The HPPSC Civil Judge application deadline was January 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.—not an upcoming date. The deadline for sending printed documents was January 13, 2025. HPPSC later put the recruitment on hold in March 2025, then issued instructions for a main examination scheduled to begin July 15, 2025. The sources cited here do not establish the recruitment’s final outcome or latest status; check current HPPSC notices before relying on any update.
What the HPPSC notice advertised
HPPSC Advertisement No. 31/12-2024 invited applications for the Himachal Pradesh Judicial Service Competitive Examination-2024 to fill 21 Civil Judge posts in the Department of Home, Himachal Pradesh. The stated pay was Level J-1, ₹77,840–₹1,36,520. The notice said the number of posts could increase or decrease.
| Category listed | Posts |
|---|---|
| Unreserved | 11, including nine anticipated posts |
| Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste | 3 |
| Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe | 3 |
| Himachal Pradesh OBC | 4, including one anticipated post |
These vacancy and pay figures are from HPPSC’s 2024 advertisement. Read the official advertisement.
Who was eligible under the 2024 notice
Applicants had to be Indian citizens and hold, by January 5, 2025, a law degree recognized by the Bar Council of India. The stated age range was 22 through 35 years as of that date. The upper age limit was relaxed by three years for Himachal Pradesh SC, ST, and OBC candidates. Knowledge of Himachal Pradesh customs, manners, and dialects was listed as desirable.
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Reservation benefits for the listed Himachal Pradesh categories were limited to bona fide Himachal Pradesh residents. Candidates from other states were treated as general category for reservation and fee-concession purposes. Applicants needed to check the full notice for the applicable category certificate and other category-specific conditions.
Application and document deadlines
The online application and fee deadline was January 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. HPPSC said the application link would then be disabled. The separate deadline for physical documents was January 13, 2025. Both dates have passed.
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- Register and create a profile through HPPSC’s One Time Registration portal.
- Sign in, apply for the examination from the dashboard, and upload the required documents.
- Pay the fee applicable to the candidate’s category. HPPSC considered an online application successful only after the fee was acknowledged and credited.
- Send self-attested hard copies of the same documents, with an A-4 printout of the application, to the Secretary, HPPSC, Nigam Vihar, Shimla-171002, by January 13, 2025. The notice said there would be no later opportunity to submit missing physical documents.
The upload list included proof of date of birth from matriculation, graduation documents, the BCI-recognized law degree, applicable category certificates, and credential certificates from two people unconnected with the candidate. Consult the full HPPSC advertisement for the exact document and category requirements.
Fees depended on candidate category
The notice did not set one fee for all applicants. It listed ₹600 for general-category male candidates and candidates from other states, ₹150 for certain male applicants in Himachal Pradesh reserved categories, and no fee for female candidates and specified other groups. These are categories and amounts stated in the 2024 notice, not a current fee schedule; check its fee table to determine how a particular applicant was treated.
Examination stages and preliminary papers
The selection process described in the notice included an objective preliminary examination, a narrative main examination, and viva voce. The preliminary examination had three papers:
| Preliminary paper | Format and marks per paper |
|---|---|
| Civil Law-I | Objective; one hour; 100 marks; 50 multiple-choice questions |
| Civil Law-II | Objective; one hour; 100 marks; 50 multiple-choice questions |
| Criminal Law | Objective; one hour; 100 marks; 50 multiple-choice questions |
The notice specified no negative marking for the preliminary papers and listed Shimla, Mandi, and Kangra at Dharamshala as preliminary examination centers. Candidates preparing for any future cycle should use the syllabus and law applicable to that cycle rather than assume the 2024 scheme remains unchanged.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened after applications closed
In a press note dated March 20, 2025, HPPSC said the ongoing recruitment had been put on hold pending further direction from the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The Commission cited the pending Supreme Court matter All India Judges Association & Ors. v. Union of India. See HPPSC’s press note.
HPPSC subsequently issued candidate instructions for a main examination scheduled to begin July 15, 2025. That later scheduling does not, by itself, establish the final selection result or the recruitment’s status after the examination. Check the Commission’s main-examination instructions. For any current update, use HPPSC’s latest official notices rather than treating the old application window as open.
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