marks obtained in all the stages are calculated and based on the total score obtained, the merit is decided. If the candidate is able to score a high rank, they are allotted IAS followed by IPS and IFS respectively. 

IPS Officer Training  

Officers of the IPS are required to undergo regular training. At the LBSNAA and SVPNPA at Mussoorie and Hyderabad, the probationary IPS officers receive training. 

Apart from these trainings, another mandatory training known as Mid Career Training is also held for IPS officers during their whole service period.

The Ministry of Home Affairs monitors the training. 

Salary of an IPS officer

The salary of an IPS officer is almost at par with an IAS officer with little differences. 

An ASP ( the joining level rank) is paid Rs 56,100 per month while the DGP( the highest level rank) is paid Rs 2,25,000 per month. Along with the monthly fixed salary, several allowances like DA, TA etc are also added to the basic pay. 

The hike in the salary is possible during the service period of an IPS officer. Several factors like experience, performance form the basis of promotion. Annual Performance Appraisal Report, Vigilance Clearance and Scrutiny of each and every officer is done on an yearly basis

Challenging roles of an IPS officer

There are many challenging roles of an IPS officer. Apart from being appointed in the Indian Police Forces, IPS officers can also be appointed in PSU’s, International Organizations etc as per the requirement. 

The IPS officers can also serve the Ministers in the Central Government as their personal secretaries. 

Being an IPS officer is not easy but the respect earned is tremendous. It is one of the most fulfilling and sought career options owing to the respect and dignity in the society. One gets to serve the motherland in their full capacity. The job satisfaction is high and the perks attached to the designation makes it all the more competitive and meaningful to pursue.