UPSC CSE 2024 Eligibility Criterion
The UPSC Civil Services Examination, one of India's most prestigious competitive exams, has certain eligibility conditions that candidates must fulfil to apply. These conditions are as follows:
Nationality:
For the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS), candidates must be citizens of India.
For other services, candidates must fall under specific categories:
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Citizens of India
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Subjects of Nepal
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Subjects of Bhutan
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Tibetan refugees who came to India before January 1, 1962, to permanently settle in India.
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Persons of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam intending to permanently settle in India.
Candidates from categories (b), (c), (d), and (e) need to have a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India to be eligible for the examination. If the certificate is required, the candidate may be admitted to the test but will receive the offer of appointment only after obtaining the eligibility certificate.
Age Limits:
Candidates must have attained the age of 21 years and must not be older than 32 years as of August, 2024.
Age relaxation is provided for certain categories:
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Up to five years for candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST).
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Up to three years for candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC) eligible for reservation.
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Up to three years for Defence Services Personnel who were disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and were subsequently released.
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Up to five years for ex-servicemen, including Commissioned Officers and Emergency Commissioned Officers (ECOs)/ Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs), who have rendered at least five years of military service as of August, 2024, and have been released under specific conditions.
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Up to five years for ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of five years of military service as of August, 2024, and have their service extended beyond five years with a Ministry of Defence certificate allowing civil employment.
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Up to ten years for candidates belonging to Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories.
Educational Qualification:
Candidates must hold a graduate degree from any of the universities incorporated by an Act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a university under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.
Candidates who have appeared at a qualifying examination, the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, are also eligible. However, they must provide proof of passing the qualifying examination by the closing date of the Detailed Application Form-I for the Main Examination.
Number of Attempts:
Every eligible candidate is allowed a maximum of six attempts at the Civil Services Examination.
Relaxation in the number of attempts is available for candidates from SC/ST/OBC and PwBD categories.
Restrictions on Applying:
Candidates who are appointed to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), or Indian Police Service (IPS) based on the results of an earlier examination and continue to be members of those services are not eligible to appear for the Civil Services Examination-2024.
If a candidate is appointed to IAS or IFS after the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2024 but before the declaration of the result, they will not be eligible for the Civil Services (Main) Examination-2024.
Candidates who are appointed to the Indian Police Service based on the results of an earlier examination and continue to be members of that service cannot opt for the Indian Police Service again.
Medical and Physical Standards:
Candidates must meet the prescribed physical standards for admission to the Civil Services Examination 2024 as per the guidelines in Appendix-III of the Rules for Examination published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated February, 2024 (TBD).
Candidates must thoroughly read and understand these eligibility criteria before applying for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024. Complying with these conditions is essential to ensure a successful application and eligibility for the examination.
