The UPSC Exam starts with IAS Eligibility. In an official UPSC statement, the UPSC outlines the IAS eligibility criterion. Along with the UPSC’s official notification, the Indian government also published an official gazette detailing the recruitment guidelines for the Civil Service Exam that year. That gazette contains the IAS Eligibility rules. Because the IAS exam is India’s most desired exam, conducted by the country’s top exam conducting authority – the UPSC – the first thing that springs to mind for a graduate is IAS eligibility. IAS applicants must understand the various eligibility criteria for the test. This article throws light on the age limit and number of attempts in UPSC examinations.
Nationality
For Central Civil Services –
(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 Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d), and (e) shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
A candidate who requires a certificate of eligibility may be accepted to the test, but the offer of appointment will be made only when the Government of India has provided the appropriate eligibility certificate.
Age limit
Candidates must be at least 21 years old to apply for UPSC IAS 2022, with a maximum age limit of 32 years. Candidates who fall into particular categories are given age concessions. Candidates can observe the various types of age relaxation available here. The UPSC also offers age relaxation to candidates who fall into one of the following categories.
| CATEGORY | AGE RELAXATION |
| SC/ ST | 5 YEARS |
| Defence Services Personnel, disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof | 3 YEARS |
| OBC | 3 YEARS |
| PwD [(a) blindness and low vision; (b) deaf and hard of hearing; (c) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims, and muscular dystrophy; (d) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness; and (e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d) including deaf-blindness] | 10 YEARS |
| Ex-servicemen including commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years of military service as of August 1, 2021, and have been released | 5 YEARS |
Upper Age Limit for IAS for OBC – 35 years
Maximum age limit for IAS for SC/ST – 37 years
Apart from the mentioned limits, OBC/ SC/ ST candidates will get the benefit of cumulative age relaxation. This means age relaxations get added in special cases, say, for example, if the person is OBC + Ex-servicemen, he will get an extension of 3 + 5 = 8 years, i.e., his upper age limit now stands at 40 years.
Number of attempts
Aside from the age and educational requirements, there is one other requirement for the IAS exam. In the IAS test, candidates are limited to a specific number of attempts. However, just as reserved category applicants are exempt from the age limit, they are also exempt from the number of attempts. In the official IAS notice, the UPSC describes the attempts. A candidate’s effort will be counted if he or she appears in any of the papers of the IAS Prelims test. One of the most important aspects of IAS eligibility is the number of attempts.
The high absenteeism in the IAS prelims exam is due to this. Only about half of the candidates participate in the IAS prelims test, while the remaining students do not appear to maintain their number of attempts. As a result, UPSC established the IAS application withdrawal option. Regardless of disqualification or cancellation of candidature, the candidate’s attendance at the examination will be counted as an attempt.
| CATEGORY | NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS ALLOWED |
| General/Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 6 |
| Other Backward Classes | 9 |
| SC/ST | Unlimited – till the age limit |
| Person with Disabilities | Unlimited – till the age limit |
Minimum educational qualification
This exam does not make any distinctions depending on the qualifying exam’s minimum percentage. The only educational requirement is that candidates be graduates or equivalents from a recognized university in any discipline. The minimal passing percentage required to sit for the IAS Exam is not specified.
Candidates in their final year of study can also apply for the IAS, but they must provide their final year mark sheet/ score sheet at the time of submitting the Detailed Application Form (DAF) for the IAS main exam. It means that any Indian citizen who has earned a bachelor’s degree with whatever percentage can apply for the IAS if he meets all of the other requirements.
IAS is open to medical students who have completed their final year of MBBS but have yet to complete their internship. A certificate of course completion (including internship) from the appropriate authorities of the University/Institution must be presented with the Main Examination application.
Special Provisions
Candidates who are assigned to the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) or Indian Foreign Services (IFS) and remain in those services are ineligible to take the IAS Exam again. They must quit in order to take the IAS exam again.
However, an existing IPS officer can reappear for the IAS exam. He cannot, however, return to the Indian Police Service.
A candidate must be physically fit and have a sound mind. After the IAS interview, the candidate needs to undergo a compulsory medical test at the assigned medical center. The candidates need to qualify for this medical test irrespective of the service assigned later. The candidate who wants to claim the relaxation in the IAS eligibility criteria, as per their category, should note that all the certificates required to avail the relaxation should be issued before the date of the IAS notification of that year. This article helped us to know more about the age limit and number of attempts in UPSC examinations. For more details, you can check out The UPSC notification released by the commission every year.
FAQs
1. FAQ: What is the age limit for UPSC exams?
Answer: The age limit for UPSC exams varies based on the category of the candidate. For the general category, the maximum age is 32 years, while OBC candidates can apply till the age of 35. SC/ST candidates have a relaxation of up to 5 years, allowing them to apply till the age of 37. Additionally, there are further relaxations for certain categories, such as ex-servicemen and persons with benchmark disabilities.
2. FAQ: How many attempts are allowed for UPSC exams?
Answer: The number of attempts permitted for UPSC exams depends on the category of the candidate. General category candidates have a limit of 6 attempts, while OBC candidates can attempt the exam 9 times. SC/ST candidates enjoy unlimited attempts until they reach the upper age limit. The attempts are counted from the year in which the candidate first appears for the examination.
3. FAQ: Is there any age relaxation for ex-servicemen in UPSC exams?
Answer: Yes, there is age relaxation for ex-servicemen in UPSC exams. Ex-servicemen who have rendered a minimum of five years of military service are eligible for an age relaxation of 5 years, in addition to the standard relaxation applicable to their category. This means that the maximum age limit for ex-servicemen can be up to 37 years for the general category.
4. FAQ: Are there any limitations on educational qualifications for UPSC exams based on age?
Answer: No, there are no specific limitations on educational qualifications based on age for UPSC exams. However, candidates are required to have a minimum educational qualification, which is a degree from a recognized university. The age criteria and number of attempts are the primary factors linked to age, while educational qualifications are a separate criterion.
5. FAQ: Can a candidate from the economically weaker section (EWS) avail age relaxation in UPSC exams?
Answer: As of the last available information, there is no specific age relaxation for candidates from the economically weaker section (EWS) in UPSC exams. The age criteria and relaxation are primarily based on categories such as general, OBC, SC, and ST. It’s advisable to check the latest UPSC notifications for any updates or changes in eligibility criteria.
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