NEW DELHI: The Central government is dealing with some height issues. It has to decide on soon whether a civil service candidate, who has cleared the written tests and interview, but is shorter by a few centimetres in height, is eligible to be an IPS officer. It is also pondering over the necessity for IPS officers to be physically fit to catch Maoists and terrorists who operate in difficult terrain. As the final allocations of 2015 batch civil service officers are happening, six candidates are stuck at the final gate due to physical issues.
The rules insist that a male candidate in the General category needs to be 165 cm tall, with a chest measurement of 84 cm with 5 cm expansion, and 6/9 distant vision. Reserved category candidates are, though, allowed to be shorter by 5 cm in height and the same around the chest. The specs are 150 cm and 79 cm respectively for female candidates.
Rejected civil service candidates have been told to file their appeals to the Central Standing Medical Board by the end of this month if they are to be considered for postings. If they are not cleared, then they can appeal to DoPT, which will then convene a fresh appellate board in Delhi for the disqualified.
“It is unfortunate that those who reach the last stage after years of rigorous preparation lose out in the last round. A few cm short will not make any official inferior,” said an official. He said the number of cases is increasing every year, revealing the thinking within the government that the physical criterion has to be more in tune with times.
“In modern times, an IPS officer needs more brain than brawn. It’s a colonial hangover that we still give this much importance to physical attributes,’’ said the official. He said the ministry has received many proposals in this regard. “But it requires the amendment of the Civil Services Act. And for that, many heads have to come together,’’ he said.
But an opposing view exists in sections of the government that physical prowess is still an important aspect for IPS officers.
“There is some reason behind the physical conditions set and they still stand the same. Being physically fit is very important for any police officer,” said an IAS officer, who knows many such officials who wanted to join the IPS but failed due to physical issues.