To serve in the Indian Police Service one has to pass the Civil Services Examination, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, every year. This examination is a common examination conducted for selection to the other one of the other All India Services, viz. the Indian Administrative Service, as well as various other Group A and Group B services under the Central Government. (The recruitment examination for the third All India Service- the Indian Forest Service- is conducted separately by the UPSC.) This examination consists of three stages.
At stage one, there is an objective type examination called the Preliminary examination. This is a qualifying examination and only the candidates who clears this can appear for the next stage called the Main examination. In the Main examination each candidate has to select two optional subjects, apart from which all candidates have to take a General Studies, Essay and compulsory language exam. The Main examination is a very intensive subjective type examination for which marks are awarded.
A shortlist is prepared on the basis of the Main examination and these candidates can compete in the third and final stage of exam called the Viva voce or the Interview. The marks of the Main examination and the Interview are combined to prepare a final merit list of selected candidates. The officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) are trained mainly at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in the city of Hyderabad.[1]
The Indian Police Service has been in existence since the Eighteen Hundreds.
1996-2006 Reforms ordered by the Supreme Court
Prakash Singh, one of the former Directors General of Police of the States of Assam and subsequently Uttar Pradesh and finally DG of Border Security Force (BSF) , initiated a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India, asking the court to investigate measures to reform the Police Forces across India in order to have proper rule of law and a significantly improved security across India. [2] Several measures were identified in order to professionalize the police in India:
A mid or high ranking police officer must not be transferred more frequently than 2 years
The state government cannot ask the police force to hire someone nor can they choose who the Chief Commissioner will be
There must be separate departments and staff for investigation and a separate one for patrolling
3 new authorities will be created in each state, to prevent political interference in Police and also to make the Police accountable for their heavy-handedness [3], which will include the creation of:
A State security Commission for policies and direction
A Police Establishment Board, which will decide the selection, promotions and transfers of police officers and other staff
In 2006, due to a lack of action by all the state governments in India, the supreme court ordered the state governments to report to it why the reform measures outlined were not implemented. [4]
After being questioned in front of the judges of the Supreme Court of India, the state governments are finally starting to reform the police forces and give them the operational independence they need for fearless and proper law enforcement. [5]