A significant majority of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers belonging to the Uttar Pradesh cadre have adhered to the mandatory annual filing of their Immovable Property Returns (IPRs).
As of January 1, 2025, only a small fraction of the total officers had not submitted their IPRs. Out of 542 IAS officers, just one was yet to file, while only five out of 445 IPS officers were non-compliant.
This demonstrates a marked improvement in IPR filing compared to the previous year. As of January 1, 2024, eight IAS and sixteen IPS officers had failed to submit their returns.
Analysis of IPR filing trends over the past few years, based on publicly available data from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for IAS officers and the Ministry of Home Affairs for IPS officers, reveals a consistent decline in the number of officers missing the stipulated deadline.
In the preceding years, the number of non-compliant officers was notably higher:
- IAS: 22 (January 1, 2023), 47 (January 1, 2022), 64 (January 1, 2021), 77 (January 1, 2020)
- IPS: 48 (January 1, 2023), 76 (January 1, 2022), 69 (January 1, 2021), 85 (January 1, 2020)
Senior officers holding key positions within the state government, including those in the Chief Minister’s Office, the Chief Secretary’s Office, and the Director General of Police’s office, have all filed their mandatory IPRs.
The filed returns detail properties owned individually or jointly with spouses, as well as properties acquired through purchase, inheritance, or lease, and those shared with siblings or in-laws. A few officers have declared having no immovable property by filling in “nil” in the relevant sections.
Under Rule 16(2) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, all members of the All India Services are required to file their IPRs annually by January 31 for the preceding year ending December 31. The prescribed format necessitates officers to disclose the location, type, cost of construction (including land cost), present value, ownership details (if not self), mode of acquisition, and annual income from each property. If an accurate present value cannot be determined, an approximate value is to be provided.
Guidelines issued by the DoPT stipulate that vigilance clearance can be withheld from officers who fail to submit their IPRs by the January 31 deadline. The Uttar Pradesh state government has also mandated asset declaration for all its officers and employees, with a senior official from the personnel department reporting that approximately 90% of state government personnel have currently declared their assets. This increasing compliance among IAS and IPS officers reflects a growing adherence to the established rules and regulations.
