Become a Police Officer in India: Eligibility, Skillset

In every modern society, police officers are the representatives of the government. Officers connect to the citizens for protecting their rights. Also, it is their duty to ensure the enforcement of laws in the area under their scope. Every citizen has the right to approach a police officer for help in case of any emergency or […] The post Become a Police Officer in India: Eligibility, Skillset appeared first on Chegg India.

Become a Police Officer in India: Eligibility, Skillset

In every modern society, police officers are the representatives of the government. Officers connect to the citizens for protecting their rights. Also, it is their duty to ensure the enforcement of laws in the area under their scope. Every citizen has the right to approach a police officer for help in case of any emergency or crisis. They are the first person of contact during tough times. Thus, their responsibilities and roles are dynamic and multifaceted. If you’re wondering how to become a police officer in India after 12th grade, keep reading.

Types of Police Officers in India

Every police officer in India must pay allegiance to the Constitution of India. As an officer, you must work according to the articles of the Constitution.

If you are passionate about joining the police force, you must know its structure. The following are the types of police in India.

IPS Officer Ranks

Director General of Police
Addl. Director General of Police
Inspector General of Police
Deputy Inspector General of Police
Superintendent of Police
Addl. Superintendent of Police

State Police Service Officers

Superintendent of Police
Addl. Superintendent of Police
Deputy Superintendent of Police

Eligibility for Becoming a Police Officer

Police qualification requirements vary based on the post of your application. To get a police job after 12th grade, you must meet the basic requirements. The following table shows the general requirements for every post. But data may vary for reserved categories or the state of your application.

Position	Age limit (in years)	Educational qualifications	Physical requirements	Other qualifications
Constable or Head Constable	18-25	10+2	About 155 cm for women and 165 for men	None
Addl.Superintendent of Police	21-30	Graduation	About 165 cm for men and 150 cm for women	None
Sub Inspector or Assistant Sub Inspector	20-25	Graduation with at least 50% marks	About 157 cm for women and 170 cm for men	None

The qualification for some posts is not listed in the table. The respective departments are responsible for recruiting people for those posts through promotion.

How to Become a Police Officer in India?

In India, there are two ways to become a police officer. The first one is after completing 10+2 i.e. 12th grade. Here, you can appear for the qualifying exams for the post of Police Constable.

But, if you’re wondering how to become a police officer of a senior rank, the answer is different. For that, you must complete your graduation before appearing for the qualifying exams.

The following table talks about the qualifying exams for different posts.

Post	Qualifying Exam
Police Constable	State Police Constable Recruitment Exam SSC GD Constable Exam
Sub Inspector or Assistant Sub Inspector	SSC SI and ASI Exam State Police Sub Inspector Recruitment Exam
Addl. Superintendent of Police	UPSC CSE Exam State PSC Exam

The only way to reach the following ranks is through promotion.

Superintendent of Police
Deputy Inspector General of Police
Inspector-General of Police
Addl. Director General of Police
Director-General of Police

Skills Required to be a Police Officer

When you hear “Police Officer”, bravery is the first word to flash in your mind. As they are the defenders of the peace in society, officers must be courageous.

Apart from the essential police officer qualification, you must have the following qualities.

Morality

Understanding the Constitution and the law is important for an officer. Based on its framework, you must have a strong sense of ethics. This includes morality. You can learn the law. But you must ingrain morality in your character to become a good officer. With the balance of law and morality, you can become a respected officer.

Assertiveness

In extreme situations, you must be bold to make the right decisions. The police courses and training will teach you the theory of dealing with situations. But the training cannot teach you to be firm in your decision. You must assert your position. Take charge of the circumstances. Explain the course of action to your subordinates.

Courage

Courage is the primary skill of any police officer. With this skill, you have the ability to face dangerous situations. In your daily responsibility as a police officer, you will face criminals.

These could include dangerous terrorists or financial criminals. Dealing with such enemies requires determination and courage.

A Part-time Job that Pays like Full-time

Teamwork

Winning a battle requires teamwork. During your career as a police officer, you will be working on several projects. Generally, the deadline for dealing with every case would be short. Instead of relying on your capabilities, you will have to seek help from subordinates. Their individual skills and experience will reduce your response time. It will also increase the efficiency of your end results.

Empathy

As a protector of civil laws, a police officer must understand emotions. Sensitivity to the needs of locals helps in understanding the root cause of crimes. With this knowledge, it becomes easy to eradicate them from their roots. Also, by empathizing with a criminal, you can encourage them to reveal sensitive information.

Leadership

In the previous sub-section, you saw the importance of teamwork. But, there must be minimal friction in the team to get the desired results. If you are a good leader, problem-solving ability comes naturally to you.

Salary of a Police Officer

Different categories of police officers in India come under different pay bands. The government of India decides the pay scale of the officers. The seniority and responsibilities of the recruited officer helped in making this decision.

The following are the salaries of police officers based on their ranks.

A constable earns between Rs. 3 lakhs to Rs. 4 lakhs per annum. Additionally, they also earn a grade pay of Rs. 5400 every month.
After getting promoted, a Constable becomes a Head Constable. Now, your salary is about Rs. 4.2 lakhs per annum.
As a Sub Inspector, clearing the qualifying exam gets you recruited. Service Selection Commission conducts this exam. On recruitment, you will earn Rs. 5.3 lakhs per annum. But, on getting promoted as an inspector, you will earn Rs. 6.5 lakhs every year.
The salary of the Deputy Superintendent of Police is Rs. 7 lakhs per annum.
The Superintendent of Police earns Rs. 9 lakhs every year. You will get recruited for this post on clearing the UPSC CSE exam.
After getting promoted from the previous post, you will become the Superintendent of Police. In this position, your annual salary will be Rs. 10.5 lakhs.
The Director General of Police earns Rs. 14.3 lakhs every year.
As the topmost officer, the Inspector General of Police receives Rs. 17.5 lakhs every year.

Check out upcoming Government Jobs here

Become an Indian Police Officer with the Right Guidance

Whether you’re thinking of how to become a DSP or SI after 12th grade, this article guides you.

It explains the eligibility conditions and salaries of various police officers. For becoming a Junior Grade Police Constable, you must qualify the 12th-grade exams. Your salary at this rank would be about Rs. 3 lakhs to Rs. 4 lakhs per annum.

As you move up the order, you can become one of the following officers.

Sub Inspector
Deputy Superintendent
Additional Superintendent of Police
Superintendent of Police
Director General of Police
Inspector General of Police

Start preparing for the qualifying exams today!

Evaluate numerous career choices to choose the right career path for yourself. Dive into our guide on Career Advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different paths to becoming a police officer in India? 

To become a police officer in India, you can take one of the following routes.
1. State or Provincial Recruitment exams
2. UPSC CSE exams

What is the minimum age requirement to become a police officer in India? 

You must at least be 21 years old to become a police officer in India. However, the lower age limits vary for different positions.

What are the physical requirements to become a police officer in India? 

The physical requirements for becoming a police officer in India vary. The upper and lower limits are decided based on the state of your application and the post. If you’re aiming to become an IPS officer, your height as a woman must at least be 150 cm. On the contrary, men must at least be 165 cm long.

What is the duration of the training to become a police officer in India? 

The duration of the Phase-I training for an IPS officer is 11 months. This training is conducted at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. After this, you are assigned your cadre. Based on this cadre, you will undergo a District training of 6 months.

What courses are available to become a police officer in India? 

Aspiring police officers in India can take up several graduation-level courses. Criminology, Sociology, Public Administration, Law, and Criminal Justice. These can be your branches of study.