How to Become Police - Steps to Become Police Officer

A police force is one of the most important forces as they are responsible for maintaining law and order in the country. They also protect the citizens of the country by preventing criminal activities, enforcing traffic rules, and saving people from violent activities. 

A career in Police Force is very lucrative as the job is quite challenging and the salary options are good. Professionally, joining the Police force will also be beneficial for the individual as the job is a secured one.

Police forces are recruited by either the Central or the State Government and there are different levels of hierarchy in the Police Department. Candidates who are wondering "How to become police" must decide the position and meet the eligibility requirements before applying for the Police Force.

How to Become Police:

Aspirants who are thinking about How to Become Police should remember that for joining the Police Force the candidate must have the following qualities in them.

• Physical fitness
• Strong communication skills
• Good and honest moral character
• Devotion to duty
• Capability to work during odd hours
• Alertness and presence of mind
• Problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. 

Those of you who are still wondering how to become a police officer, must check out the different positions in the Police Force and decide which post he/she wants to apply for. The career opportunities of Police personnel are numerous as they have the option to join the National or State Police Force, Paramilitary Forces, Special Protection Group, or the National Security Guards.

Eligibility and Qualifications for Becoming a Police Officer:

There are several positions and designations in the Police Department and the candidate must be clear about which post in the Police Force he/she wants to apply for. There are different Gazetted and Non gazetted levels of Service in the Police Departments and the eligibility and qualifications of a Police vary with each hierarchical position. 

Let us now check out the different positions of the Police Department

Positions of Police Officer:

Gazetted Positions in the Police Force	Non-Gazetted Positions in the Police Force
Director-General of Police (DGP)	Inspector (in some states)
Special Director General of Police (SDG)	Sub Inspector
Additional Director General of Police (ADG)	Assistant Sub Inspector
Inspector-General of Police (IG)	Head Constable
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)	Constable
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)	-
Inspector (in some states)	-

Process to Become Police Officer After 12th:

Candidates who have qualified for their Class 12 exams in any subject can apply for the post of Police Constable. The recruitment exam for the police constable is conducted by the Staff Service Commission. Interested candidates have to undergo a written exam, a Physical fitness test, and an oral interview. The chief criteria of the exam are that the candidate must be 18 years of age, pass Class 12 from a recognized Board, and be a citizen of India.

Eligibility and Qualification to Join Police Force After Graduation:

Candidates who have finished their graduation from a recognized University can apply for the Indian Police Service exams. Interested candidates must appear for the Civil Services exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The chief criteria of the exams are that the candidate must be 21 years of age, a citizen of India, and completed their Graduation Degree from a recognized College or University.

Please note: For both the exams the candidate must go through a written exam and a physical fitness test. Also, the candidate must meet certain Physical standards like a designated height, weight, and physical attributes to qualify for the Police exams.

Let us now take a detailed look at the eligibility and qualification of police based on the various hierarchical positions:

Name of the Post	Eligibility Criteria	Age Limit	Competitive Exams
Superintendent of Police (SP)	Graduation Degree from a recognized University	Lower age limit 21 years (Relaxation of 3 years for SC/ST candidates).	Civil Services Exam (IPS)conducted by UPSC
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP)	Graduation Degree from a recognized University	Lower age limit 21 years (Relaxation of 3 years for SC/ST candidates).	Civil Services Exam (IPS)conducted by UPSC
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)	Graduation Degree from a recognized University	Lower age limit 21 years (Relaxation of 3 years for SC/ST candidates).	Civil Services Exam (IPS)conducted by UPSC
Circle Inspector	Graduation Degree from a recognized University	Not exceeding 25 years	Staff Service Commission (SSC)
Sub Inspector	Graduation Degree from a recognized University	Not exceeding 25 years	Staff Service Commission (SSC)
Assistant Sub Inspector	Head Constable with 5 to 7 years experience	Not exceeding 25 years	Staff Service Commission (SSC) Or State Level Police recruitment exams
Head Constable	Completed Class 12 exams from a recognized Board	Not exceeding 25 years	The state-level Police recruitment exam
Constable	Completed Class 12 from a recognized Board	Age limit 18 to 25 years	The state-level Police recruitment

Method to Join Indian Police after 12th:

Many of you who have completed their Class 12th Board Exams from a recognized Board often have the question in mind which is, how can I join Indian Police after the 12th? Interested candidates must check out the eligibility criteria, upper and lower age limits, and educational qualifications necessary for the recruitment exams.

The main criteria of the Police exams are that the candidate must qualify for the class 12th exams from a recognized Board and should be of 21 years of age.

Candidates who want to join the Police Force after Class 12th have to qualify for competitive exams to fill the post of Constables. The exam includes a written test and a physical fitness test. Candidates who qualify for this test have to undergo strict physical training to take over the duty of a constable in the Police Force.

The exam for the post of Police Constable is conducted by the Staff Service Commission and aspiring candidates must prepare well to qualify for the exams. Check out the required criteria for joining the Police Force exams after 12th Class:

• Eligibility criteria for Police Force exams after 12th
• Citizen of India
• Qualified Class 12th exams from a recognized Institute
• Qualified Class 12th from a recognized Board
• Age limit 18 to 22 years (relaxation of 3 years for SC/ST candidates)
• Height 167 cms,chest 81 cms
• English must be a compulsory language

Preparation Tips to Become Police in India:

Those of you who are still worrying about how can I join the Indian Police after the 12th must go through the following study tips to prepare with full enthusiasm and crack the Police Force exams easily:

• Candidates must be prepared to answer objective-type questions.
• Candidates must be well versed in General Knowledge and Current affairs.
• Candidates must have English as a language in Class 12th.
• Candidates must practice questions based on numerical aptitude.
• Candidates must solve sample question papers.
• Candidates must take mock tests before the exams.
• Candidates must read proper reference books that consist of all the topics of the exams.

All the above preparation tips will help the candidates to get qualified for the Police exams by studying all the topics and focusing on the weak areas. Strong preparation will help the candidate qualify for the exams easily and begin a career in the Police Force.

Best Courses to Become Police:

how to become police after doing course There are several courses in Police that the candidate can take to join a career in the Police Force. The Best course for Police consists of both Degree and Diploma Course that teaches the nuances of the Police Force that including the study of the Indian constitution, Law enforcement, criminal proceedings, and jail administration.

Candidates who take the different courses in police administration become eligible to join the different departments like ITBP, BSF, CRPF, GRPF, etc.

Given below are the best courses for the Police force and their eligibility criteria:

Name of the Course	Eligibility Criteria	Duration
Diploma in Police Administration	Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University	1 year
B.A in Police Administration	Qualified Class 12 from a recognized Board	3 years
Post Graduate Diploma in Criminal Psychology and Police Administration	Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University	1 year
Masters Degree in Police Administration	Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University	2 years
Masters Degree in Police Administration and Criminology	Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University	2 years
MBA in Police Administration Management	Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University	2 years
M.phil In Police Administration	Masters Degree in Police Administration from a recognized College. Entrance exams for admission to the course.	-
Ph.D. in Police Administration	Masters Degree in Police Administration from a recognized College. Entrance exams for admission to the Ph.D. program.	-

Important facts of the Best Courses for Police:

Become police is not easy as reading the Article - How to become police, the criteria is tough: 

• Police courses require physical fitness as a major criterion for admission.
• Candidates with a Masters's Degree in Police Administration become eligible for the National Eligibility Test (NET) for Lecturership programs.
• Candidates taking the Police courses have good career prospects in different Departments like Forensics, Firearm, Criminal Investigation, banks, transportation, Investigating Departments, Criminal laboratories, Private Investigator, Security Officers, etc.
• Candidates also become eligible to join the different paramilitary forces like BSF, ITBP, CISF, CRPF, etc.
• Candidates also become eligible for well-paid jobs in the private sector.
• The salary prospects of Police personnel are well structured. Candidates who prefer to start a career in the Government Departments, get a salary of INR 20000 and several benefits and promotions. 
• Candidates who apply for the best courses in Police become eligible for promotions and better salary benefits in their respective fields.

Do Indian Police Pay Income Tax:

Income tax is a certain portion of the income that an Indian citizen has to pay for the different developmental activities like maintaining infrastructure and the payment of employees in the different Central and State Departments.

All Indian citizens of the country have to pay income tax if their annual salary is more than 2.5 lacs per annum and they are within an age range of 60 years. Individuals who have an age range of more than 60 years and an income of more than 3 lacs are liable to pay the Income-tax.

Now the big question is do police pay income tax?

It is necessary for all Indian citizens who are salaried individuals to pay the income tax. All Policemen who come under the category and have the designated pay scale must file income tax returns.

If you ask, do police pay income tax, the question is yes they do if their annual salary exceeds 2.5 lacs. The main reasons for paying income tax can be summarized as follows:

• Maintaining infrastructure
• Paying the Government employees
• Maintaining the Police Force
• Maintaining the water supplies
• Paying the salaries of the Government employees
• Paying pensions of the Government employees

Salary of the Police Officer:

The Job in the Police Department is one of the most in-demand and respected jobs in the country. Police recruitment is done either by the Central Government or by the various state governments. The notifications for the recruitment of the police personnel are notified by the Police Department in the daily newspapers.

The salary of the Police varies and depends upon the post that he/she has been recruited for. For positions like Constables or Inspectors, the candidates have to appear for a Staff Service Commission exam and the pay scale is low. 

Candidates who appear for the Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) exams and become eligible for several high positions like the Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Superintendent of Police have a higher salary structure.

The salary of the Police depends upon his/her Designation. Other than the basic salary the Police personnel is also entitled to allowances and other benefits.

Let us now take a quick look at  the salary of the police for gazetted and non gazetted positions

Police Salary for Gazetted Posts:

Name of the Post	Salary Structure	Grade Pay
Director-General of Police	INR 80,000	NIL
Additional Director General of Police	INR 37,000 to INR 67,000	INR 12000
Inspector-General of Police	INR 37,000 to INR 67,000	INR 10000
Deputy Inspector General of Police	INR 37,000 to INR 67,000	INR 8900
Senior Superintendent of Police	INR 15,600 to INR 39,000	INR 8700
Additional Superintendent of Police	INR 15,600 to INR 39,000	INR 7600
Deputy Superintendent of Police	INR 15,600 to INR 39,000	INR 5400

Police Salary for Non-Gazetted Posts:

Name of the Post	Salary Structure
Sub Inspector	INR 9300 to INR 34,800
Assistant sub-Inspector	INR 9300 to INR 34,800
Head Constable	INR 5200 to INR 20,200
Constable	INR 7000

Important Factors of the Salary of Police:

• Police officers enjoy a good pay scale and numerous benefits.
• The salaries of the Police officers are based on the divisions of service and the responsibilities of the Officer.
• Other than the salary the police officers are entitled to several allowances like dearness allowance (DA), City compensation allowance (CCA), Leave travel allowance (LTA), life insurance, and medical benefits.
• The salary of the Constables also includes allowances and several benefits.
• The allowances enjoyed by the Police Constable include Dearness allowance(DA), Transport allowance (TA), and House rent allowance (HRA).
• Police constables are entitled to added benefits like remuneration for petrol, diesel, and allowance for diet.

Best Post for the Police:

Of all the positions in the Police Department, the IPS officers’ post is the most revered. After clearing the Civil Services exam and the physical fitness tests, the candidate has to undergo a rigorous training program before being allocated to service. After completion of the physical fitness test, the candidate has to undergo an interview session and group discussions. During this phase, the personality of the candidates will be analyzed and the positions allocated accordingly.

In the hierarchy of the Police Department, the Director-General is the best post for Police. Many ranks in the Police Department will come after the Director-General. Let us now check the ranks of the Police Department based on their hierarchy:

• Posts in the Police Department 
• Director-General of Police
• Additional Director General of Police
• Inspector-General of Police
• Deputy Inspector General of Police
• Senior Superintendent of Police
• Superintendent of Police
• Additional Superintendent of Police
• Deputy Superintendent of Police
• Inspector 
• Sub-inspector
• Assistant Sub Inspector
• Head Constable
• Constable

From the above table it is clear that the best post in Police is that of the Director-General of Police and Constable holds the lowest rank in the Police Department.

Let us now check the responsibilities of the different posts in the Police:

Name of the Post	Roles and Responsibilities
Director-General of Police (DGP)	DGP is the highest rank holder who heads the entire Police Department of state.
Inspector-General of Police (IG)	IG supervises Police functions of an entire zone and also serves the paramilitary forces on deputation.
Superintendent of Police (SP)	SP controls the urban area of Armed Police or a Commando battalion
Police Inspector	Police Inspector is in charge of the Police station of a locality
Sub Inspector of Police	The Sub Inspector is the first investigating officer and can file a charge sheet in court.
Police Constable	Constables follow the orders of their superiors and carry out the duties assigned to them.

Career and Life of a Policeman:

This Article - How to become the police would be incomplete without including the Career and life of a Policeman. A Police officer’s career is honorable as his/her work is to maintain law and order in society by preventing the occurrence of crimes. The career and life of a Policeman involve a lot of risks as their main focus is to keep the communities safe. A Policeman has to do many duties and play a wide variety of roles.

The Police Department plays an important role in society and helps in the maintenance of the smooth life of every citizen of the country. The Police Force in India is chosen by the Central and State Governments and the prospective candidates have to undergo both written exams and rigorous physical training programs.

The recruitment process varies with the post that the candidate is applying for. To apply for the higher ranks in the Police Departments, the candidate has to take the Civil Services exam organized by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Candidates who want to apply for the post of Inspectors or Constables have to apply for the State level Staff Service Commission(SSC) exams.

The career and life of a policeman are widespread as his duties and responsibilities are not restricted to serving the Police Departments in India. A policeman can also become a part of the paramilitary forces and maintain law and peace in the country.

Given below are the career and life of a policeman in different departments:

Name of the Department	Responsibilities of a Policeman
National Security Guard (NSG)	Takes part in hostage operations and counter-terrorist operations.
Indo Tibetan Border Force (ITBF)	Safeguards the Indo Tibetan Border and are trained in Jungle warfare and Military operations.
Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB)	These Policemen are trained in military operations, Counterinsurgency Operations, and jungle warfare. Provide security in the Indo Nepal and the Indo Tibetan Borders.
Special Protection Group (SPG)	Provides 24-hour security to the Prime Minister and his immediate family members.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)	Maintains law and order in the states by preventing terrorist activities and crime.
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)	Protects different industries like power plants, ports, steel plants which are owned by the Central Government.
Border Security Force (BSF)	Prevents cross-border crimes, performs election duties, and maintains peace.

Summary:

The professional career of police is an honorable one, as a Policeman fulfills the duty of protecting the citizens of the country from any adverse conditions. There are several ranks in the Police Force and the responsibilities depend on the position of the police personnel. The selection process of a Policeman is quite rigorous as it involves both written exams and physical fitness tests. A Policeman has a respected position in society and is entitled to good salaries and other allowances. I hope this article "How to become Police" Really helped you.

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