State PCS Exams in Northeast India and Sikkim: Full List, Official Websites, Exam Stages, and History
State civil services are often the most realistic and meaningful path for students in the Northeast who want to work in public life without waiting endlessly for one exam like the UPSC CSE. Through the various State Public Service Commissions of the NE region and Sikkim, young people step into roles that directly affect administration, development and everyday governance in their own states.
Yet, most aspirants hear of these exams in bits and pieces. Someone talks about APSC, someone else about TPSC or MPSC, but very few students have a single, clear picture of all the state PCS exams that exist in the Northeast and Sikkim. Each commission has its own website, its own exam calendar, its own pattern, and its own history. If you do not know where to look, you lose time, and sometimes you lose attempts.
This article is meant to fix that problem in a simple, practical way. It will bring together all the State Public Service Commissions of Northeast India and Sikkim in one place, list their official websites, point you to their exam calendars, briefly describe the stages of their PCS exams, and note when and how each commission was established. The goal is not to overwhelm you with details, but to help you build a clear map. Once you know who conducts what, where the notifications appear, and how the exams are structured, planning your own journey becomes far less confusing and far more intentional.
Before You Start: How This Guide Is Organised
Before we look at each state one by one, it helps to know what you are about to see and how to use it. Every State Public Service Commission in the Northeast and Sikkim follows the same basic idea of a PCS exam, but the details differ. The pattern may look similar, yet the subjects, language options, number of papers and frequency of exams can change quite a lot from state to state.
In the next section, you will find a separate part for each state. Under every state name, we will mention the full name of the commission, the official website, the year it was established with a short background, the main stages of its PCS exam, and where you can usually find the exam calendar. If you are from a particular state, you can focus on that section first.
Assam Public Service Commission (APSC)
Brief overview and history
For most serious government aspirants in Assam, APSC is the main gateway into state administration, police and allied services. The Assam Public Service Commission came into existence on 1 April 1937 under the Government of India Act, 1935, originally based in Shillong. After reorganisation and shifting of the capital, it is now headquartered at Jawahar Nagar, Khanapara, Guwahati.
What began as a small provincial body before independence has grown into the core institution that runs the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) and many other recruitments for departments, PSUs and autonomous bodies under the Government of Assam. When you prepare for APSC CCE, you are essentially preparing to work inside the machinery that runs Assam on a daily basis.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of Assam Public Service Commission is https://apsc.nic.in. This is the only site you should treat as final for notifications, corrigenda, results and exam rules. The CCE section hosts the scheme and syllabus for prelims and mains, along with past question papers.
APSC usually publishes a tentative annual exam and viva voce calendar at the beginning of the year, listing likely months for major exams. Alongside that, each individual exam has its own detailed advertisement and schedule. For a serious aspirant, the discipline is simple: use the annual calendar for broad planning, but always rely on the specific exam notification for exact dates and any changes.
Exam stages for APSC Combined Competitive Examination
The flagship civil services route is the Assam Public Services Combined Competitive Examination, commonly called APSC CCE. The selection process has three stages.
The Preliminary Examination is the first filter. It is objective and usually consists of two General Studies papers of equal marks. The purpose is to screen candidates for the mains. Prelims marks are used only for shortlisting and are not added to the final merit list.
The Main Examination is written and descriptive. The latest schemes include multiple General Studies papers, an Essay paper and other compulsory papers that together carry a large share of your total marks. This stage builds most of your final score, provided you clear the minimum qualifying marks wherever required.
The Interview or Viva Voce is the final stage. After qualifying in the written mains, candidates face an interview board. The interview carries a fixed mark component that is added to the mains total to prepare the final merit list and service allocation. This is where your personality, judgment and understanding of Assam and India are tested beyond pure bookwork.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and domicile
APSC CCE is open only to Indian citizens. For the core state services, candidates are expected to be permanent residents or natives of Assam and must be able to speak Assamese or any other official language of the state or a recognised tribal language. This is not a small technical detail. If you cannot function in the languages used in administration, your usefulness in the field is limited.
Age limit
Recent CCE cycles have generally kept the standard age band from 21 to 38 years on a specified cut off date, usually 1 January of the exam year. Upper age relaxations apply for reserved categories as per Assam government rules, and the notification spells out the extra years allowed for SC, ST, OBC or MOBC, PwD and certain other categories.
You should not fix one age range in your head and rely on it blindly. The safe method is to open the exact CCE advertisement for your cycle, find the age clause and relaxation table, and check your date of birth against the cut off date mentioned there. A difference of even a few days can decide whether you are allowed to apply.
Educational qualification
You must hold a degree from a recognised university. CCE notifications generally specify that the candidate must possess a degree from any university created by an Act of the Central or State Legislature, or from a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the government.
Final year students are sometimes allowed to apply provisionally, but they must be able to produce proof of having passed at the stage mentioned in the notification. If your degree is from open or distance mode, you need to read the wording in the current advertisement carefully and, if there is any doubt, clarify rather than assume.
Other conditions
CCE notifications often mention that candidates should be able to speak Assamese or another official language of Assam and may require registration in an employment exchange within the state. Certain posts carry physical standards or special requirements, especially in uniformed or field-oriented roles. There are also standard clauses on character, previous debarment from exams and rules for candidates already in government service. None of this is tricky, but you only catch it if you read the notification line by line instead of skimming.
Official website: https://apsc.nic.in
Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC)
Brief overview and history
For students in Arunachal Pradesh who want to work in administration, policing, finance or state services, the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission is the main gateway. The commission is a constitutional body, constituted with effect from 1 April 1988 under Article 315 of the Constitution of India. In its early years, it handled a relatively small number of posts and examinations. As the state administration grew and new departments were created, APPSC evolved into the key institution that selects people for Group A and Group B posts and advises the government on recruitment and related matters.
When you prepare for the APPSC Combined Competitive Examination, you are not preparing for a generic exam. You are preparing to take responsibility inside a young border state with its own geography, ethnic diversity and governance challenges. That awareness matters as much as any book list.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission is https://appsc.gov.in. All important information flows through this site: notifications for the Combined Competitive Examination, recruitment to specific posts, corrigenda, results and exam schedules.
APPSC does not always follow a fixed, long annual calendar like some older commissions. Many schedules are embedded within individual advertisements. Sometimes, consolidated notices and exam date summaries are issued separately. As an aspirant, you should build the habit of checking the Advertisement or Examination sections directly on the site, instead of waiting for someone to forward you a screenshot from social media.
Exam stages for APPSC Combined Competitive Examination
The main civil services route under APPSC is the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination, commonly called APPSCCE. Through this exam, the state recruits for various Group A and Group B services and posts.
The journey for a student can be understood in three clear steps.
First, the Preliminary Examination. This is an objective, multiple choice test that works as a screening stage. It usually consists of two papers, one on General Studies which counts for merit at the preliminary level, and one aptitude paper on the CSAT pattern which is qualifying in nature. Marks from prelims are used only for shortlisting candidates for mains. They do not contribute to the final ranking.
Second, the Main Examination. This is a written, descriptive examination with several papers. The exact scheme is given in the latest syllabus notification, but typically includes an Essay paper and multiple General Studies papers, along with qualifying language or additional papers if notified. Your mains marks form the core of your final merit, subject to minimum qualifying standards in each paper.
Third, the Interview or Personality Test. Candidates who clear the written mains with the required marks are called for a personality test or viva voce. A board assesses your understanding of the state and the country, clarity of thought, communication skills and overall suitability for higher responsibility in the Arunachal Pradesh administration. The marks of the written mains and the interview together decide your final rank and service allocation.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and domicile
You must be a citizen of India. For many posts, preference and reservations are given to Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe candidates and other state specific categories, but the basic starting point is Indian citizenship. The notification for the year will always spell out category wise details.
Age limit
For the main civil services examination, candidates are generally expected to be between 21 and 35 years of age on the cut off date mentioned in the advertisement. Upper age relaxations apply to APST candidates, certain defence categories and other reserved groups as per state rules. Even a small change in cut off date or relaxation can shift your status from eligible to ineligible, so you must always read the current year’s notification carefully.
Educational qualification
For the Combined Competitive Examination, you are expected to hold a graduate degree from a recognised university in any discipline. The degree must be valid under UGC or equivalent norms. Some departmental recruitment exams conducted by APPSC ask for specific technical or professional degrees, but the core civil services track is based on this simple condition of a recognised bachelor’s degree.
Other conditions
Notifications may mention physical standards for posts like police or allied uniformed services, and may refer to knowledge of local languages or customs for certain roles. Character and medical fitness requirements are also standard. None of this should be taken lightly. A serious aspirant goes through the eligibility section line by line and clarifies doubts early.
Official website: https://appsc.gov.in
Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC)
Brief overview and history
For students in Meghalaya who want to work in state administration, police, finance or allied services, the Meghalaya Public Service Commission is the key institution to understand. After Meghalaya became a separate state in 1971, the commission was constituted on 14 September 1972 under Article 315 of the Constitution of India. In the early years, it functioned with a small setup in Shillong, handling limited recruitments. As the state administration expanded, MPSC became the central body responsible for conducting competitive examinations, advising on recruitment and helping the government maintain standards in public service.
When you aim for Meghalaya Civil Service or other Group A and B posts through MPSC, you are not “giving one more exam”. You are preparing to work in a hill state with its own history, matrilineal societies, tribal customs and specific governance issues. If you understand that context, you read every part of the syllabus with a different level of seriousness.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of the Meghalaya Public Service Commission is https://mpsc.meghalaya.gov.in. This is where you will find advertisements, programmes, results, notices and links to exam related documents. For any genuine aspirant, this site is non negotiable.
MPSC does not always publish a single glossy annual calendar that fixes all exam dates a year in advance. In practice, the commission releases advertisements and “Programmes” for specific examinations, and the important dates are built into those notices. Sometimes a consolidated schedule or “stages of recruitment” document is shared separately. If you are serious, you get into the habit of opening the site yourself and checking the Advertisements, Programmes and Notice sections regularly instead of waiting for Telegram or WhatsApp forwards.
Exam stages for Meghalaya Civil Service and allied posts
For state civil services, the main route is through the Meghalaya Civil Service examination and related combined exams for Group A and B posts conducted by MPSC. The basic structure is straightforward.
First, the Preliminary Examination. This is objective in nature and usually includes a General Studies paper and an aptitude or CSAT type paper. Prelims is a screening stage. Its marks are used only to shortlist candidates for the mains. They do not count in the final merit list.
Second, the Main Examination. This is descriptive. It typically includes General English, an Essay paper, General Studies papers and optional subjects as prescribed in the current scheme for Meghalaya Civil Service. The mains marks form the main weight in your final score, as long as you cross the qualifying thresholds in each paper.
Third, the Interview or Personality Test. Candidates who qualify in the written mains are called for this stage. A board evaluates your awareness of Meghalaya and India, your clarity of thought, communication skills and your suitability to hold responsible posts in the state administration. Marks from the mains and the interview together decide your rank and service allocation.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and domicile
You must be a citizen of India to sit for MPSC conducted state civil service exams. Reservation and preference rules for different categories, including Scheduled Tribes of Meghalaya and other groups, are given in each specific advertisement. If you are from outside the state, you need to read the notification even more carefully to understand where you stand in terms of eligibility and reservation.
Age limit
Recent recruitment cycles for Meghalaya Civil Service have generally kept the core age band in the early twenties to early thirties. For example, some notifications mention a minimum age of 21 and a maximum of 32 years on a specified cut off date, with relaxations for reserved categories. In some exams, the minimum has been 18 instead of 21. The exact numbers are not something you should memorise from an article. The safe practice is simple: open the specific advertisement for the exam year you are targeting and check the minimum and maximum age on the cut off date printed there, plus the relaxation table. A difference of one day can decide whether you are allowed to apply.
Educational qualification
For the Meghalaya Civil Service and similar combined state services, you need a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. The degree can be in any discipline, as long as it is valid under UGC or equivalent norms. Final year students are sometimes allowed to apply provisionally, but must be able to show proof of passing before appointment. Technical and specialised posts notified by MPSC may ask for specific qualifications such as engineering, law or professional degrees.
Other conditions
Individual advertisements may also mention physical standards for certain posts, requirements related to knowledge of local languages, and other service specific conditions. The broader framework is laid down in the Meghalaya Public Service Commission Regulations and state service rules. You do not need to become a legal expert, but you do need to read the fine print instead of skimming it.
Official website: https://mpsc.meghalaya.gov.in
Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC)
Brief overview and history
For students in Manipur who want to move into state administration, police, finance or allied services, the Manipur Public Service Commission is the main gatekeeper. The commission is a constitutional body set up under Article 315 of the Constitution of India and has been functioning from Imphal since 1972. Before that, for a brief period after statehood, recruitment work for higher posts was handled through the Union Public Service Commission.
The Governor formally constituted the Manipur Public Service Commission in October 1972, and the office started working out of a modest setup in the old Secretariat building. As Manipur’s government structure expanded and more departments and posts were created, MPSC grew into the central institution responsible for recruitment to Group A and Group B posts, advising on recruitment rules and maintaining standards in the state’s competitive examination system.
When you prepare for the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination, you are not just chasing a generic government job. You are preparing to take responsibility inside a border state with a complex ethnic mix, a history of conflict and reconciliation, and very specific development priorities. That understanding should shape the seriousness with which you approach the exam.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of the Manipur Public Service Commission is https://mpscmanipur.gov.in. This is where every serious aspirant should begin. Advertisements, exam rules, syllabi, corrigenda, results and notices are all published here. For the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (MCSCCE), the commission usually provides a dedicated set of links for that particular cycle covering the advertisement, plan of examination, syllabus and rules.
MPSC does not always publish a single, fixed annual calendar that locks in all exam dates a year ahead. Key dates are usually embedded in the exam specific advertisements and follow up notices. Sometimes separate programme or schedule documents are uploaded for different stages. In practice, this means you cannot afford to be passive. If you are serious, you open the official site yourself regularly and check the What’s New, Advertisement and Notifications sections rather than waiting for coaching channels or Telegram posts.
Exam stages for Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination
The main state civil services route under MPSC is the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (MCSCCE). Through this, the state recruits for services like Manipur Civil Service Grade II, Manipur Police Service Grade II, Manipur Finance Service Grade III, Sub Deputy Collector and related posts.
The structure follows a familiar three level pattern.
First is the Preliminary Examination. This is an objective test with two compulsory papers of equal marks. Both papers are multiple choice. One is General Studies. The second is a General Studies Paper II on the CSAT pattern, which is qualifying in nature and requires a minimum percentage to pass. Only your Paper I score is used for merit at the prelims level and for shortlisting you to mains. Prelims marks do not count in the final ranking.
Second is the Main Examination. This is a written, descriptive exam with several conventional essay type papers. The exact list of papers is given in the current rules and syllabus, but broadly it includes a qualifying English paper, an Essay paper, multiple General Studies papers and one optional subject chosen from the notified list. Your mains marks, in all papers that count for merit, form the backbone of your final score. If your qualifying paper marks do not cross the minimum, the rest of your papers are not even evaluated.
Third is the Interview or Personality Test. Candidates who secure the required marks in mains are called for an interview with a board. The board looks at your grasp of Manipur and India, your judgment, communication, balance of mind and overall suitability for higher responsibility. Marks from the written mains and the interview are added to prepare the final merit list and decide service allocation.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and domicile
You must be a citizen of India to appear for the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination. In addition, the rules and exam notifications clearly state that a candidate must be a permanent resident of Manipur for the core state services and should be able to speak Manipuri or one of the recognised tribal dialects of the state.
If you are originally from outside Manipur but studying or working there, you need to read the latest notification carefully to see which posts you are actually eligible for and what proof of permanent residency is required.
Age limit
For recent MCSCCE cycles, the standard age band has typically been 21 to 38 years on a specified cut off date such as 1 July or 1 January of a given year. Upper age relaxation is usually available for reserved categories as per Manipur government rules, with additional years given to SC, ST, OBC and persons with disabilities.
Because different exam years have occasionally seen one time relaxations due to cancellations or delays, you cannot lift an age table from a guidebook and assume it applies to your cycle. The safe method is straightforward. Open the official advertisement for the exact MCSCCE you plan to write, find the clause on age and check your age against the cut off date printed there.
Educational qualification
For MCSCCE, the educational requirement is simple. You must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. This can be a degree from any university established by an Act of the Central or State Legislature, a deemed university under the UGC Act, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the government.
Professional and technical degrees that are properly recognised are also accepted. Final year students are often allowed to appear provisionally, but they must be able to produce proof of passing at the stage specified in that year’s notification, usually before mains or before appointment.
Number of attempts
Recent rules broadly follow a pattern similar to UPSC. General category candidates get a fixed number of attempts, OBC candidates get a higher number, and SC and ST candidates usually do not face an attempt cap as long as they are within the age limit. Physically disabled candidates get attempts equal to those allowed to their community, with a slightly higher cap for the general category.
The first time you sit for prelims counts as an attempt, even if your candidature is later cancelled. The exact numbers can change, so you must always read the current notification rather than trusting an old table.
Other conditions
Certain posts within the civil services group, such as Manipur Police Service, carry physical standards and medical fitness requirements. Notifications also spell out character requirements, disqualifications and rules about candidates already in government service. None of this is complicated, but you need to read it yourself and clear any doubt early.
Official website: https://mpscmanipur.gov.in
Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC)
Brief overview and history
For students in Mizoram who want to enter state administration, police, finance, information or allied services, the Mizoram Public Service Commission is the institution you have to understand first. After Mizoram became a full-fledged state in 1987, it was constitutionally required to have its own State Public Service Commission under Article 315. The commission took its present form in the late 1980s and early 1990s, under the Mizoram Public Service Commission Regulations, and began functioning as an independent body for state level recruitment.
From that point on, MPSC has slowly grown from a small office handling limited posts into a full-scale constitutional body. It now conducts the Mizoram Civil Services (Combined Competitive) Examination along with a variety of departmental and direct recruitment exams. Its recommendations decide who will run administration, policing, finance, information, accounts and many other branches of the state government. If you are serious about serving in Mizoram, this is the exam ecosystem that actually matters.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of Mizoram Public Service Commission is https://mpsc.mizoram.gov.in. This is where you will find advertisements, corrigenda, exam rules, syllabi, results, written exam programmes and interview schedules. For the Mizoram Civil Services (Combined Competitive) Examination, the commission publishes specific advertisements and related notices for each exam cycle.
MPSC does not usually release one big, fixed annual calendar covering every exam a year in advance. Instead, each cycle has its own advertisement, with key dates printed inside, and sometimes separate notices for exam programmes or date changes. For a serious aspirant, this means you cannot sit back and rely on coaching summaries. You have to open the official site yourself, check the advertisement pages and read them properly.
Exam stages for Mizoram Civil Services (Combined Competitive) Examination
The main route into state civil services is the Mizoram Civil Services (Combined Competitive) Examination. Through this exam, the state recruits for junior grades of Mizoram Civil Service, Mizoram Police Service, Finance and Accounts Service, Information Service and related Group A and B posts.
The structure follows the standard three stage pattern.
First is the Preliminary Examination. This is an objective, multiple choice test used as a screening stage. It is built around general studies based papers and is meant to shortlist candidates for the mains. Marks from prelims are not added to the final merit list. They only decide who goes forward.
Second is the Main Examination. This is a descriptive written exam. Under the Mizoram Civil Services (Combined Competitive) Examination Rules, mains consists of several papers including general English, essay, general studies and optional or specialised subjects as prescribed in the latest scheme. These marks form the core of your final score, as long as you clear the minimum qualifying marks in each paper.
Third is the Personality Test or Interview. Candidates who clear mains are called for a personality test conducted by the commission. Final selection is based on the combined performance in the written exam and the interview. At this stage, the focus shifts from pure knowledge to judgment, communication, balance of mind and your suitability for higher responsibility in Mizoram’s administration.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and domicile
You must be a citizen of India to apply for the Mizoram Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination. In addition, candidates are expected to be permanent residents of Mizoram and to have proficiency in the Mizo language. This is not a formality. The language requirement reflects a basic truth of state services here: officers are expected to work with local people and institutions in a language that is actually used in administration and public life.
Age limit
Current rules and recent notifications for MCS generally keep the age band between 21 and 35 years on a defined cut off date, often around 1 August of the exam year. There are relaxations for reserved categories, especially Scheduled Tribes and other groups recognised by the state, along with provisions for persons with disabilities.
The numbers can and do change slightly from one cycle to another. The only safe method is to open the advertisement for the year you are targeting, look at the clause on age, and match your date of birth against the cut off date and relaxation table printed there.
Educational qualification
The educational requirement for the Mizoram Civil Services exam is straightforward. You need a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. The degree can be from a central, state or deemed university, or from another institution that the government recognises as equivalent.
Final year students are often allowed to apply, but they must be able to show proof of having passed before the later stages of the process or before appointment, depending on what the specific year’s notification says. Technical and professional degrees are acceptable as long as they meet the same recognition standards.
Other conditions
Beyond age, degree and domicile, there are a few other conditions worth noting. Working knowledge of the Mizo language is treated as mandatory for most core civil service posts. Some posts, especially in police or other uniformed services, come with physical standards and medical fitness requirements. The broader framework is laid down in the Mizoram Public Service Commission Conditions of Service Regulations and related rules.
None of this is difficult to understand, but you only get clarity if you read the full advertisement and, where needed, the linked rules or regulations instead of skimming a coaching website summary.
Official website: https://mpsc.mizoram.gov.in
Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC)
Brief overview and history
For students in Nagaland who want to enter state administration, police, finance or allied services, the Nagaland Public Service Commission is the main gateway. The commission was set up in 1965 with a small composition of one Chairman and two Members. Its strength was revised in 1985 by adding another Member, and again in 2007 when it was expanded to one Chairman and four Members.
As the state’s departments, posts and reservation policies evolved, NPSC became the core body that runs the NCS, NPS and Allied Services Examination and other key recruitment processes. Its recommendations and exams decide who becomes an Extra Assistant Commissioner, Block Development Officer, Section Officer and many other officers who keep the state machinery running. If you are serious about serving Nagaland from within the system, this is the institution you need to understand first.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of Nagaland Public Service Commission is https://npsc.nagaland.gov.in. This is where you find what actually matters as an aspirant: advertisements, routines or schedules, syllabus, results, rejected lists and rules and regulations. Recent notifications, including NCS, NPS and Allied Services exam advertisements, are posted here as complete PDFs.
NPSC does not work with a single annual calendar that fixes every exam for the whole year. Instead, each major exam cycle is announced through a separate advertisement and followed by routines for different stages such as prelims, mains and interview. In simple terms, if you want to stay ahead, you build a habit of visiting the official site yourself, opening the Advertisement and Routines sections and reading the PDFs carefully. Depending only on Telegram or WhatsApp forwards is asking for trouble.
Exam stages for NCS, NPS and Allied Services Examination
The main state civil services route under NPSC is the NCS, NPS and Allied Services Examination. Through this single process, the commission recruits for Nagaland Civil Service, Nagaland Police Service and a set of allied posts under the state government.
The structure follows the familiar three stage pattern.
First, the Preliminary Examination. This is an objective type screening test. The existing pattern is a single General Studies paper with multiple choice questions. Prelims marks are used only to shortlist candidates for the mains. They are not added to the final merit list.
Second, the Main Examination. The common syllabus notified by NPSC shows that the mains currently consists of three papers. One paper is on General Essay, Comprehension and Grammar. The other two are General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II. These are descriptive or mixed descriptive and objective in style. Marks in these three papers form the core of your written score, subject to any minimum qualifying marks fixed by the commission.
Third, the Interview or Personality Test. Candidates who clear mains are called for a viva voce. The interview has its own fixed marks which are added to the mains total for final selection. Here the focus shifts from pure knowledge to your understanding of Nagaland and India, your judgment, balance, communication skills and your overall suitability for higher posts.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and domicile
You must be a citizen of India to sit for the NCS, NPS and Allied Services Examination. Along with this, a domicile certificate of Nagaland is treated as crucial for the core state civil and police services. The domicile requirement exists so that these posts primarily go to people who are genuinely from Nagaland.
If you were born and brought up outside the state or your documentation is complicated, this is not a small detail. You need to check the current notification and the state rules for domicile and make sure your paperwork is in order well before you apply.
Age limit
Recent eligibility patterns show that the basic age band for the combined services exam is usually 21 to 30 years on the cut off date, with relaxations for reserved categories as per Nagaland government rules. Some cycles have allowed a slightly higher upper age in special circumstances or for certain categories.
You should not gamble on memory here. The correct method is simple. Open the advertisement for the exact NCS, NPS and Allied Services exam you plan to take, find the clause on age and match your date of birth with the cut off date and relaxation table printed there. Even a difference of a few days can make you ineligible.
Educational qualification
For the combined NCS, NPS and Allied Services Examination, the educational requirement is straightforward. You must have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Degrees from universities established by Central or State Legislatures, deemed universities under the UGC Act and equivalent institutions recognised by the government are acceptable. Technical and professional degrees are valid if they are properly recognised. Final year students are often allowed to appear provisionally, subject to producing proof of passing at the stage mentioned in the notification.
Other conditions
Along with citizenship, domicile, age and a degree, there are a few more conditions to watch. Physical standards apply to some posts under Nagaland Police Service and certain allied roles, and these are usually mentioned in the advertisement or related rules. You will also find clauses about character, any prior debarment from examinations and the position of candidates already in government service. None of this is meant to scare you, but you need to read it yourself and clear doubts early instead of discovering an issue during document verification.
Official website: https://npsc.nagaland.gov.in
Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC)
Brief overview and history
For students in Tripura who want to enter state administration, police, finance or allied services, the Tripura Public Service Commission is the main starting point. After Tripura became a full state on 21 January 1972, it ran for a short period without its own constitutional commission. TPSC was established on 30 October 1972 under Article 315 of the Constitution of India, and has been functioning since then as the state’s primary recruitment body.
Today, if you are aiming for Tripura Civil Service (TCS) Grade II or Tripura Police Service (TPS) Grade II, you are effectively entering through TPSC. This is the institution that sets the rules, conducts the exams, and ultimately filters who gets into the core state services.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of Tripura Public Service Commission is https://tpsc.tripura.gov.in. From here, you can access all the material that actually matters: advertisements for different recruitments, the online application portal, detailed schemes and syllabi, exam notices, calendars and results.
TPSC uses two main tools for timelines. It issues detailed advertisements and scheme or syllabus documents for each major exam, and it maintains a calendar or notification section with tentative schedules for prelims, mains and interviews. If you are serious, you treat those PDFs as primary sources and everything else as secondary.
Exam stages for TCS and TPS Combined Competitive Examination
The flagship civil services route under TPSC is the combined competitive examination for Tripura Civil Service Grade II and Tripura Police Service Grade II. The structure is straightforward and follows the familiar three-stage pattern.
First, the Preliminary Examination
Prelims is a single objective paper on General Studies. The official scheme lays it out very clearly. One paper, 200 multiple choice questions, 200 marks, and a duration of two and a half hours. The areas covered include English composition, general knowledge and current events, history of modern India and the national movement, geography of India, geography and culture of Tripura, Indian polity and economy, general science and environment, and general mental ability.
Prelims is a screening test. Its marks are used only to shortlist candidates for the mains. They do not count towards your final merit.
Second, the Main Examination
Mains is a conventional written exam. It includes multiple compulsory papers and optional papers chosen from a notified list. In broad terms, you face language and essay type papers, general studies papers and at least one optional subject paper.
The marks you score in the mains papers that actually count for merit form the backbone of your final score. If you fail to secure the minimum qualifying marks in compulsory or qualifying papers, your other papers are not even evaluated.
Third, the Personality Test or Interview
Candidates who clear the mains are called for a personality test. A board evaluates your overall awareness, judgment, communication, and suitability for higher responsibility in Tripura’s administration and police service.
The marks from the personality test are added to your mains marks to prepare the final merit list and decide whether you enter TCS, TPS or do not make the cut.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and local requirements
For TCS and TPS, TPSC clearly invites applications from bonafide citizens of India. There is no blanket “Tripura domicile essential for all” line in older notifications, but knowledge of the state’s working languages is important.
In at least one official advertisement, knowledge of Bengali, English or Kokborok is listed as a desirable qualification. Even when phrased as “desirable”, you need to be practical. If you cannot operate in the actual administrative languages of Tripura, you will struggle both in the exam and in the job.
Age limit
Minimum age is 21 years.
The effective upper age for general candidates has often been notified around 30 years, with relaxations for SC, ST, persons with disabilities and certain categories of government servants that can stretch the upper limit towards 40 years.
Some recent guides simply write “21 to 40 years” with category wise relaxation inside that band, but you should not rely on a generic line. The only safe method is this: open the current TCS and TPS advertisement on the TPSC site, find the age clause, and match your date of birth with the cut off date and relaxation table printed there.
Educational qualification
The educational requirement is simple and non negotiable.
You must hold a degree from a recognised university. Official TPSC advertisements for TCS and TPS explicitly state a degree from a recognised university as the essential qualification. Degrees from universities created by Central or State Legislatures, deemed universities under the UGC Act, and equivalent recognised institutions are acceptable.
Final year students are sometimes allowed to apply provisionally, but they have to produce proof of passing at the stage specified in that year’s notification. If your degree is from distance mode or a specialised institution, you need to read the eligibility wording carefully and, if necessary, clarify with TPSC rather than assume.
Other conditions
For TPS and some related posts, physical standards and medical fitness conditions apply. These are usually spelled out in the advertisement or in linked rules. You will also see standard clauses on character, prior debarment from examinations and rules for candidates already in government service. These are straightforward, but you still need to read them yourself instead of relying on second hand explanations.
Official website: https://tpsc.tripura.gov.in
Sikkim Public Service Commission (SPSC)
Brief overview and history
For students in Sikkim who want to move into state administration, police, finance or allied services, the Sikkim Public Service Commission is the key institution to understand. After Sikkim joined the Indian Union in May 1975, the state was given a separate Public Service Commission under Article 315 of the Constitution in 1978. The commission did not start functioning immediately. It began its work only in 1982, after the first Chairman was appointed and staff were deputed from the state government.
Since then, SPSC has grown into a full constitutional body headquartered in Gangtok. It conducts the Sikkim Services Combined Recruitment and other examinations for civil services, finance and accounts, police and allied posts. It also advises the government on promotions, disciplinary matters and recruitment rules. If you see your future in Sikkim’s state services, this is the system that will decide whether you get in.
Official website and exam calendar
The official website of Sikkim Public Service Commission is https://spsc.sikkim.gov.in. This is your main reference point. From here you access advertisements and detailed notifications for Sikkim Services Combined Recruitment and other exams, exam schemes and plans of examination, syllabi for prelims and mains, results, cut off notices, interview schedules and links to the online recruitment portal.
SPSC does not run on a single annual calendar that fixes all exam dates a year in advance. Instead, each major exam has its own notification, and the important dates for preliminary, main and interview stages are printed inside that notification and in follow up notices. Recent combined recruitment and finance and accounts service notifications clearly spell out the stages and timelines within the same PDF. A serious aspirant gets into the habit of opening the website, checking the advertisements or recruitment section and reading those PDFs directly instead of living on third party summaries.
Exam stages for Sikkim Services Combined Recruitment / CCE
For state civil and allied services, the main route is the Sikkim Services Combined Recruitment or Combined Competitive Examination. Names vary slightly across years and groups, but the pattern is stable and follows the usual three stage model.
The Preliminary Examination is an objective type screening test. For civil services and combined recruitment, recent schemes show that prelims consists of two papers of multiple choice questions, broadly covering general studies and aptitude or related areas. The goal is to reduce the large pool of applicants to a manageable number for the mains. Marks scored in prelims are used only for shortlisting. They are not added to the final merit list.
The Main Examination is descriptive. The exact paper pattern varies with the service or group of posts, but typical schemes for Sikkim Services and Finance and Accounts Services include a compulsory language or English paper, general studies papers, essay or analytical writing papers and subject specific or optional papers depending on the service. These are conventional written tests where clear, structured, well argued answers under time pressure matter more than raw information. Marks obtained in mains, in the papers that count for merit, form the backbone of your final score. If you fail to cross the qualifying threshold in compulsory papers, you are out, regardless of your performance elsewhere.
The Interview or Personality Test is the final stage. Candidates who clear mains are called for a viva voce. Plans of examination and consolidated exam guides state clearly that final selection is based on combined performance in the written exam and the interview. At this stage, the board looks at your awareness of Sikkim and India, your judgment, communication, balance of mind and your suitability to hold higher responsibility in the state services. This is where shallow, mugged up preparation usually gets exposed.
Basic eligibility conditions
Citizenship and domicile
For the core civil services style exams of SPSC, you must be a citizen of India. These posts are effectively meant for candidates rooted in Sikkim, and knowledge of local language and context is important even if every notification does not use the word “domicile” in the same way. If your personal situation is complicated, you should always read the latest notification carefully and, if needed, clarify with the commission.
Age limit
Most recent overviews and notifications for the main civil services type exams converge around the same basic band. The minimum age is usually 21 years, and the maximum is around 35 years, with relaxation for reserved categories as per state rules. At the same time, individual recruitments for specific posts such as Sub Inspector or Accounts Officer may carry slightly different age bands, for example 18 to 25 or 21 to 38, depending on the nature of the service.
Because of this variation, you cannot afford to memorise a single line like “21 to 35” and stop thinking. The sensible way is to open the exact notification for the exam or service you are targeting, find the age limit clause and match your date of birth to the cut off date and relaxation table printed there. One missed detail here can cost you an entire cycle.
Educational qualification
For the main civil services and combined recruitment exams, the requirement is straightforward. You need a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university. The degree can be from a central, state or deemed university or from any institution recognised as equivalent under law. Final year students are often allowed to apply provisionally, but they must be able to show proof of passing by the stage specified in the notification, usually before appointment or at a particular point in the exam process.
For specialised recruitments such as Assistant Professor or technical posts, the bar is higher and may require a master’s degree, NET qualification or professional degrees. Those conditions are always spelled out in the respective notifications.
Other conditions
Many SPSC notifications mention conditions such as knowledge of state or local language, physical standards and medical fitness for uniformed posts, character and antecedent requirements and disqualification if you have been debarred from previous examinations. All of this is standard, but you will only catch the fine print if you read the notification yourself instead of relying on a coaching PDF.
Official website: https://spsc.sikkim.gov.in