Gandhinagar: The Central government has approved an increase in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre strength in Gujarat, raising it from 313 to 328 posts, adding 15 new positions. The move, made under the All India Services Act, 1951, amends the Indian Administrative Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations, 1955, following consultation with the Gujarat government. The revised regulations were notified by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and took effect on February 13, 2026.
Breakdown of IAS Posts in Gujarat
The total number of Senior Duty Posts has been fixed at 178, covering key positions such as:
- Chief Secretary: 1
- Additional Chief Secretaries: 5
- Principal Secretaries: 9
- Secretaries to Government: 17
- Collectors: 33
- District Development Officers: 33
- Municipal Commissioners in major cities including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Gandhinagar
The Central Deputation Reserve has been set at 71 posts, not exceeding 40% of senior duty posts, while the State Deputation Reserve stands at 44 posts. Additional allocations include:
- Training Reserve: 6 posts
- Leave and Junior Posts Reserve: 29 posts
Of the total cadre, 99 posts will be filled by promotion under the IAS (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, and 229 posts will be filled through direct recruitment.
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Strengthening Administrative Capacity
Officials highlighted that the increase in cadre strength is intended to enhance administrative capacity in Gujarat, considering the state’s growing governance requirements, urbanisation, and developmental activities.
Gujarat’s IAS cadre has been under scrutiny in recent years due to vacancies, promotions, and administrative restructuring. In 2024-25, the sanctioned strength was 313 officers, with 56 posts unfilled and 14 officers on central deputation. To address these gaps, the state government has been promoting State Civil Service (SCS) officers to the IAS and recruiting directly.
Previous Proposals and Recent Promotions
Earlier, the Gujarat government had proposed increasing the cadre strength to 343 posts by adding 30 new IAS positions to meet the rising administrative demands. In recent months, several senior officers have been promoted to Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary ranks, while numerous SCS officers were elevated to IAS, reflecting ongoing efforts to strengthen the state bureaucracy.
Dynamic Nature of IAS Postings
These developments are part of periodic transfers and postings of IAS officers across districts and departments, ensuring administrative efficiency. The cadre strength and vacancies are governed by the All India Services Act, 1951, and are reviewed in consultation with the Central government and the state. The last formal review before 2026 had set Gujarat’s IAS cadre strength at 313 posts.
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