TheState Police Services (SPS) is anumbrella term for police services under differentstate governments in India. In India, police is astate subject and each state has its own police service. For example, Maharashtra Police Service (MPS) forMaharashtra Police orProvincial Police Service (PPS) forUttar Pradesh Police.[1] Its counterpart in thecentral government is theIndian Police Service (IPS), which is a higher civil service. Recruitments are done through the respective state'sPublic Service Commission (PSC).
Police is part of theState List in theConstitution of India. The State Police Services (SPS) per se, is a collective term to refer the police services of individualstate governments of India. Officers of these services are recruited and appointed by the states and has the status of gazetted officers of the state government. The SPS officers are ranked above the State Police Subordinate Service officers and below theIndian Police Service (IPS) officers.
The SPS officers are responsible for supervising the work of the state police subordinate service officers. Once appointed, they initially hold the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP). In certain states, the SPS rank starts frominspector level, and in case ofMaharashtra Police, from assistant inspector (API) onwards.[2] In that case, inspector also holds gazetted status.[3]
They are given various responsibilities, including posting as Station House Officers (SHOs), Circle Officers (COs)/ Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPOs), Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl.SPs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs), depending on their rank and experience.[4][5][6][7][8]
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The recruitment to these services are conducted by the respectivestate governments through theirPublic Service Commissions (PSCs). These exams typically consist of a written test, physical fitness test, and an interview. Upon clearing the selection process, candidates are appointed as SPS officers and undergo training at the police academy before being posted. SPS does not include police services in any of theUnion Territory of India, which is under thecentral government, to which recruitment are made by theUnion Public Service Commission (UPSC) through theCivil Services Examination.
After selection, these cadets are required to undergo probationary training before getting posted asDeputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). While some states have a direct recruitment process for SPS officers, others follow a promotion-based system. In certain states, such asKerala, the recruitment process for SPS is based on promotion from within the state police forces.
| Insignia |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Superintendent of police[a] | Additional superintendent of police[b] | Deputy superintendent of police[c] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbreviation | SP | Addl.SP | DSP/Dy.SP | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gazetted officers include all theIndian Police Serviceofficers and all state police service officers.
The Indian Police Service (IPS) of any state has two components, namely DR Quota and Promotion Quota. Direct recruit IPS officers come through the Civil Services Exam conducted by the UPSC, while State Police Service officers are inducted into the IPS against the Promotion Quota.
The process of appointment from the State Police Service to the IPS against the Promotion Quota is a lengthy process involving three stakeholders- the concerned State Government, theUnion Public Service Commission (UPSC), and the Union Government. The roles of these stakeholders are defined in the Indian Police Service (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, Indian Police Service (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations, 1955, and IPS (Regulation of Seniority) Rules, 1988.The process begins with the Central Government determining the vacancies against the promotion quota of any state for a particular calendar year. The State Government then forwards a proposal to the UPSC containing the details/records of the State Police Service officers in the order of their seniority. The UPSC then convenes a Selection Committee Meeting, which scrutinizes the records/ACRs and other details of the State Police Service officers as per the provisions of Regulation 5(4) of the promotions Regulations.
The Committee records its recommendations in the form of ‘Minutes,' which are signed by each member and the chairperson. These minutes are sent to the State Government concerned, which forwards them to the Central Government after its concurrence. The Central Government examines the minutes and conveys its concurrence to the UPSC. Finally, the Commission approves the minutes, and the Central Government, as the cadre controlling authority for the Indian Police Service, conveys its approval.[11][12][13][14]
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