Full Form of SP

SP Full Form

SP stands for Superintendent of Police. An SP is an officer of either the State Police Service, SPS or Indian Police Service, IPS, and is the head of the police department of a district. All members of the police force, including all the constables and Assistant Superintendent of Police, work under the SP and follow his/her instructions. The rank of the SP is similar or equivalent to the rank of a significant or senior captain in the Indian Army. The SP has the responsibility of keeping the district safe and crime, corruption, & terror-free.

The rank badge of the SP is the Ashoka Emblem with no or one-star above it. The subsequent higher designation of the SP is Senior Superintendent, and the designation below the SP is Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent of police in the State Police Service and the Indian Police Service, respectively.

Eligibility Criteria

It is not easy to become an SP. There are specific criteria that an individual should follow to get this highly prestigious post. These criteria include:

• A candidate of the general category can be eligible to appear in the exam if he/she is a minimum of 21 years old and a maximum of 32 years old. The OBC candidates get a relaxation of 3 years, and SC/ST candidates get a relaxation of 5 years in the maximum age limit.
• The candidate must be an Indian citizen. A candidate who is a migrant from Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Uganda, East African countries of Kenya, etc., can also appear for the exam.
• The applicant must have completed graduation from a recognized university, no matter in which stream.
• The maximum number of attempts for a general candidate is six while 9 for an OBC candidate and unlimited for SC/ST candidates.
• As per the physical requirements, the minimum height for men is 165cm and for women is 150cm. The minimum chest circumference for men and women is 84cm and 79cm, respectively. Because of the limited number of seats, the candidates not only have to fulfill these physical requirements but also have to get a higher rank in the written exam.

How to Become an SP?

After completing the minimum educational criteria, the candidate can choose any given option to become an SP.

• The candidate can appear for the UPSC CSAT (Civil Service Aptitude Test). This is a part of the UPSC preliminary paper in which the candidate has to achieve a rank above 100. After clearing all three exams, the applicant is selected for the A-level posts of IPS. The starting post assigned to the candidate is DSP or ACP, but soon he/she is promoted to the post of SP.
• The second option is to appear and pass the respective State Public Service Commission Examination. The exam is conducted in every state, and after clearing this exam, the candidate can opt for some powerful posts like DSP, etc. However, the candidates selected through this option get a slower promotion than the candidates selected through UPSC CSAT.
• The third option is to apply for the Sub Inspector Entry in the respective State Police Department. After selecting for the Sub Inspector, a candidate can be promoted as an SP if he/she works hard and solves crime with utmost dedication.

CSAT Exam Pattern

In 2011, CSAT or Civil Service Aptitude Test was introduced. The main aim of this introduction was to test the analytical skills of the aspirants. This is the second paper in the UPSC Prelims, officially known as the General Studies Paper ll. The exam pattern of CSAT is as under:

• There are 80 Objective-Type (MCQ) questions in the exam.
• The maximum mark of the exam is 200.
• For every wrong answer, there is a negative marking of 1/3 of the maximum marks of the question.
• The maximum time limit for the exam is 2 hours.
• The exam is conducted in offline mode.
• The language of the exam is English and Hindi.
• The required marks to pass the exam is 66, i.e., 33% of aggregate marks.

CSAT Exam Syllabus

The categories that are included in the syllabus of the UPSC CSAT exam are as follows:

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills that also include the communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Problem-solving and decision making
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy includes numbers, relations, and functions, orders of magnitude, etc.
• Data interpretation includes charts, tables, graphs, data sufficiency, etc.

Duties of an SP

The job of an SP is highly responsible. There is a large number of duties that he/she has to perform. These are as follows:

• An SP is the Chief Police officer of the district. So he/she must ensure that the police force under his/her control is adequately trained, contended, and efficient. The SP should encourage the police force and enforce the discipline.
• The SP also supervises that the police force fairly deals with investigating, preventing, and detecting crime in the respective district.
• The SP also looks for the proper security arrangements on rallies, festivals, and other public gatherings.
•  The SP should have complete knowledge about his/her subordinates' works. He/she should also inspect every police station in the district to collect information about the local crimes and the investigation done by the police against them.
• The SP is also responsible for maintaining peace and safety in the district and harmony in the police force. He/she is also answerable to the seniors for his/her decisions.
• This is the responsibility of the SP to give proper guidance and instructions to the sub-divisional officer.
• The construction of any government building and maintenance of all government vehicles within the district is also supervised by the SP.
• The SP also coordinates with the heads of all other government departments of the district.

Powers of Superintendent of Police

The SP has a large number of powers. Some of them are as follows:

• Appointing/disciplinary authority for the ministerial and Grade IV staff and the force personnel.
• Transferring and posting the personnel.
• Regulate and stop the public meetings, assemblies, or any possession.
• Grant the leave to the force personnel that includes all constables, sub-inspector, ministerial staff, and followers.

Salary and Perks

The salary of a superintendent of police may vary from 70,000 to 1,00,000 INR per month. Apart from this higher salary, an SP also gets many perks and benefits. These include an official vehicle and driver, rent-free accommodation, domestic helpers, security guards, free medical treatment, free electricity, free telephone connection, lifetime pension, abroad study options, retirement perks, and benefits, etc. Because of the highly prestigious post, an SP also enjoys a high level of job security and social respect.