IPS Full Form: Indian Police Service Explained (2024 Update)

IPS full form?

IPS full form is Indian Police Services. The Indian Police Service is one of the All India Services’ Central Civil Services.

IPS full form/ IPS ka full form/ ips full form in english: Indian Police Services.

IPS full form in Hindi: “भारतीय पुलिस सेवाएं”

Recently in UPSC CSE 2024 Notification there are approx 150 Vacancies for IPS.

What is IPS?

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually administers the Civil Services Examination (CSE), which includes the Indian Police Service examination. Read all about UPSC CSE Exam here.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for regulating the IPS cadre.

As one of the three All-India Services, the IPS has a long and distinguished history in the country. Its officers are eligible for senior administrative / management positions with both the federal government and the individual states. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the cadre controlling authority for the IPS.

Within India’s internal security system, IPS is a highly esteemed and revered service. According to Sardar Patel, the Indian Police Service, along with the Indian Administrative Service, is the most fundamental pillar of Indian democracy and is vital to the maintenance of law and order, peace, India sovereignty, and India’s integrity.

The Indian Police Service is responsible for the country’s civil and criminal administration, which includes police administration legislation. The roles and responsibilities of an IPS Officer include the implementation of policies governing the national, local, and state police administrations in India. The primary duties of an IPS officer are to ensure the safety and administrative well-being of those under their jurisdiction.

IPS Officers collaborate with IAS Officers to maintain the district’s law and order. An IPS Officer’s most important responsibilities include preventing crimes, preventing accidents (Social, Economic, etc.), accident management, detecting crimes, registering for the first information report, providing security for the transportation of cash, pursuing prosecution and recovering stolen items, and granting permission for loudspeakers, rallies, and political/religious gatherings.

Eligibility Criteria to Become an IPS Officer

Serving as an IPS Officer is not for everyone. Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements before they can be considered for positions in the government. The eligibility requirements for an IPS Officer depend on five primary factors:

Educational Qualification:

The educational requirements to take the UPSC Exam are listed below:

• The individual must have completed their degree from any university approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
• You are eligible to apply for this position if you are a graduating senior.

Age limit:

A candidate must be at least 21 years old by August 1 of the year they take the Civil Services Examination.

Note that there are certain relaxations to the age limit for an IPS officer, which are mentioned below:

• Physically handicapped candidates are permitted nine attempts in the General and OBC categories, but there is no limit for SC/ST candidates. Jammu and Kashmir residents may request an age relaxation of up to five years.
• Candidates from UR Category(Unreserved) also have limit of 7 attempts only upto age of 32.
• Commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs with at least five years of military service are eligible for an age reduction of up to five years.
• Physically impaired individuals with blindness, deafness, orthopaedics, or muteness receive a 10-year age reduction.

Physical Requirements:

Only those who pass the IPS officer physical exam after passing the preliminary exam are eligible for the personal interview. Below are the physical requirements for IPS officers, including IPS height and weight:

• In the general category, the minimum height for IPS for males is 165 centimetres, whereas it is 160 centimetres for all the other categories.
• The minimum height requirement for IPS is 150 centimetres for women in the general category and 145 centimetres for women in other categories.
• Men’s chests should be at least 84 cm in circumference and expandable by 5 cm, while women’s chests should be at least 79 cm in circumference and expandable by 5 cm.
• For improved vision, distant vision should be 6/6 or 6/9 (millimetres).
• The candidate is automatically rejected if they squint.
• Lenses and glasses are permitted.
• Vision in both eyes and exceptional colour vision are required.

Medical Requirements:

The IPS medical exam is an additional requirement on the path to becoming an IPS officer. It consists of the following:

• Blood Pressure (High):

The Blood pressure level for all the age groups are defined below:

• The candidate should not be stuttering while speaking.
• Good hearing and a normal ear canal; hearing loss between 1000 and 4000 Hz should not exceed 30 decibels.
• Women should not be pregnant during the medical examination.
• There is a strict requirement for the Colorblind test.

Nationality Requirements:

Any candidate who is aspiring to become an IPS officer should be an Indian citizen.

Skills required for IPS Officer

Excellent communication skills: 

Not just IPS officers, but everyone must be verbally articulate, have an excellent command of written communication skills, and be good listeners. As an IPS officer, you are expected to argue persuasively in meetings with officials and administration from different states. Therefore, you must possess strong communication skills. Participating in activities such as debating and public speaking can facilitate the development of communication and public speaking skills during the classroom portion of a student’s senior year. In addition to being able to speak, IPS Officers must also be able to write clearly, persuasively, and concisely, as they are required to produce numerous official documents.

Judgment skills:

As an IPS officer, you must have the ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions or assumptions from the limited information provided to you. IPS Officers are frequently required to deal with local disputes and crimes in their administered districts. In such situations, officers must make a lucid decision that not only resolves the current situation but also prevents further conflict between the parties involved.

Analytical skills:

During their training at the National Academy, IPS trainees must be able to assimilate vast amounts of data and interpret it in a meaningful, manageable, and logical manner. Occasionally, there will be more than one applicable method or precedent for resolving a situation. As a result, an IPS Officer must have strong evaluative skills in order to select the most applicable/suitable option.

Research abilities and Comprehensive skills:

IPS officers are expected to conduct extensive research on pertinent facts. The investigation is a part of an IPS Officer’s mundane duties. As an IPS Officer, it is crucial that you are able to conduct research quickly and efficiently in order to comprehend the state’s situation, their needs, and formulate legal strategies. Preparing official plans requires an IPS officer to absorb and comprehend voluminous amounts of information before reducing them to their most useful components. Good research skills include careful planning, going beyond Google’s keyword suggestions, and avoiding reliance on a single source.

Interpersonal skills:

To maintain law and order in the state, an IPS Officer must have the interpersonal skills to navigate difficult situations. To serve justice to locals, IPS officers must be adept at navigating social situations.

Perseverance:

When working on a project, they must have the perseverance to complete the necessary tasks to ensure a successful outcome. “Perseverance is not a long race, but rather a succession of short races,” Even while studying, one must exhibit a great deal of perseverance and dedication, and this is before one begins actual training.

Roles and responsibilities of an IPS

An IPS officer is responsible for maintaining law and order, particularly during riots, protests, festivals, and other major events. An IPS also directs the police force and serves as its leader. The IPS officer’s duty is to ensure public safety at any cost. In terms of hierarchy, an IPS officer ranks below an IAS officer.

An IPS Officer is responsible for the following:

• • Maintenance of law and order
  • Preventing, detecting, and investigating crimes
  • Collecting intelligence and counterintelligence information

Implementation of laws

Officers of the Indian Police Service are responsible for enforcing the law in their assigned district or state. such as new environmental laws, health or traffic regulations, etc. They must ensure that all laws are clearly communicated to the public and that local law enforcement enforces all laws.

Maintaining VIP security

IPS officers are frequently responsible for the security of VIPs, particularly Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers.

• • Taking care of offences like drug or human trafficking.
  • Enforcing socio-economic laws and their implementation.
  • Protecting biodiversity, the environment, and enforcing environmental laws.
  • Carrying out anti-drugs and anti-trafficking campaigns to create awareness among people

Disaster management

An IPS officer is responsible for ensuring that the crisis situation is effectively managed by identifying the cause of the disaster and ensuring the safety of the people.

• Preventing corruption in the public sector and creating awareness regarding it.
• commanding and directing the elite central police organizations, such as the Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation, RAW, National Security Guard, etc. 

How to Become an IPS Officer?

Complete graduation from any stream:

To be eligible for the UPSC examination, which is followed by a personal interview and the main examination, candidates must have earned a bachelor’s degree in any field of study.

IPS Examination:

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually administers the Civil Services Examination (CSE), which includes the Indian Police Service examination.

The UPSC Civil Services Exam is administered in two phases, followed by an interview:

-Preliminary Examination

-Mains Examination

Preliminary Examination:

The Preliminary examination consists of two 200 marks exams. The examination is of an objective nature and is limited to a maximum of two hours each. Both English and Hindi will be provided for the examination question paper. However, no Hindi interpretation will be provided for English comprehension, and candidates must respond accordingly. Additionally, blind candidates are given an additional 20 minutes per exam.

Mains Examination:

Candidates who pass the preliminary examination are required to take the main examination. The examination is subjective and is administered in stages. Those who pass the examination are invited for an interview. Students are required to pass every section of the main examination. The selection of students is determined by a list of merit.

Interview:

According to the UPSC exam structure, the interview is the final stage of the examination. The interview is organized by the UPSC board to evaluate candidates’ suitability for a career in the civil service and the associated responsibilities. The UPSC Board of Examiners consists of knowledgeable and impartial observers with knowledge of the candidates’ careers. Using questions of general interest, they evaluate the candidates’ mental and social qualities. The board looks for mental acuity, critical assimilation abilities, clear and logical expression, a balanced judgment, variety and depth of interest, social cohesion and leadership skills, and intellectual and moral integrity.

Cadre Allocation

The state police officers who are promoted or recruited remain in their respective state cadres. Cadre allocation for successful IPS (Civil Services Exam) candidates is determined by their rank, the availability of vacancies, and their preferences. Previously, the 2008 Cadre The IPS Exam Allocation Policy includes a state-by-state preference list to be filled by IPS exam candidates. The cadre allocation policy for IPS officers has changed, however.

The new cadre policy for All India Services has been in effect since the 2017 UPSC CSE. It aims to increase national integration, rationalize vacancies, and improve administrative efficiency. Currently, IPS cadres are organized into five zones.

IPS Training

There are nearly two years of training and/or probation for new IPS officers. The first three-month segment of the Foundation Course is mandatory for all new UPSC CSE recruits. After completing the foundation course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, IPS probationers proceed to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad.

In addition to district training for IPS officers, the various indoor and outdoor topics include:

IPS Salary and Ranks

In India, IPS officers receive a starting salary of Rs 56,100 per month (DA, HRA, etc. are extra). This follows the seventh recommendation of the Pay Commission. The salaries of IPS officers by rank are listed in the table below.

Workplace environment of an IPS Officer

The officers are required to work long hours and under tight deadlines, frequently on weekends and holidays, and frequently with little notice. Occasionally, they must also contend with inadequate or nonexistent clerical support from the police administration in order to meet deadlines for preparing diverse submissions and reports. They work long hours outside the office for various reasons, including traffic, crime location, meetings, etc. They are equally exposed to mental and physical danger.

• • Employment Shifts: The officers are employed on a full-time basis for their service. They are required to work throughout the country, according to the assigned districts.
  • Employment Nature: The officers are hired on a permanent basis, and there are no temporary positions available for the IPS cadre.
  • Workplace: IPS Officers work in their assigned district or city’s police headquarters. Officers are required to work an average of 50-55 hours per week. In addition, they must work overtime if the work requires it.
  • Job Location: IPS officers are required to work throughout the nation. IPS officers are assigned to work districts or cities according to their preferences.
  • Time Constraints: On a daily basis, PS officers are likely to experience time constraints. The nature of IPS officers’ jobs is highly dynamic and requires them to work under strict time constraints.

• Overtime Requirements: The majority of IPS officers work overtime. IPS officers are required to supervise more than two or three departments in addition to maintaining law and order in the city, requiring them to work extra hours.

• Standard working hours: In general, officers are required to work the standard hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, depending on the work assigned to them and the impending deadlines, they may be required to work extra hours.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

1. What distinguishes IPS from IAS?

Ans: IAS officers assist with public administration and the formulation and implementation of policy. While IPS officers are tasked with investigating crimes and preserving public order in the area in which they are stationed, they are also responsible for conducting intelligence operations. 

2. What rank is required to join the IPS?

Ans: If you are a general category candidate and your UPSC rank is around 90, you have a good chance of being accepted into the IPS. Likewise, a rank of 465 for OBC, 650 for SC, and 770 for ST should be sufficient for IPS. For IPS, the general category rank is 115, OBC is 570, SC is 765, and ST is 925.

3. What is the best subject for IPS?

Ans: To become an IPS officer, one must earn a bachelor’s degree in any field of study and pass the UPSC examination for the service. You may finish 10+2 in the Arts stream with civics. Additionally, you can pursue a Bachelor of Arts in civics, economics, history, or political science.

4. How long is training for IPS?

Ans: There are four components to the instruction provided to IPS recruits: A three-month Foundation Course at LBSNAA, Mussoorie. Phase I instruction (11-month Basic Course): Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad. District Practical Training (six months): depending on the cadre.

5. How many tries are permitted for IPS?

Ans: For General Applicants: 6 tries (Up to 32 Years) No Restrictions on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates (SC/ST) (Up to 37 Years) Other Backward Classes (OBC): nine opportunities (Up to 35 Years) Physically handicapped- nine for general and OBC, unlimited for SC/ST.