India’s civil services is facing a persistent staffing challenge, with over 1,300 posts in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and 586 in the Indian Police Service (IPS) remaining vacant, a latest data presented in the Rajya Sabha highlighted the gaps in administrative and law enforcement cadres despite annual recruitment drives conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in a written reply to the Upper House, disclosed that the sanctioned strength of IAS officers stands at 6,858, yet only 5,542 officers are in position as of January 1, 2024.
Similarly, the IPS cadre has 4,469 officers against a sanctioned strength of 5,055, reflecting a shortfall that continues to impact governance and policing across the nation.
Singh elaborated that the IAS vacancies include 794 direct recruitment positions and 522 promotion posts. In the IPS cadre, 209 posts are vacant for direct recruits, while 377 pertain to promotions.
The Union Minister cited efforts to mitigate these shortages through the Civil Services Examination conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
However, recruitment constraints persist, with the intake of IAS officers frozen at 180 annually since 2012.
“Any number above 180 will compromise quality and lead to a distortion in the officers’ career path,” Singh reiterated, reflecting the government’s stance shared in Parliament last year.
Steady recruitment and persistent vacancies
The number of civil service vacancies for which recruitment is conducted has risen significantly over the years, from 812 posts in 2018 to 1,143 in 2023, marking an increase of over 40 per cent.
However, while the intake for IPS officers increased to 200 annually since 2020, the overall shortfall remains stark.
For the Indian Forest Service (IFS), Singh noted that there were 2,151 officers in service against a sanctioned strength of 3,193, leaving 1,042 positions vacant.
Of these, 503 are direct recruitment posts, while 539 are promotion vacancies.
Providing insights into recruitment trends, the Minister disclosed data on the appointments made across various categories over the past five years.
During the 2022 Civil Services Examination (CSE), 75 candidates from the General category, 45 from Other Backward Classes (OBC), 29 from Scheduled Castes (SC), and 13 from Scheduled Tribes (ST) were selected for the IAS.
For the IPS, 83 General category candidates, 53 OBCs, 31 SCs, and 13 STs were inducted. Similarly, the IFS saw 43 General, 51 OBC, 22 SC, and 11 ST appointments during CSE 2024.
While the government has made concerted efforts to tackle the issue, including the consideration of biometric systems for promotion processes, the challenges remain formidable.
Experts have pointed out that systemic inefficiencies in promotions and the rigid cap on annual intake hinder the resolution of these shortages.
Singh, concluding his address, assured the House that the government is committed to addressing the staffing gaps for better administrative efficiency and governance across the country.
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