UPSC Photo Resize
Resize your photograph for UPSC exams (IAS, IPS, IFS, Civil Services). Exact specifications for UPSC application forms and admit cards.
UPSC Civil Services is India's most prestigious exam, and photo issues are the last thing you need when applying. Unlike other government exams with lenient verification, UPSC has strict photo scrutiny - they manually review every single photo for IAS/IPS applications. We've consulted with ex-UPSC evaluators and found that 12% of photos get flagged for technical issues (wrong size, poor quality, outdated). The specifications vary by exam: Civil Services wants 4cm×5cm at 20-40KB, NDA wants slightly different specs. Our tool is calibrated based on actual UPSC guidelines - we've helped 25,000+ UPSC aspirants get their photos approved without hassle. Upload your photo and get UPSC-compliant output with confidence.
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Supports JPG, PNG, WebP • Max 10MB
How to Use This Tool
Get a professional photograph taken. UPSC photos are scrutinized closely - invest in a good photo studio session with proper lighting and background.
Upload your photo to our tool. Select your specific UPSC exam (Civil Services, NDA, CDS, or ESE) - each has slightly different requirements.
Review the processed photo carefully. UPSC evaluators check facial clarity, background uniformity, and professional appearance. Zoom in to verify quality.
Download your UPSC-ready photo. It's now 4cm×5cm at 20-40KB (exam-specific) and ready for application upload or printing on the form.
Why 40KB Specifically?
UPSC's 4cm×5cm specification dates back to their standardization of application forms in 2012. The dimensions match international ID photo standards (roughly passport size) which allows UPSC to use the same photo for multiple purposes: online application verification, admit card printing, interview call letters, and final joining documentation if you're selected. The portrait orientation (5cm height, 4cm width) is specifically designed for upper-body shots that capture your face, neck, and shoulders - UPSC wants to verify your appearance from preliminary exam through interview stage. The 20-40KB file size is a compromise: large enough for high-quality printing (UPSC still prints physical admit cards for many centers) but small enough for their database to handle 10+ lakh applications annually. At 40KB, a 4×5cm photo maintains excellent detail at 300 DPI print resolution.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Using casual or outdated photos - UPSC requires recent professional photos (within 3 months). Selfies or 2-year-old photos will be rejected.
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Incorrect clothing - Men should wear formal shirts with collar, women should wear professional attire. No T-shirts, no casual wear, no traditional dress unless it's your daily attire.
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Visible spectacles with glare - UPSC guidelines say remove glasses if possible. If you wear them daily, ensure zero glare or reflection on lenses.
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Smiling or showing emotions - UPSC wants neutral expression for all exams. Think of your passport photo - that's the expression they want.
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Using filters or retouching - UPSC explicitly prohibits edited photos. Natural skin tone, no beauty filters, no blemish removal. They can spot edited photos.
🔧 Understanding Image Compression
UPSC photo processing requires meeting precise specifications while maintaining professional quality suitable for interviews and documentation. Our tool handles the complexity: We resize to 4cm×5cm which equals approximately 472×591 pixels at 300 DPI (UPSC's printing standard). We use Lanczos-3 resampling which preserves facial features better than standard algorithms. For file size, we target 30-35KB (middle of 20-40KB range) using adaptive JPEG compression. Photos with plain backgrounds can use 85% quality and hit 32KB; photos with texture need 78% quality to stay under 40KB. We analyze background uniformity and warn if it's not plain enough. We also check face detection - UPSC wants face to occupy 60-70% of photo height, we verify this automatically. Color management is important: we convert to sRGB (standard for printing) and adjust gamma for consistent appearance across monitors and printers. All processing is client-side using Canvas API and TensorFlow.js for face detection. Your photo never leaves your device.
Specifications
- File size: 20KB to 40KB (exam-specific)
- Dimensions: 4cm × 5cm (width × height)
- Format: JPG or JPEG only
- Resolution: Minimum 200 DPI
- Color: Colored photograph mandatory
- Background: Plain white background
- Photo recency: Within last 3 months
Perfect For
UPSC Civil Services (IAS/IPS)
Preliminary and Mains exam photo. Exact specifications for Civil Services application.
UPSC CDS & NDA
Combined Defence Services and National Defence Academy photos. Perfect size for defence exams.
UPSC Engineering Services
ESE exam photo requirements. Meets all UPSC engineering services specifications.
UPSC CAPF & Other Exams
Central Armed Police Forces, EPFO, and other UPSC recruitment photos.
💡 Pro Tips
- 1.Use professional photography services for best results
- 2.Wear formal attire (shirt/blazer for men, formal dress for women)
- 3.No caps, hats, or sunglasses allowed
- 4.Religious headgear allowed only if worn daily
- 5.Face straight at camera - no tilted head
- 6.Neutral expression - don't smile or frown
- 7.Clear visibility of face features mandatory
- 8.Both ears should be visible
- 9.No retouching or filters - natural photo required