Bihar Police SI Eligibility 2026: Age, Degree, Height

Bihar Police SI eligibility rests on four checks: Indian citizenship, a graduation degree, an age between 20 and the upper limit for your category, and the physical standards for height, chest or weight. The Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission (BPSSC) set these rules in Advertisement No. 05/2025 for 1,799 Police Sub Inspector (Daroga) posts.

Two dates matter most in this cycle. Your degree had to be complete by 1 August 2025, and age is counted as on 1 August 2025, with protection for candidates who met the upper limit on 1 August 2024. This page explains each condition, the category-wise age limits and relaxations, the reservation rules for Bihar domicile candidates, common reasons candidates are found ineligible, and the documents checked at verification. The application window for 05/2025 has closed, but these conditions will be checked again at the physical test and document stage.

Table of Contents

Bihar Police SI Eligibility at a Glance

Nationality and Domicile

Any citizen of India can apply for the Bihar Police SI post. You do not need to be a resident of Bihar to apply. What domicile changes is your category.

• Bihar domicile candidates: Can claim reservation as SC, ST, EBC, BC, BC women or EWS, along with horizontal reservation for women and for dependants of freedom fighters, if they hold valid certificates.

• Candidates from other states: Are treated as unreserved, whatever their caste category in their home state. They must meet the unreserved age limit and compete for unreserved seats.

• Women from other states: The 35% horizontal reservation for women applies to Bihar domicile women. Women from other states compete in the unreserved category.

If you claim reservation, your caste or EWS certificate and your Bihar domicile certificate must be issued by the competent authority in Bihar. These are checked at document verification, and a claim that cannot be supported can cancel your candidature.

Educational Qualification

You need a graduation degree from a university recognised by law, or a qualification the state government accepts as equivalent.

• Any stream is accepted: Arts, science, commerce, engineering and other streams all qualify. A B.A., B.Sc, B.Com or B.Tech degree is acceptable as long as it is a full graduation degree.

• No minimum percentage: The advertisement does not ask for a minimum percentage in graduation.

• Cut-off date: The degree had to be complete by 1 August 2025. Candidates whose final result came after that date did not meet the condition for this cycle.

• Proof at verification: You will need your degree certificate or provisional certificate and mark sheets at document verification.

Higher qualifications such as a postgraduate degree are not required, but they do play a small role. If two candidates have the same marks and the same date of birth, the one with the higher educational qualification ranks higher in the merit list.

Bihar Police SI Age Limit

The minimum age is 20 years as on 1 August 2025. Upper age limits depend on category and gender. The advertisement also keeps eligible those candidates who met the upper age limit as on 1 August 2024, which protects candidates who crossed the limit in the year before this notification.

EWS has its own vacancies, but the advertisement does not list a separate age limit for EWS candidates. The unreserved limit is generally taken to apply, so check the age clause of the advertisement if you are close to the limit.

How to check your own age

Your date of birth is taken from your matriculation certificate or its equivalent. Use the date on that certificate when you check your age.

• Example 1: An unreserved male candidate born in March 1988 was 36 on 1 August 2024. He is within the 37-year limit.

• Example 2: A BC woman born in May 1985 was 39 on 1 August 2024. She is within the 40-year limit.

• Example 3: A candidate born in October 2005 was 19 on 1 August 2025. He or she is below the minimum age of 20 and is not eligible for this cycle.

Age Relaxation

Beyond the category-wise limits above, the advertisement gives two further relaxations.

Government employees must produce a certificate from their competent authority at verification. Ex-servicemen must bring their discharge book and pension payment order. Relaxation claims without these documents may be rejected.

Physical Standards

Physical standards are measured after the mains, at the physical stage. They are as strict as the written cut-off: missing them by a small margin still leads to disqualification.

Chest expansion of at least 5 cm is required for men. Transgender candidates should check the advertisement for the standards that apply to them. Measure yourself honestly well before the physical stage, because there is no relaxation on the day.

Physical Efficiency Test Standards

Candidates who meet the physical standards then take the physical efficiency test. It carries no marks, but every event must be cleared.

The advertisement also provides that a woman candidate who cannot take the physical test because of pregnancy may be given a later opportunity on a medical certificate, subject to the rules.

Reservation and Category Rules

Vertical reservation applies to SC, ST, EBC, BC and EWS candidates under Bihar's reservation law. Horizontal reservation runs across these categories.

Horizontal reservation

• Women: 35% of posts in each category, for Bihar domicile women. In this cycle, 614 posts fall under this share, apart from the 42 BC women posts.

• Dependants of freedom fighters: 2% of posts, for eligible dependants as defined by the state government, with the required certificate.

For married women, the caste certificate must be based on the father's caste, not the husband's. Check this on your certificate early, since a new certificate can take time to obtain.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Degree completed late: Candidates whose graduation was not complete by 1 August 2025.

• Outside the age band: Candidates younger than 20 on 1 August 2025, or above their category's upper limit on both reference dates.

• Short of physical standards: Candidates below the required height, chest or weight, even by a small margin.

• Wrong category claims: Candidates who claimed reservation without a valid Bihar certificate are treated as unreserved or may be rejected.

• Multiple applications: Submitting more than one form can lead to rejection of all forms.

• False information: Any false statement or use of unfair means can lead to cancellation and legal action.

Meeting every condition is the first step. The second is reaching a score that clears the cut-off.

Quick self-check

1. Citizenship: Are you a citizen of India?

2. Degree: Was your graduation complete, with result declared, by 1 August 2025?

3. Age: Were you at least 20 on 1 August 2025, and within your category's upper limit on 1 August 2025 or 1 August 2024?

4. Category: If you claim reservation, do you hold a valid Bihar caste or EWS certificate and a Bihar domicile certificate?

5. Physical standards: Do you meet the height, chest or weight standard for your category without any margin of doubt?

6. Fitness: Can you complete the run within the time limit and clear the jumps and shot put today?

If any answer is no or unsure, resolve it first. Fixing a certificate or a fitness gap takes weeks, not days.

Medical and Character Verification

Clearing the written and physical stages does not complete the process. Before appointment, selected candidates go through a medical examination and verification of character and antecedents. Any concealed criminal case or false declaration found at this stage can cost you the post, even after your name appears in the merit list.

Documents Checked at Verification

The BPSSC notice of 12 August 2026 listed the documents required at the physical test and verification stage. Bring the originals and one set of photocopies.

The physical test and verification were later postponed by a notice dated 28 August 2026, and the mains itself was cancelled on 23 September 2026. Keep these documents ready so you can respond quickly when the new schedule is announced.

Application Fee

The application fee for Advertisement 05/2025 was Rs. 100 for all categories, paid online by net banking, debit card, credit card or UPI. Check every eligibility rule against the advertisement and notices on the official website: https://bpssc.bihar.gov.in/