Preparation for IPS Exam 2020

Indian Police Service Exam 2020

The Indian Police Service exam is one of the three Civil Services Examinations (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission every year. The other two exams which come under the CSE are the India Administrative Services (IAS) and Indian Foreign Services (IFS).

The IPS exam is considered as one of the toughest exams in the country. Thus, the coaching fee for the exam is quite high. Not every student is comfortable in paying such a big amount. So, the only way out is to go for self-study. Another option here is to go with self-study for the Prelims and join a good coaching institute for Mains. And, previous years’ toppers have proved that it is not impossible to get through the IPS exam without coaching.

The full form of IPS is Indian Police Service, and it is one of the three All India Services. The elite Indian Police Service is not a security force but provides commanders to take higher level posts in the state police machinery and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Being an All India Service, IPS officers can be employed by the Central Government and the respective States. IPS officers in India carry a lot of responsibility and also enjoy significant perks.

The Indian Police Service in its modern form came into being in 1948 when the British era Indian(Imperial) Police was replaced. To know about the origin and history of IPS before 1948.

IPS Exam – Recruiting IPS Officers

There are two recruitment modes to the IPS (Indian Police Service):

1. Promotion of State Police Service Officers
2. Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission

For a brief period, there was the provision of a Limited Competitive Examination (LCE) for recruitment to the IPS. However, in 2018, the Supreme Court of India upheld the Centre’s decision to scrap this mode of recruitment of Indian Police Service officers.

The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Exam for which almost 5-8 lakh aspirants appear every year. The same exam recruits officers for the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Revenue Service, Indian Audit and Accounts Service etc.

The IPS exam (UPSC CSE 2020) will be held in three stages:

1. Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam – May 31, 2020
2. Civil Services (Main) Exam – September 18, 2020.
3. UPSC Personality Test – To be notified

Check the complete IPS syllabus, and know all the details regarding IPS exam.

IPS Eligibility – Qualifications needed to become an IPS officer

To become an IPS officer in India, aspirants must meet the stringent criteria set by the UPSC and clear the IPS exam (Civil Services Exam).

The IPS eligibility conditions and qualification criteria are:

1. Nationality – Must be an Indian citizen
2. Age Limit – Minimum age of 21 years, Maximum age varies depending on category and benchmark physical disability
3. Minimum Educational Qualification – University degree (Graduate) from a recognised University
4. Number of Attempts – 6 attempts for General category (More for other categories)
5. Restriction on Applying – Officers already appointed to the IAS or IFS aren’t eligible
6. Physical Standards – As per the Rules for Examination

To know the IPS Eligibility and Physical Requirements in detail, refer the link.

Indian Police Service – Roles and responsibilities of IPS Officers

The Indian Police Service comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The roles and responsibilities of the IPS officers are as follows:

1. Border responsibilities and duties
   • Counter-terrorism
   • Border policing
2. Maintaining public peace and order
   • Crime prevention
   • Investigation, detection, and collection of intelligence
3. VIP security
4. Railway policing
5. Anti-smuggling and drug trafficking
6. Tackling Economic Offences
   • Corruption in public life
7. Disaster management
   • Biodiversity and protection/enforcement of environmental laws etc
8. Enforcement of socio-economic legislation
9. High-level posts in the Indian Intelligence Agencies
   • CBI
   • R&AW
   • IB
   • CID
10. Leading and commanding the Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies
    • Civil and Armed Police Forces in all the union territories and states
    • CAPF – Central Armed Police Forces
      1. CPO – Central Police Organisations
      2. CPF – Central Paramilitary Forces
         • BSF
         • ITBP
         • CRPF
         • NSG
         • CISF
11. Serve as HoDs in policy making
    • in the Ministries and Departments of Central and State Governments
    • Public sector undertakings (PSUs) both at the centre and states,
12. Interact and coordinate closely with
    • Other All India Services
    • The Indian Army. and Armed Forces in general

IPS Cadre Allocation

The officers promoted/recruited from the state police services remain in their respective state cadres. For the successful candidates of the IPS exam (Civil Services Exam), the cadre allocation is done on the basis of their rank, availability of vacancies and their preferences. Earlier the Cadre Allocation Policy 2008 had a state wise preference list which was to be filled by the IPS exam candidates. However, now the cadre allocation policy for IPS officers has changed.

Since UPSC CSE 2017, the new cadre policy for All India Services has been enforced. It aims to increase national integration and rationalise vacancies while increasing efficiency of administration. Now, the IPS cadres are grouped into 5 zones.