Chandigarh: Seventeen senior officers, including 13 IAS and four IPS officers, of the Haryana Government are set to retire this year, raising concerns over a deepening bureaucratic crisis in the state. The retirements come at a time when Haryana is already facing a shortage of hands due to deputations to the Central Government and vacant posts in the state cadre.
Prominent among the officers retiring are Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, and former DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur (1990 batch), who is currently serving as Chairman of Haryana Police Housing Corporation, according to The Indian Express.
Key Officers Set to Retire in 2026
IAS Officers:
- Anurag Rastogi (Chief Secretary) – Retiring June 30 (one-year extension granted)
- Raja Shekhar Vundru (Additional Chief Secretary) – July 31
- D Suresh (Principal Secretary) – August 31
- Arun Kumar Gupta (Principal Secretary to CM) – September 30
- Abhilaksh Likhi (Secretary, GoI) – November 30
- Sudhir Rajpal, Mukesh Kumar Ahuja, Jasbir Arya, Virender Lather, Pradeep Kumar, Anita Yadav, Sanjay Joon, Geeta Bharti – Various retirement dates throughout 2026
IPS Officers:
- Shatrujeet Singh Kapur (Former DGP, 1990 batch) – October 31
- Sanjeev Kumar Jain (1991 batch) – September 30
- Hardeep Singh Doon (1998 batch) – May 31
- Dr. Rajshree Singh (1999 batch) – July 31
These retirements will significantly affect administrative work in Haryana, as many senior officers currently hold multiple departmental responsibilities, sometimes overseeing three to four departments at once.
Read also: Karnataka: Suman Pannekar Becomes New Ballari District Police Chief; 3 IPS Officers Transferred
Why Haryana Faces a Shortage of Officers
Haryana has a sanctioned IAS cadre strength of 225 posts, with 183 officers currently in service, leaving a shortfall of 42 IAS officers.
Adding to the challenge, at least 12 IAS officers are currently on deputation to the Central Government, including:
- V Umashankar, Abhilaksh Likhi (1991 batch)
- Deepti Umashankar, Sukriti Likhi, Neerja Shekhar (1993 batch)
- Nitin Kumar Yadav (2000 batch)
- Vikas Gupta, Pankaj Yadav (2001 batch)
- Nikhil Gajraj (2008 batch)
- Sharandeep Kaur Brar (2009 batch)
- Dr. Garima Mittal (2010 batch)
Even though Haryana recently received six new IAS officers, the retirement of 13 senior IAS officers this year is expected to strain administrative capacity further.
Promotion Quota Posts Remain Vacant
According to government rules:
- 67% of IAS posts are filled through direct recruitment
- 33% are filled through promotion from Haryana Civil Service (HCS)
Currently, 66 IAS posts are meant to be filled via promotion. However, despite the acute shortage of officers, many promotion quota posts remain vacant. HCS officers become eligible for IAS promotion after eight years of service and five years of good Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs).
A senior official told The Indian Express, “The shortage of senior IAS officers will impact governance and decision-making, especially as many officers are handling multiple departments simultaneously.”
Implications for Haryana’s Administration
The retirement of these top officers comes at a critical time for the state, which faces:
- Vacant IAS posts and multiple departments under single officers
- Shortage of senior police leadership, with key IPS officers retiring
- The need for timely recruitment and promotions to maintain administrative efficiency
The state government will need to accelerate appointments and fill promotion quota posts to prevent further administrative bottlenecks.
