As of December 31, 2024, Gujarat has a sanctioned strength of 313 IAS officers. However, 14 officers are currently on deputation to the Centre, and 56 posts remain vacant, as shared by Health and Family Welfare Minister Rushikesh Patel. The information came during the Budget session when responding to Congress MLA Anantkumar Patel’s query.
Patel also announced that in February 2025, 20 officers will be promoted from the State Civil Service (SCS), and two from non-SCS, along with an estimated eight IAS officers recruited directly by October 2025. This will bring a total of 30 new IAS officers to the state.
Read Also: 15 Gujarat Administrative Service Officers Promoted to IAS
The minister explained that, as per the IAS (Cadre) Rules 1954, the IAS structure is set by the central government in consultation with state governments, with reviews every five years. The Gujarat government has proposed an increase of 343 posts, including 30 new IAS positions, for 2024. The current cadre structure, established during the last review in 2018, consists of 313 posts.
Further details shared by Patel revealed the distribution of cadre posts, including 170 senior duty posts, 68 for Central Deputation Reserve, 42 for State Deputation Reserve, 28 for Leave Reserve, and five for Training Reserve.
Patel added that in the past five years, Gujarat has received a total of 41 IAS officers through direct recruitment, with eight to nine officers recruited annually. However, the state still faces challenges from the decision made by the previous Congress government to suspend direct recruitment between 1992 and 1994, which led to a shortfall in available IAS officers during that period.
The minister clarified that there are 218 posts reserved for direct recruitment in the state, out of which 190 have been filled.
