How to Become DSP (Deputy Superintendant of Police)?

A police job is considered a very popular and brave job in our society. Many people want to do jobs in the police department. DSP stands for Deputy Superintendent of Police and is one of the head officers of a state police department.

DSP is one of the highly coveted and respected designations at the state level. The rank badge of Deputy Superintendant of Police comes with a national emblem beyond a highlighted star on the shoulder strap.

Every year thousands of candidates prepare for the DSP exam to become a DSP because becoming a DSP is a dream for many students. Are you one of those who want to become a DSP officer? If yes, and searching the procedure about how to become a DSP, you are in the right place.

In this article, I will discuss the complete process of how to become a Deputy Superintendant of Police simpl. So, keep reading this article till the end.

DSP Full Form:- Deputy Superintendent of Police

What is Deputy Superintendent of Police?

The Deputy Superintendent of Police also abbreviated as DSP is one of the highest-ranked officers in the State Police Department who is the representative of the State Police and gives directions to the State Police Officers. The insignia of this officer is a national emblem above a star on the shoulder strap. DSP is an officer subordinate to the Superintendent of Police.

It is the duty of a DSP officer to ensure that law and order are being followed properly in the state or not and if someone is not following the law and order and any illegal activity is also said to be done, then orders are given by the DSP to take action on them as soon as possible.

The DSP also oversees all the functions being carried out in the police department such as controlling investigations, preventing crime, functioning of police stations, etc.

How to Become DSP?

To become a DSP, candidates have to qualify for UPSC CSE or State PSC exam as these are the only two exams through which one can become a DSP. UPSC is a national-level exam that is conducted every year by the Union Public Service Commission of India, whereas state PSC is a state-level exam conducted by their respective Public Service Commission in every state of India.

If the candidates want to become DSP through the UPSC CSE exam, then they will have to become IPS by clearing the UPSC CSE exam and if the candidates want to become through any State PSC exam then they have to clear the PSC exam.

After clearing the state PSC exam, candidates do not become DSP directly, first, they are given a rank of lower grade and after many years of service, candidates become DSP through multiple promotions which are based on the performance of the candidate.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Eligibility

Candidates who want to become Deputy Superintendent of Police must fulfil these eligibility criteria before applying for the exam form. The eligibility criteria for DSP are as follow:

Education Qualification for DSP

• Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
• Candidates who are in the final year of their graduation can also apply for the exam form.
• Candidates who have completed their degree from a technical stream or medical stream are also eligible to become DSP.
• Candidates who have completed their Master’s or PhD are eligible to apply.
• Candidates working in any post after completing graduation are also eligible to apply.

Age Limit for DSP

The age limit to become DSP varies from category to category as some category candidates get the benefit of caste reservation or other quota relaxation. The minimum age limit to apply for the form to become a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) is 21 years. 21 years or above age candidates are eligible to apply for the exam form. The upper age limit for different category students is as follows:

• General Category:- The maximum age limit to become DSP is 32 years.
• OBC Category:- OBC category candidates get 3 years of relaxation in the upper age limit so their maximum age limit to become DSP is 35 years.
• SC/ST:- SC/ST category candidates get 5 years of relaxation in the upper age limit so their maximum age limit to become DSP is 37 years.

Note:- If you become through DSP promotion then the age limit is not considered.

Nationality

Candidates must be a citizen of India in order to become Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

Physical Requirements for DSP

• The minimum height for men is 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) and for women is 155 cm (5 ft 1 in).
• The minimum chest requirement is 84 cm (33 in) and chest expansion of 5 cm (2 in).
• Candidates should have proper vision in their eyes.
• The hearing ability of the candidates should be good in both ears.
• The blood pressure of the candidates should be normal.
• The heart and lungs of the candidates should be working properly.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Salary

The salary of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) may vary from state to state. The basic salary of DSP is Rs.15,600 to Rs.39,300 monthly. Basic pay is increased through promotion. Also, apart from basic salary DSPs get an allowance like Travelling Allowance (TA), Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), etc.

Post	Salary (Monthly)
SP/ASP	₹70,000 – ₹1,09,200
DSP/Assistant Commissioner	₹15,600 – ₹39,300
Circle Inspector	₹15,600 – ₹39,100
Sub-Inspector	₹9,300 – ₹34,800

Grade Pay of DSP

Post	Grade Pay
SP/ASP	₹7,600
DSP/Assistant Commissioner	₹5,400
Circle Inspector	₹4,200
Sub-Inspector	₹4,200

Exam to Become DSP

There are mainly two types of exams, out of which a candidate can become a Deputy Superintendent of Police by clearing all the levels of any one exam. The exams to become DSP are as follows:

1. UPSC Civil Services Exam
2. State PSC Exam

UPSC CSE

UPSC CSE is a civil services exam, through which recruitment is done in numerous higher administrative and police departments post. UPSC CSE exam is conducted by Union Public Service Commission at the All India Level for many posts such as IAS, IPS, IFS, etc. Candidates have to clear all the stages of the exam and opt for Indian Police Services (IPS).

So that candidates can be appointed to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police in the State Police Department. UPSC civil services is a pen-paper mode examination. The paper for this exam is available in two languages, one is English and the other is Hindi. UPSC CSE is also considered one of the toughest exams in India. Candidates have the option to choose any one language. This exam is conducted in three phases.

1. Preliminary (Prelims)
2. Mains
3. Interview (Personality Test)

1. Preliminary Exam

Preliminary is the first stage of the CSE exam consisting of two papers – one is General Studies-I and another is General Studies-II (CSAT). The duration of each paper is 2 hours. Both papers have objective-type questions. Paper I consist of a total of 100 questions having 2 marks for each correct answer and 1/3rd of marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer. Paper-II (General Studies-II) consist of 80 questions having 2.5 marks for each correct answer and 1/3rd of marks deducted for each incorrect answer. The syllabus of each paper is as follows:

Syllabus of General Studies I

• Indian National Movement
• History of India
• Indian and World Geography
• Economic and Social Development
• Indian Polity and Governance
• Biodiversity and Climate Change
• General Issues on Environmental Ecology
• General Science

Syllabus of General Studies II

• Analytical Ability
• Comprehension
• Logical Reasoning
• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• General Mental Ability
• Basic Numeracy
• Data Interpretation
• Decision-making and Problem-Solving

2. Mains Exam

Candidates who successfully qualify for the preliminary exam are eligible to appear in the UPSC mains exam. Mains exam consists of subjective based questions in which candidates have to write brief answers. Mains exam is comprised of 9 papers, but only 7 papers will be counted in the final merit ranking. The details of each paper are as follows:

Paper	Subject	Marks	Duration
Paper A	Compulsory Indian Language	300	3 Hours
Paper B	English	300	3 Hours
Paper I	Essay	250	3 Hours
Paper-II	General Studies I	250	3 Hours
Paper III	General Studies II	250	3 Hours
Paper IV	General Studies III	250	3 Hours
Paper V	General Studies IV	250	3 Hours
Paper VI	Optional I	250	3 Hours
Paper VII	Optional II	250	3 Hours

Compulsory Indian Language (Paper A)

Candidates have to choose any one Indian language for this paper. Whichever language the candidate will choose, questions will also be asked in that particular language in this particular paper. It is not a mandatory paper for the people of those states who come from Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. These are the following languages from which candidates have to choose anyone.

Assamese	Bengali	Gujarati	Hindi
Kannada	Kashmiri	Konkani	Malayalam
Manipuri	Marathi	Nepali	Odia
Punjabi	Sanskrit	Sindhi	Tamil
Urdu	Bodo	Dogri	Maithili
Telugu	Santhali

English (Paper B)

It is only an English language-based paper containing a total of 300 marks.

Essay (Paper I)

It is a mandatory paper in which candidates have to write essays on multiple topics. Candidates have to write the complete paper in 3 hours of duration.

General Studies I (Paper-II)

• Modern Indian History
• History of the World
• Indian Culture
• The Freedom Struggle
• Diversity of India
• Literature and Architecture from Ancient to modern times
• Colonization
• Capitalism and Socialism
• Developmental Issues and Urbanization
• Secularism and Regionalism
• Important Geophysical Phenomena
• Salient Features of Indian Society
• Social Empowerment and Communalism
• Salient Features of the World’s Physical Geography
• Changes in critical geographical

General Studies II (Paper III)

• Indian Constitution
• Separation of Power between various organs
• Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries
• Role of Pressure Groups and associations in the Polity
• The role of NGOs, SHGs and various groups
• Role of civil services in a Democracy
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger
• India’s relations with its neighbourhood
• Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States
• Parliament and State Legislatures
• Structure and Functioning of the Departments of the Government
• Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of Various Constitutional Bodies
• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
• Important International Institutions
• Important aspects of governance
• Issues relating to the development and management

General Studies III (Paper IV)

• Development and Employment
• Government Budgeting
• Public Distribution System
• Economics of animal-rearing
• Supply Chain Management
• Effects of Liberalization on the Economy
• Disaster and disaster management
• Environmental Pollution
• Challenges to Internal Security through Communication Networks
• Mobilization of Resources
• Indian Economy
• Types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage
• Issues of buffer stocks and food security
• Food processing and related industries in India
• Land reforms in India
• Infrastructure
• Science and Technology Developments
• Types of Security forces and Agencies

General Studies IV (Paper V)

• Dimensions of Ethics
• Attitude
• Ethics in Public Administration
• Probity in Governance
• Case Studies
• Ethics and Human Interface
• Human Values
• Emotional Intelligence Concepts
• Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service
• Utilization of Public Funds

Optional (Paper VI and VII)

There are two papers on the optional subjects. The optional subjects in UPSC exams are as follows:

• Agriculture
• Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
• Anthropology
• Botany
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Commerce and Accountancy
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• Geography
• Geology
• History
• Law
• Management
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Medical Science
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science and International Relations
• Psychology
• Public Administration
• Sociology
• Statistics
• Zoology

Note:- You can check the complete syllabus by visiting the official website of UPSC.

3. Interview (Personality Test)

The interview is the last stage of the UPSC CSE exam. Candidates who successfully qualify in the main exam are eligible for the Interview round. Candidates have to appear in the interview round. Those candidates who successfully clear the interview rounds and also qualify the cut-off to become an IPS in the final result, become an IPS. After a few months of the results, they are sent for training and after the training is over, they are allotted for DSP in any state of India.

State PSC Exam

State PSC is another exam through which candidates become DSPs. However, the candidates do not become direct DSPs through this exam. They first become officers of lower rank such as Circle Inspector, Sub-Inspector of Police, etc and after many years of service, they become DSPs through several promotions.

Each state in India conducts its own PSC exam for recruitment to several government services in the various government departments. Through this exam, many posts are also recruited for the State Police Department such as Police Inspector, Sub-Inspector of Police, etc. The pattern of the state PSC exam is very much similar to the UPSC CSE exam. You can see your state’s PSC exam syllabus on the official website of your state PSC.

PSC Exams in India

S No.	State PSC Exams Name
1	Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC)
2	Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission
3	Assam Public Service Commission (APSC)
4	Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC)
5	Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission
6	Goa Public Service Commission
7	Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC)
8	Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC)
9	Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission
10	Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission
11	Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC)
12	Karnataka Public Service Commission
13	Kerala Public Service Commission
14	Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission
15	Manipur Public Service Commission
16	Maharashtra Public Service Commission
17	Meghalaya Public Service Commission
18	Mizoram Public Service Commission
19	Nagaland Public Service Commission
20	Orissa Public Service Commission
21	Punjab Public Service Commission
22	Rajasthan Public Service Commission
23	Sikkim Public Service Commission
24	Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
25	Tripura Public Service Commission
26	Telangana State Public Service Commission
27	Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission
28	Uttarakhand Public Service Commission
29	West Bengal Public Service Commission

DSP Roles and Responsibilities

• It is the responsibility of the DSP to maintain law and order in his assigned area.
• The DSP manages all the police stations in his area.
• DSP keeps an eye on all the work happening in his area.
• If any illegal activity is happening in the area of ​​DSP, then DSP should take action on it as soon as possible.
• It is the responsibility of the DSP to prevent crime and maintain security and peace in the area.
• DSP works with a proper alignment of all the officers coming under him. So that the case can be resolved as soon as possible.
• It is the responsibility of the DSP to provide proper security to the politicians of his area.

How to Prepare for DSP?

1. Start your preparation at least 1 year before applying for the DSP exam form.
2. Get to know all the details about DSP such as its work profile, power, salary, eligibility to become DSP, exams, and so on before applying for the DSP exams form.
3. Memories of the complete syllabus of all stages of the DSP Exam before starting your preparation.
4. Break the syllabus into parts. So that it will be easy for you to complete the syllabus.
5. Make a habit of reading Newspapers, Magazines, Current Affairs, and Blogs daily.
6. Make a habit of making notes on topics that are important for the exam.
7. Make a proper timetable for each day and divide your time into specific topics.
8. Revise all NCERT books from class 6 to class 12 for History, Geography and Political Science subjects.
9. Try to solve at least one set of prelims papers daily and mains paper weekly. As a result, it improves your timing and writing speed. Also, solve previous year’s questions.
10. You can watch mock interviews of many people on the internet who have become DSPs and you can learn a lot from those interviews.
11. Give several mock interviews before going for the actual interview. Which will increase your confidence.

How to Become DSP after 12th?

There are no criteria to become DSP after 12th. Candidates first have to complete their graduation in their interested stream. After that, when the candidates have completed their graduation, then they become eligible to apply for the form of State PSC Exam and UPSC CSE.

It does not depend on which stream the candidate belongs to as there are no stream-related eligibility criteria in UPSC CSE and State PSC exams. After that candidates have to qualify for all the stages of the exam. I have told all the further procedures above.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Benefits

• The DSP has been given accommodation for him and his family.
• Different services are also provided to DSPs such as cooks, security guards, gardeners, etc.
• The vehicle is also provided to DSP for official work.
• DSP also gets study leave from the government to Study Abroad.
• Full-time personal protection is also provided to the DSP.
• A DSP gets a lot of power and respect in society.

Steps to Become Deputy Superintendent of Police

Step 1 – First, candidates have to fulfil all the eligibility criteria that are needed to become Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Step 2 – Then fill up the DSP exam form by visiting the official website of UPSC or State PSC.

Step 3 – Candidates have to clear all the stages of the DSP exam.

Step 4 – If candidates clear the UPSC CSE exam, then candidates have to choose IPS.

Step 5 – If candidates clear the state PSC exam and allot lower grade posts, then candidates become DSP through promotions.

Step 6 – Candidates will be sent for training.

Step 7 – After the completion of the training period, the candidates are ready to join their duties.

Difference Between DSP and Inspector?

DSP	Inspector
1. DSP is known as Deputy Superintendent of Police.	1. Inspector is known as Circle Inspector.
2. DSP is a head officer in the state police.	2. Inspector is in charge of a police station.
3. The working area of DSP is longer.	3. The working area of the Inspector is smaller than DSP.
4. DSPs get personal security and accommodation.	4. Inspector doesn’t get personal security.
5. DSP get study leave.	5. Inspector doesn’t get study leave.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)