The detailed UPSC Eligibility 2025 is specified in the official UPSC notification that has been released on 22 January, 2025. The IAS Eligibility Criteria is defined in terms of age limit, educational qualifications, number of attempts and citizenship. For all the UPSC aspirants who will be applying for the UPSC Civil Services Recruitment 2025, it is crucial to check the detailed eligibility criteria before filling out the UPSC Application Form. The minimum UPSC age limit is 21 years. Aspirants must fall in the age group of 21 to 32 years and possess a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline to be eligible for the IAS Exam. Embarking on the path of a UPSC aspirant requires a thorough understanding of the UPSC eligibility as the first step to one's dream of becoming a civil servant in India.

• The UPSC Civil Services age limit for general categories is 21 to 32 years, 21 to 35 years for OBC, 21 to 37 for SC/ST candidates and 21 to 42 for PwBD candidates.
• Candidates must possess a Bachelor's Degree from a recognized University/Institution; candidates with technical degree like MBBS/B.E./B.Tech will also be eligible.
• A total of 6 IAS Exam attempts are available for General category candidates and 9 attempts for OBC candidates. There is no limit to number of attempts for SC/ST candidates.
• Only Indian citizens are eligible to apply for UPSC CSE 2025 Exam.

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UPSC Eligibility 2025: Highlights

The UPSC Civil Services Eligibility is defined in terms of the candidate's age limit, educational qualification, nationality, etc. Criteria such as age limit are also relaxed for reserved category applicants. The details of the UPSC Civil Services Eligibility Criteria are discussed in the following sub-sections.

UPSC Civil Services​ Physical Eligibility

The UPSC Physical Eligibility criteria is applicable for candidates applying for All India Services. Such candidates will need to appear and clear a physical test which will be conducted by the examination conducting body as per rules and regulations decided by the Government of India. Clearing the Physical Standard Test is mandatory for the efficient discharge of duties and services. 

• The Physical Standard test consists of both Physical and Mental Tests so candidates need to be physically and mentally fit to join any post of All India Services. 
• The Physical Test is applicable for those candidates applying for IPS officers for districts or Indian Railway services and the police services of Pondicherry, among others.
• These physical standards are determined according to the guidelines provided in Appendix-III of the Rules for Examination published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated February 02, 2023.
• Candidates who will not satisfy the requirements for the Physical Standard Test decided by the exam conducting body will not be appointed for any post of All India Services.

List of Hospitals Conducting Medical Test for UPSC

Candidates irrespective of gender need to take part in the medical test which will be conducted by the following hospitals in Delhi. 

1. Safdarjung Hospital
2. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
3. Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital
4. Sucheta Kriplani Hospital
5. Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
6. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital
7. BR Ambedkar Hospital

The Medical Test for candidates belonging to the Physical Disability category will be conducted by the following hospitals in Delhi.

1. Safdarjung Hospital
2. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
3. LHMC
4. Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
5. Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital

Candidates who may require Appellate Specialized Medical Board for their eye conditions will be referred to the Guru Nanak Eye Centre, New Delhi for their medical examination.

Restrictions on Applying for the UPSC Exam 2025

• Candidates who are already appointed to the IAS and IFS posts based on the previous cycle of UPSC CSE Exam and are currently serving in either of these two services will not be eligible to appear in the exams for that specific year. 
• Similarly, a candidate who is previously appointed as an IPS Officer based on the results of the previous examination and currently serving as an IPS officer will not be eligible to select IPS as an option in the exams for that particular year.

UPSC Civil Services Eligibility​: Key Points to Remember

To be eligible for the UPSC IAS Examination, candidates must meet the following criteria. Mentioned below is a summary of IAS eligibility criteria mentioning the UPSC maximum age limit, count of attempts, relaxations, and more

Nationality Requirements for the IAS Exam: Candidates must be either a citizen of India, of Indian origin, or a subject of Nepal, Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who settled in India before January 1, 1962.

Educational Qualifications for the IAS Exam: Applicants are required to possess a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university.

Age Requirements for the UPSC Civil Services Exam: Applicants should be at least 21 years old but not exceed 32 years.

Categorial Age Relaxations and Attempt Limits for the UPSC CSE:

• General Category & EWS: Up to 32 years; limited to 6 attempts.
• OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): Up to 35 years (32+3); allowed 9 attempts.
• SC/ST Categories: Up to 37 years (32+5); permitted unlimited attempts.
• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities: Up to 42 years (32+10); General/OBC/EWS candidates are limited to 9 attempts while SC/ST candidates have unlimited attempts.
• Domiciles of Jammu & Kashmir: Up to 37 years or 40 years (32+5, plus 3 if OBC or 5 if SC/ST); The number of attempts varies according to the reservation category.
• Disabled and Discharged Defence Service Personnel: Age is extended to 35 years for General/OBC (32+3) and 37 years for SC/ST candidates (32+3/5 years).
• Ex-Servicemen Commissioned Officers: Allowed up to 37 (for General) or up to 40 years (for OBC) or 42 years (for SC/ST) (32+5, plus 3 if OBC or 5 if SC/ST).

We hope that you got an adequate idea about the eligibility criteria which you will have to keep in mind while preparing for the UPSC IAS exam. You can post your doubts in the comments section. Keeping this in mind, candidates should prepare well and make sure to score well. You can also read more of our articles on the UPSC IAS Exam.

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