What Are The Physical Fitness Requirements For The IAS Exam?

The Union Public Service Commission commonly known as UPSC stipulates some common eligibility criterion rules for the successful candidates to be appointed for the IAS.

What Are The Physical Fitness Requirements For The IAS Exam?

The Union Public Service Commission commonly known as UPSC stipulates some common eligibility criterion rules for the successful candidates to be appointed for the IAS. There are some standard Physical fitness requirements of the IAS such as height, weight, chest, etc. which qualifiers need to follow, specifically for the technical services namely, the Indian Police Service (IPS), the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), Pondicherry Police Service (PONDIPS), Delhi Andaman and Nicobar Police Service (DANIPS), and the Railway Protection Force (RPF). On the other hand, non-technical services don’t require any physical standard and only some basic demands of health are mandatory to be satisfied by the papering students. 

Aspirants who are preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination may have multiple doubts regarding the Physical fitness requirements for IAS, Medical Test requirements for IAS, and Physical Test for IAS Officer. Here in this article, we have provided some clarity on the Physical fitness requirements for IAS Officer.

According to the Rule 21 at Civil Services Examination prescribed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) states that, “An applicant must be in a good mental and bodily health and free from any physical flaw which is likely to interfere with the discharge of his duties and responsibilities as an officer of the service.”

Physical Fitness Requirements For The IAS Exam

Below you can find the important aspects and requirements of Physical Fitness in the IAS exam. 

Physical Eligibility Criteria for IAS Exam

• There is no such requirement of height, weight, and chest girth for such candidates who are appearing for the IAS, unlike the technical services. However, if the candidate’s measurements are disproportionate as per the medical board requirement, he/she can be hospitalized for investigation.  Please note that all the technical services have certain minimum requirements and eligibility.
• Participants must have a proper vision in the eyes, as the corrections permitted are spectacles, CL and refractive surgery like ICL, LASIK, IOL, etc. Those who are suffering from myopia with macular degenerative changes will be declared unfit to join the IAS service, while people who are having a squint in the eyes are fit for service. Also, candidates who are having Night blindness are not eligible to apply for the exam. 
• Blood pressure over 140/90 must be subjected to go for further testing in the hospital to determine whether the abnormal BP is temporary due to excitement or having serious issues. Ones who are free from all sort of complication of hypertension will be declared physically and medically fit for service.
• Candidates' hearing ability should be ‘good’ in each ear. In case of any defect, He/She should be subjected to go for further tests to see if the defect can be remedied by a hearing aid or an operation.
• Applicant’s teeth should be in ‘good order’ and their heart and lungs should be fine.
• The hands, feet, and limbs of the candidates should be well-formed and he/she should not be suffering from any joint pain. 
• There should not be any sign of chronic disease in the candidate and must bear marks of efficient vaccination.
• Test-takers with grade I hemorrhoids are declared fit for the IAS post. On the other hand, diseases like varicose veins, hernia, hydrocele, hemorrhoids, etc. are declared temporarily unfit and should be announced fit after successful surgery.
• Candidates having transplanted organs are not eligible to apply, as they are declared unfit. However, there must be an exception for corneal transplants.

Medical Examination Requirement for IAS Officers

Medical examination and physical fitness is done for all candidates who appear for the UPSC IAS personality test in seven designated hospitals located in Delhi. The list is as follows:  

• Safdarjung Hospital
• BR Ambedkar Hospital
• Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital
• Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
• Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
• Succheta Kriplani Hospital
• DeenDayal Upadhyay Hospital

Meritorious candidates belonging to Physical Handicapped (PH) category would undergo for examination process in five hospitals namely:

• Safdarjung Hospital
• Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
• LHMC
• Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
• Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital

Lady candidates would be examined in all the above provided seven hospitals. Here in these hospitals, a Lady Doctor will be co-opted as a member of the Medical Board whenever a female candidate will go for examination procedure. 

Advice For Appearing Candidates 

Candidates are advised to have a fasting period for 10 hours or more on the day of Medical Examination. They are advised to shouldn’t take any medicine upon the arrival of Medical Examination. If the aspirant is using spectacles or having a hearing aid, they must bring the same with the prescription for the same. More than this, if any applicant is utilizing Contact Lenses, they are encouraged to quit utilizing them no less than 48 hours before the medical examination. 

Candidates belonging to the Physical Handicapped (PH) category are advised to bring their ‘Disability Certificate’, if any, issued to him/her by any Disability Medical Board in the past.

Test-takers who are pregnant will be fit for all types of services, except-the services which require/physical training.