HPPSC HPAS Glossary: Terms & Abbreviations

Terms used in the HPAS notification and on these pages, in alphabetical order.

ADC

Additional Deputy Commissioner, a senior district-level post often held by HPAS officers.

Aggregate

The total of marks in the Mains papers counted for merit (Essay, GS I to III and optional papers), out of 900.

Aptitude Test

Prelims Paper II, also called CSAT. Qualifying at 33%.

Backlog vacancy

A reserved post left unfilled in an earlier recruitment and carried forward.

BDO

Block Development Officer, head of rural development at block level.

Bona fide Himachali

A certificate proving residence in Himachal Pradesh, needed to claim reservation.

BPL

Below Poverty Line. A valid BPL certificate countersigned by the BDO can support an EWS claim.

Category code 01

The code for Unreserved candidates, which reserved candidates from other states must use.

Class-I (Gazetted)

The highest class of state government posts, whose appointments are notified in the Gazette.

Cut-off

The minimum marks needed to move to the next stage in a category.

DA

Dearness Allowance, a cost-of-living allowance revised by the HP Government.

District Controller

Officer in charge of food and civil supplies and the PDS in a district.

DTO

District Treasury Officer, who manages the district treasury and payments.

e-Admit card

The admit card downloaded from the HPPSC website. It is not posted.

EWS

Economically Weaker Section, supported by an Income and Asset Certificate or valid BPL certificate.

Ex-SM

Ex-Servicemen of HP, eligible for reserved posts under the relevant rules.

GS

General Studies. Paper I in Prelims and three papers in Mains.

HI

Hearing Impaired, a PwD sub-category.

HIPA

Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration, Shimla, the state training institute.

HPAS

Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service.

HPPS

Himachal Pradesh Police Service.

HPPSC

Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, Shimla.

Horizontal reservation

Reservation that cuts across vertical categories, such as PwD or Ex-Servicemen.

NOC

No Objection Certificate from an employer, needed by regular employees for the interview.

Negative marking

Deduction of one-third of a question's marks for a wrong answer in Prelims.

OMR sheet

The machine-read answer sheet used in the Prelims.

Optional subject

One subject chosen from 31, with two papers of 100 marks each in Mains.

ORA

Online Recruitment Application, the form submitted through the OTR portal.

OTR / OTRS

One Time Registration (System), HPPSC's portal for profiles and applications.

Personality Test

The 150-mark interview that is the final stage of HPAS.

PPO

Pension Payment Order number, required for Ex-Servicemen claims.

Provisional admission

Admission to an exam stage subject to later verification of eligibility.

PwD / PwBD

Persons with (benchmark) Disabilities, with disability of 40% or more.

Qualifying paper

A paper where a minimum score is needed but marks do not count for merit, such as Aptitude, English and Hindi.

SDM

Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the first field posting for many HPAS officers.

SSCO

Short Service Commissioned Officer. Those released on or after 13-02-2020 must show proof of gratuity.

Tehsildar

Revenue officer in charge of a tehsil.

VI

Visually Impaired, a PwD sub-category.

Ward of Ex-Servicemen

Dependent son, daughter or wife of an Ex-Serviceman of HP.

WFF

Wards of Freedom Fighters of HP: children and grandchildren of freedom fighters.