UPSC: Civil Services Exam Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for the UPSC Civil Services Examination are as follows:

Nationality:

1. Only Indian nationals are eligible for IAS and IPS.
2. For other services a candidate can be either of the following:

(a) a citizen of India, or
(b) a subject of Nepal, or
(c) a subject of Bhutan, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Burma, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vietnam, Zaire or Zambia with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Candidates belonging to either categories of b., c., d. or e. must produce an eligibility certificate issued by the Government of India. Those who belong to either of b., c. or d. categories are not eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
Age Limits:

A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st August of the year of taking the examination.

The upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxable:

• Up to a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a S.C. or a S.T. category.
• Up to a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates.
• Up to a maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from the 1st January, 1980 to the 31st day of December, 1989.
• Up to a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof:
• Up to a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs / SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2005 and have been released (i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st August, 2005) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency, or (ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or (iii) on impalement.
• Up to a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs / SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2005 and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three month's notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.
• Up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of blind, deaf-mute and orthopaedically handicapped persons.

Minimum Educational Qualifications: The candidate must hold a degree of 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.

Number of attempts: Every candidate appearing for the Civil Services Examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted four attempts at the examination.

Provided that this restriction on the number of attempts will not apply in the case of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates who are otherwise eligible. The number of attempts permissible to candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes, who are otherwise eligible, shall be seven. This relaxation will be available to the candidates who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates.

Note:

• An attempt at a Preliminary Examination shall be deemed to be an attempt at the examination.
• If a candidate actually appears in any one paper in the Preliminary Examination, he shall be deemed to have made an attempt at the examination.
• Not withstanding the disqualification /cancellation of candidature the fact of appearance of the candidate at the examination will count as an attempt.