Eligibility for the Delhi Judicial Service is prescribed in the Delhi High Court recruitment advertisement for each Civil Judge vacancy cycle. The durable requirements are citizenship, a law degree, fitness to be an advocate, and an upper age cap that is tighter than in many large state PCS-J exams.
Core conditions
| Condition | Typical DJS requirement |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Citizen of India |
| Education | Degree in law from a recognised university |
| Professional status | Practising as an advocate in India or qualified to be admitted as an advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961 |
| Age | Not more than 32 years as on the cut-off date in the notice (relaxations for reserved categories / PwD as notified) |
| Character / other | Fit for judicial service under High Court rules |
Unlike some states, DJS public materials often emphasise a maximum age of 32 for the general category (with SC/ST and PwD relaxation bands stated in the ad). There is frequently no separate minimum age beyond what follows from LL.B. completion—confirm the year’s PDF.
Practice experience
Lower judiciary DJS entry does not usually demand seven years’ practice (that is the classic Higher Judicial Service / ADJ model). Being an enrolled advocate or eligible for enrolment is the standard professional filter. Exact wording—“practising” versus “entitled to practise”—follows the notice.
Documents at application
Expect online application fields and later scrutiny for:
- LL.B. mark sheets and degree / provisional certificate
- Enrolment certificate if already enrolled
- Category and disability certificates where claimed
- Photo identity and date-of-birth proof matching the age cut-off
Who this exam suits
DJS attracts candidates targeting a high-volume metro trial court environment—commercial, rent, criminal and constitutional writ culture of Delhi. Competition is intense relative to vacancy size. Compare age and language rules with UP PCS-J or Rajasthan Judicial Service before multi-state applications.
Related reading
Primary sources
- Delhi High Court Civil Judge / DJS advertisement for the relevant year