Plan Your Career: Solving the mystery of ultimate career pursuit

Criminal Investigation Department comes under the Government of India. It is one of the most important sectors of the Policing. Interestingly the branch was established on April 1, 1906 by the British for surveillance of freedom fighters including the moderates like that of Mahatma Gandhi. Today, the agency has gained enormous importance. 

All over the world, the detectives or the CID officers form the high sensitive security of any country. The minimum requirement for a CID officer is Class 12. Since you are already pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you can aspire to a higher level of job in investigation departments like CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation). There is a defined age limit and the physical requirements that you need to check on. 

The selection process includes written, physical tests as well as an interview. Hence, you need to develop soft skills like analysing materials at a glance and knowledge of current affairs. Your interest for crime thrillers is a plus. You can also read a lot of crime novels and murder mysteries kind of books. 

During interviews, stay calm and answer with clarity and certainty. There are also different specialised branches in CID like CB-CID, Anti – Human Trafficking and Missing Persons Cell, Anti – Narcotics, Anti – Terrorism and Finger Print Bureau. Intelligence and Vigilance departments are all part of CID.  There is a clear hierarchy in the field of CIDs. 

One needs to start as a Constable and move up in the order of Assistant Sub Inspector, Sub Inspector, Superintendent, Inspector, DSP, SP, DIG, Inspector General of Police and Additional Director General of Police. 

Though one can enter the profession with any graduation background, there are criminal investigation courses like Criminology, Criminal law and forensic science in both, under and postgraduate levels. There are two ways you can enter the department. 

One is directly through state police promotion. In this, you join the police service and then you will be transferred or promoted to the investigative department. Generally, one should complete two years of uniformed service and after that apply for the transfer. 

Then the training follows. One can also get in through Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination conducted by SSC (Staff Selection Commission). If you are interested in joining CBI, apply for posts of Sub-Inspector, Assistant Public Prosecutor and Senior Public Prosecutor. 

There are different eligibility norms for each. CBI has around seven divisions that include Anti-Corruption and Economic Offence Division. To make it clear, CID is a department of state police and CBI is of Central government. 

The former works within the state and the later looks into offences of national interest and importance across the nation. The tasks that involve each agency remarkably differ. In an age of universal investigation, a career in investigation can be highly exciting.