Police Constable Salary, Eligibility and Exam Guide for All States

The police constable salary in most of India starts at Pay Level 3, which means a basic pay of ₹21,700 a month, in forces that follow the 7th CPC matrix or a state matrix with the same levels. Delhi Police, UP Police, Bihar Police, the Railway Protection Force and the central armed police forces all put their constables at this level. Some states use their own pay scales, so the exact constable salary depends on which state or force you join. This guide gives you the full picture: posts, eligibility, police bharti exam stages, pay by rank and how to prepare.

What a police constable does

The constable is the first rank in any police force. In a state police, constables do beat patrol, thana duty, traffic control, court and escort duty, VIP security and help sub-inspectors with investigation. In armed or reserve police they stay in battalions and move for law and order, elections and disasters. In railway police they guard trains and stations. The work has long hours and night shifts, but it is a permanent government job with respect in society, pension, medical cover and promotions.

Police is a state subject, so every state has its own police force and its own recruitment board. Delhi Police comes under the central government, and constables in CAPFs like CRPF and BSF are hired through the SSC.

Police constable salary across India

Here is how the starting pay looks in the major forces. Where a state uses its own scale, read that state's notice for the figure.

So the up constable salary, the Delhi constable salary and the RPF constable salary all start from the same ₹21,700 basic, while the WBP constable salary (West Bengal Police constable salary) and the MP police constable salary follow those states' own pay rules. For full detail, read our pages on Delhi Police constable, UP Police constable, Bihar Police constable and RPF constable.

Police salary per month: what you actually get

Your monthly police salary is more than the basic. The parts are:

• Basic pay: ₹21,700 at Level 3, with an increment of about 3 percent each year.
• DA: dearness allowance, a percentage of basic that the Centre or the state raises from time to time to match prices.
• HRA: house rent allowance, higher in big cities (class X), lower in towns (Y) and rural areas (Z). No HRA if you live in a police quarter or barrack.
• Transport allowance and some police specific allowances such as for uniform or risk, as notified by each government.
• Deductions: NPS share (a part of basic plus DA), the insurance premium, and tax once yearly earnings cross the taxable limit.

The salary panel on top of this page gives a live Level 3 estimate with the current central DA. Use the calculator to switch between X, Y and Z cities and see the in-hand change.

Head constable salary, ASI and higher ranks

Students often ask how pay grows after a few years. In forces that follow the central pay matrix, the ranks line up like this:

The head constable salary at Level 4 starts at ₹25,500, and ASI police salary at ₹29,200. Ranks above Inspector, like DSP and SP, come mostly through the state PCS or UPSC route. See our Sub-Inspector, State PCS and IPS officer guides if you aim higher.

Eligibility for police constable jobs

• Qualification: most state police forces ask for class 12 pass. The SSC GD constable exam for CAPFs and Assam Rifles needs only class 10. Delhi Police asks for class 12 plus an LMV driving licence for men.
• Age: usually 18 to 22 or 18 to 25 years for the unreserved category. For example, Delhi Police allows 18 to 25 years, and UP Police allows 18 to 22 years for men and 18 to 25 for women. SC, ST, OBC and other categories get relaxation as per rules.
• Physical standards: minimum height, chest for men, and eyesight rules. Delhi Police, for example, asks for 170 cm for men and 157 cm for women, with relaxations for hill area and ST candidates.
• Domicile: state reservation benefits go only to residents of that state.

Use the tool below to check your age on a cut-off date with category relaxation, and read our age limit guide.

Police bharti exam pattern and selection

Every police exam has three common parts: a written test, a physical test and a medical. The order and weight differ a lot:

So in Delhi and UP, the paper decides your rank, while in Bihar the ground decides it. The written police exam usually covers general knowledge and current affairs, reasoning, basic maths, and either Hindi or computer basics. The SSC GD constable exam is the main route into the central armed police forces, and it has a computer based exam followed by PET and PST.

If you want a Madhya Pradesh police job, the MP police constable exam pattern and MP police exam syllabus are printed in the MPESB rule book of that cycle. For every police job, the notice of the current cycle is the only reliable source.

Training and life after selection

After selection, constables go through basic recruit training at a police training school or centre of their force. It covers drill, weapons, law, first aid, unarmed combat and fitness. Pay starts from the day you join, so you earn during training. After training you get your first posting and a probation period, which is two years in Delhi Police. Expect transfers, festival and election duties, and long shifts in your first years.

How to prepare for a police constable exam

• Pick your target: your home state police (for an MP police job, that means MPESB), Delhi Police, CAPF or RPF. Their papers differ, so read the latest notice and syllabus first.
• Written test: four to six months of daily study is usually enough. Use NCERT class 6 to 10 books for GK, practise reasoning and arithmetic every day, and solve previous papers.
• Physical: start running from day one. Many students clear the paper and then fail the race. Train for the full marks level where PET carries marks.
• Documents: keep marksheets, caste and domicile certificates, NCC certificate and, for Delhi Police men, a permanent driving licence ready.
• Apply widely: one physical training plan works for state police, CAPF and RPF, so you can sit for several police bharti exams in a year.

Look at other uniform jobs like CRPF, BSF and CISF, or the wider list of government jobs after 12th.

Where to check official notices

Every police job has its notice only on the official website of the recruiting body: ssc.gov.in for Delhi Police and CAPF constables, uppbpb.gov.in for UP, csbc.bihar.gov.in for Bihar, the RRB websites for RPF, and the police recruitment board of your state for others. Seat counts and timelines shift from one bharti to the next, so rely on these sites and never pay anyone who promises a seat.