Home Department (Reserve Branch), Bihar / Bihar Police Special Branch
Last Date: 09 August 2026

The Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission has opened recruitment for 150 Police Sub-Inspector posts under the Special Branch. This is Advertisement Number 09/2026, covering the General Closed Cadre under the Home Department (Reserve Branch) in Patna. Online applications open on 9 July 2026 and close on 9 August 2026, and selection will run through a written exam followed by a physical efficiency test.

BPSSC Police Sub-Inspector Recruitment 2026: Quick Overview

BPSSC Police Sub-Inspector Recruitment 2026: Quick Intro

The Special Branch is the intelligence wing of Bihar Police. It works separately from the district-level civil police stations that most people associate with the word "Daroga," and its staff are recruited into what the rules call a General Closed Cadre, meaning officers stay within this branch for their career rather than rotating through general district postings.

This drive is genuinely small next to what most Bihar Police aspirants are used to. The civil police SI recruitment of 2025, under a separate advertisement, had 1,799 vacancies, and its Mains exam alone was attempted by over 34,000 candidates in a single sitting this May. A 150-post drive pulling from the same graduate applicant base means far fewer seats are available for a similarly large crowd of hopefuls.

This notification lands at a time when Bihar Police has already been running several back-to-back drives, including a 462-post Assistant Sub-Inspector recruitment and an 83-post Special Branch constable drive earlier this year. Candidates who have been preparing for those exams will find a good deal of syllabus overlap here, but this particular post carries a different selection design that is worth understanding before applying.

Vacancy Details

Bihar Police Special Branch has notified 150 Sub-Inspector posts this year. The category-wise split, including the 35 percent horizontal reservation for women within each category, is given below.

Note: Under the Unreserved (UR) category, 3 vacancies are also reserved for grandchildren of Freedom Fighters under the 2% horizontal reservation.

> Unreserved (UR) category has the highest number of vacancies with 60 posts, however, it is also open to candidates who are not eligible for reservation benefits, including candidates from other states, who are generally considered under the UR category.  Official Notification also includes a separate Backward Class Women (BC Women) category, which provides eligible Backward Class women with additional reservation benefits as per applicable rules, giving them another opportunity for selection in addition to the regular BC category.

Application Fee

The application fee is Rs. 100 for every candidate, regardless of category or gender. Payment has to be made online, through net banking, credit card, debit card, or UPI, and any bank transaction charges are the candidate's responsibility.

It is also important to note that once a payment is done successfully, the fee will not be refunded, even if the application is later cancelled or found ineligible at scrutiny, but only exception is a technical failure, where money is deducted but registration does not complete. In that case, BPSSC states that the amount will be returned through the payment gateway within seven working days.

Age Limit

Age is calculated as on 1 August 2025, based on the date of birth recorded in the candidate's Matriculation or equivalent certificate. Category-wise Minimum & Maximum age limit is shown below:

Note: Candidates who are regular employees of the Bihar Govt. and have completed at least 3 years of continuous service are eligible for a 5-year relaxation in the upper age limit, provided they are applying for a post with a higher pay scale. Ex-Servicemen are also eligible for age relaxation, they can claim a 3-year relaxation, along with the period of their defence service, subject to the condition that their actual age doesn't exceed 57 years on the prescribed cut-off date.

Educational Qualification

Any bachelor's degree from a recognised university, completed by 1 August 2025, is enough to apply. There is no requirments of any particular stream, or minimum percentage.
Note: Candidates from any graduation stream are eligible to apply for this post, which makes it different from some other BPSSC recruitments advertised this year, such as the Assistant Sub-Inspector (Operation) role, required a specific B.Sc Physics background. But because there is no restriction on the subject of graduation in this recruitment, therefore, a much larger number of candidates can apply which generally means higher competition. As a result, the final cut-off for this recruitment may be higher than for posts that are limited to candidates from a particular academic discipline.

Selection Process

Selection has three stages: a Preliminary exam, a Mains exam, and a Physical Efficiency Test.

> The Preliminary exam is objective, consisting 200 marks across 100 questions, and to be completed in 2 hours. Each correct answer earns 2 marks, with no negative marking at this stage. A minimum of 30 percent is needed to be considered for the Mains, and up to 10 times the number of vacancies, category-wise, will be shortlisted based on Prelims marks. The exam can be conducted run in multiple shifts depending on the number of applicants, with scores normalised using the Equi-Percentile Method.

> The Mains exam has two papers=> Paper 1 is objective, 200 marks across 200 questions, in 3 hours, with 1 mark for each correct answer and 0.25 marks cut for each wrong answer.  Paper 2 is subjective, 50 marks, in 1 hour. The complete Main exam pattern is detailed below: 

Note: A minimum of 30 percent is required in both papers separately to qualify, and 3 times the vacancies, category-wise, will be shortlisted for the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) based on Mains marks.
> The Physical Efficiency Test checks height, chest, and weight against the standards fixed in the notification. No marks are given for this stage, which makes it merely qualifying in nature and the final merit list will entirely be based on marks obtained in the Mains exam.

Note:  After the Prelims, only 10 times the total vacancies will be shortlisted for the Mains examination, this means fewer candidates will get a chance to appear for the Mains. The next stage is also more competitive because after the Mains, only 3 times the total vacancies will be called for the Physical Efficiency Test (PET). Another important point is that Paper 2 has a separate qualifying requirement of 30% marks, meaning even if you score well in General Studies and Reasoning, you must still secure the minimum qualifying marks in Paper 2. Therefore, give equal importance to essay writing, translation, and the other topics included in Paper 2 during your preparation.

Salary, Job Location, and Service Conditions

The post is placed under Pay Level-6 of the Bihar Govt. Pay Matrix. However, official notification doesn't specify the exact basic salary for this recruitment, but based on previous Bihar Govt. Level-6 recruitments, the starting basic pay has generally been around ₹35,400 per month before allowances. But remember figure is only for reference and should not be considered the official salary for this recruitment, and final pay will be as per the rules and pay matrix applicable at the time of appointment.

> The official notification does not mention the exact place of posting but it understandable that selected candidates will be appointed to the Special Branch (therefore job location can be in any place of Bihar) under the Home Department, Govt of Bihar and as per the applicable service rules, officers selected for this post will serve in the Special Branch cadre. The rules also state that 90% of the Sub-Inspector vacancies in this cadre are filled through direct recruitment, while the remaining 10% are filled through the promotion of eligible Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) already working in the Special Branch. This means most of the vacancies in this recruitment will be filled through the competitive examination.

How to Apply

1. Go to the official website bpssc.bihar.gov.in and open the Bihar Police tab.
2. Find and click the application link for Advertisement No. 09/2026, Police Sub-Inspector, Special Branch.
3. Complete Part 1 of the registration with your name, mobile number, email ID, Bihar domicile status, reservation category, gender, and date of birth.
4. Pay the application fee of Rs. 100 online before your registration is locked in.
5. Review every detail carefully, because once payment is made, Part 1 cannot be edited, and in that case you would need to cancel the registration and start again, paying the fee a second time.
6. Log in using the registration number and password sent to your mobile number and email ID.
7. Fill in Part 2 with father's or husband's name, mother's name, address, and educational qualification details.
8. Upload your photograph and separate English and Hindi signatures in the specified size and format.
9. Use the Edit Details option to check the full form one last time before final submission.
10. Click Confirm and Submit, save the confirmation message, and print the acknowledgement receipt for future reference.

Required Documents and Important Instructions

The official notification does not provide a separate list of documents to be uploaded during the application process, apart from the photograph and signature. However, candidates should keep all important documents ready such as, the Matriculation (Class 10) certificate, Graduation certificate, category certificate (if applicable), and Bihar domicile certificate, as these are generally required during the document verification process of the BPSSSC requirements.

A few important instructions candidate should note:

> The photograph must be a recent colour photograph taken within the last 2 months, with a white background, and the file size should be 15 KB to 25 KB. Candidates must also upload separate English and Hindi signatures in black or blue ink on a white background, with each file also between 15 KB and 25 KB.
> Only one application is allowed for each candidate and one mobile number. If multiple applications are submitted, all of them may be cancelled.
> Candidates should also choose their reservation category carefully, because if a candidate claims a category but fails to produce valid supporting documents during document verification, the candidature may be cancelled.
> The medical examination will check eyesight, colour vision, hearing, speech, flat feet, and knock knees, along with other required medical standards. Candidates must also ensure that they meet all eligibility conditions mentioned in the official notification (available in the Important Links section towards end of the page).
> candidates with a criminal conviction or those who do not meet the prescribed eligibility conditions may be disqualified.
> Applications sent through offline or postal mode will not be accepted, and also the last date for submission of the online application will not be extended under any circumstances.

Read these important points to better understand the recruitment process:

What Makes This Cadre Different From a Regular Daroga Posting

A Special Branch Sub-Inspector has a different role from a regular Police Sub-Inspector (Daroga), because instead of handling police station work, FIRs, and day-to-day law and order duties, officers in this cadre mainly work on intelligence and information related responsibilities, also this is a closed cadre, which means officers continue their service within the Special Branch. It is also important to note that as per the service rules, members of this cadre cannot join or form any police union or association because of the confidential nature of their work.

The Language Paper in this recruitment cannot be underestimated 

Mains Paper 2 is very important it carries 50 marks and includes Hindi Essay, English Essay, Precis Writing, and Translation, also most important point is that Paper 2 has a separate qualifying requirement of 30% marks, therefore, even if a candidate scores well in Paper 1, failing to secure the minimum qualifying marks in Paper 2 will result in disqualification from the selection process. Since the role of a Special Branch Sub-Inspector involves preparing reports and handling written communication, candidates should not take this paper as a formality. 

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❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many vacancies are there in BPSSC SI Recruitment 2026?

There are 150 vacancies for the post of Police Sub-Inspector, General Closed Cadre, in the Special Branch of Bihar Police, under Advertisement No. 09/2026.

What is the last date to apply for BPSSC SI 2026?

The online application window closes on 9 August 2026. Applications open from 9 July 2026, and no extension will be given after the deadline.

Who is eligible to apply for this recruitment?

Indian citizens, both male and female, holding a graduate degree or equivalent from a recognised university as on 1 August 2025, can apply.

What is the age limit for BPSSC Police Sub-Inspector 2026?

General category men need to be between 20 and 37 years, general women and BC/EBC candidates between 20 and 40 years, and SC/ST candidates between 20 and 42 years, calculated as on 1 August 2025.

What qualification is needed for this post?

A bachelor's degree in any subject from a recognised university is enough. No specific stream or minimum percentage is mentioned in the notification.

What does the selection process involve?

Candidates go through a Preliminary exam, a two-paper Mains exam, and a Physical Efficiency Test. Each stage has its own qualifying cutoff, and only the Mains marks decide the final merit list.

What is the salary for this Sub-Inspector post?

This post falls under Pay Level-6 of the Bihar state pay matrix. The notification does not state the exact basic pay figure, though Level-6 Bihar Police posts have generally started near Rs. 35,400 a month before allowances in other recent drives.

What is the application fee for BPSSC SI Recruitment 2026?

Every candidate, regardless of category or gender, pays Rs. 100 online. Bank transaction charges for card or net banking payments are extra.

How can I apply for BPSSC SI 2026 online?

Visit bpssc.bihar.gov.in, open the Bihar Police tab, find the link for Advertisement 09/2026, and complete the two-part registration and application form.

What is the official website for this recruitment?

The official website is https://bpssc.bihar.gov.in, where the notification, application link, and future updates will be posted.

Is this post the same as the regular Bihar Police Daroga (civil SI) post?

No. This is a Special Branch General Closed Cadre post, a separate intelligence wing. Officers recruited here stay within Special Branch and are not part of the general civil police transfer pool.

Does the Preliminary exam carry negative marking?

The notification does not mention any negative marking for the Preliminary exam. A 0.25-mark deduction per wrong answer applies only to the objective Paper 1 of the Mains exam.

Conclusion

After reading all the info provided you might be we aware of the overall structure of this recruitment therefore, if you are going to apply the important thing  is getting your registration right the first time, because once the fee is paid, Part 1 of the form locks, and fixing a mistake means cancelling and paying again, so you should double-check your category, domicile, and personal details before you pay the fee.

Keep your registered mobile number and email active through the entire process, since BPSSC will use only those to send your login credentials and any updates. Also keep an eye on bpssc.bihar.gov.in for the Prelims admit card and exam date etc related updates (you can also bookmark this page and follow our social media handles such as telegram and WhatsApp for quick updates)

This article is based on the official notification and simplified for easy understanding. For the most accurate and updated information, always refer to the official website.