UPSC Eligibility 2021 | IAS Age Limit, Qualification, Number of Attempts & More| Career Launcher

We totally understand your excitement to become a part of India’s elite bureaucracy! The first thing you need to check before applying for the IAS exam is UPSC eligibility criteria. The UPSC eligibility criteria are mentioned in the official notification released by the UPSC. The official calendar for the exam has already been released. The notification for UPSC Exam 2021 will be released in February 2021 that will contain the details about the eligibility criteria.

However, on the basis of previous years’ notification, we have discussed the UPSC Exam Eligibility 2020 below for your convenience. The UPSC eligibility 2020 is set on different parameters including nationality, educational qualification, age, nationality, etc, all of which are discussed in this article.

UPSC Eligibility Snapshot

You need to qualify below parameters to be eligible for the UPSC Civil Services Exam:

IAS Age Limit 21 to 32 years
Age relaxation As per category (mentioned below)
Educational qualification for UPSC Civil Services Graduation from any recognized university
Nationality Indian

Following points should be kept in mind while appearing for IAS Exam 2020:

UPSC Eligiblity 2020 - Age Limit

UPSC has a fixed number of attempts and eligibility criteria with respect to age for the UPSC examination. Here’s the list of category-wise age limit and the number of attempts:

Category Upper Age Limit for UPSC Maximum Number of Attempts
General 32 6
Economically Weaker Section (EWS) 32 6
OBC 35 9
SC/ST 37 Unlimited (Up to age limit)
Defence Services Personnel 35 9
Persons with Benchmark Disability 35 9

It is important to note that an attempt is counted when you appear for the Prelims examination. Hence, if you’ve filled the examination form and not appear for the exam, your attempt will not be counted.

UPSC Eligibility 2020 - Educational Qualification

The eligibility conditions for UPSC exam with respect to educational qualification is given below :

  • The candidate must hold a graduation degree from a government-recognized university.
  • Candidates who are in their final year or awaiting results are also eligible to appear for UPSC preliminary Examination.

UPSC Eligibility Criteria - Nationality

For IAS and IPS:

  • Candidate must be a citizen of India

All other Services:

Candidate must be either:-

  • A citizen of India, or
    A subject of Nepal, or
    A subject of Bhutan, or
    A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
    A person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
  • The candidates belonging to categories (2), (3), (4) and (5) should furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Such candidates may take the exam before getting the said certificate of eligibility, but he/she would get the offer of appointment only after the certificate has been issued by the Government of India.

    • Note: A person belonging to categories (2), (3) and (4) are not eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

    So, here is a brief overview of the UPSC Eligibility Criteria. If you’ve any queries regarding the same, you can get in touch with our expert counselors.

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