The number of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers recruited through the Civil Services Exam (CSE) during the last five years, both state and Union Territory wise is significantly lesser compared to what it should have been.
Targeting the topic, a question was recently raised in Rajya Sabha where the Prime Minister was asked to state the reason behind the acute shortage of IAS officers in the country and also lay down the steps being taken to redress the shortage.
In his reply to the question raised, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pension and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Thursday, said that a total of 6789 posts are sanctioned in the IAS cadre in the country, out of which only 5317 posts of officers are posted. Out of these, a total of 415 posts are sanctioned in Maharashtra but only 341 officers are posted on them. That is, 74 posts are vacant. At the same time, 79 posts are vacant in West Bengal and 92 posts are vacant in Uttar Pradesh.
He further stated that the government does not want to appoint more than 180 IAS officers in a year. Quoting the recommendations of the Baswan Committee set up to ensure the recruitment of IAS officers, Dr. Jitendra said that since 2012 only 180 IAS officers are being appointed every year.
The committee was of the view that appointing more than 180 officers would compromise on quality. Also, it will be more than the capacity of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Training Academy at Mussoorie and at the same time, the appointment of more IAS officers can cause distortion in the career pyramid of the IAS cadre.
