Road to IPS - To become an IPS officer .........

To become an IPS officer, you need to take the competitive Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

This Civil Services exam, commonly referred to as the IAS exam, which is held at various test centres across the country comprises three stages: Preliminary and Main exams and the Interview. You have to clear all the three stages and secure a good rank at the same time to make it to this service.

For the IPS you will also have to clear an additional physical test. UPSC has announced a change in the pattern of the Civil Services Prelims exam. Make sure you familiarise yourself with the new pattern and syllabus.

Eligibility: Bachelor's degree.

Age: 21-30 years as on August 01, of the year in which you take the exam.

For complete details, log on to www.upsc.gov.in.

When you join the IPS, upon the completion of your training, you will be appointed as an Assistant Commissioner of Police or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in a sub division comprising of three or four police stations. Incidentally, each state and union territory has its own separate police force.

After that, based on your experience and track record, you will rise to the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Inspector General of Police (IGP), Additional Director General of Police (Addl. DGP), and finally, the Director General of Police (DGP) who is the head of the police force in each state. The DGP represents the highest rung in the police hierarchy.