The Indian Police Service (IPS) is a governmental civil service and one of the three All India Services (AIS), alongside the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). The IPS is not a police force itself, but a service that provides senior-level leadership and commanders to the State Police forces and various Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The service was formally established in 1948, replacing the colonial-era Indian Imperial Police (IP) a year after India gained independence. Its creation was enabled by the Constitution of India, which provides for the All India Services under Article 312. The problem it solved was ensuring a unified, centrally-recruited, and trained senior police cadre that could serve both the Union and State governments, thereby maintaining administrative cohesion across the country.
The functioning of the IPS is primarily governed by the All-India Services Act, 1951, which regulates the recruitment and conditions of service for all AIS officers. The cadre control authority for the IPS is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). IPS officers are recruited through the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). They are trained at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad.
The IPS is intrinsically connected to the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, which govern their professional conduct and disciplinary matters. A significant recent change is the notification of the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, which mandates that 100% of the posts at the Special DG and Director General (DG) ranks in the CAPFs must be filled by IPS officers on deputation. This new Act also specifies that rules made under it will override any conflicting laws, orders, or court judgments regarding recruitment and service conditions in the CAPFs.