Karnataka Faces Acute Shortage of Senior IAS Officers

Despite having provisions for 25 ACS-rank officers, and 19 sanctioned positions, only seven IAS officers with over 30 years of experience are presently working in the state

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Karnataka is grappling with a significant shortage of senior IAS officers, with less than 50% of its senior IAS cadre currently functioning in the state. Despite having provisions for 25 Additional Chief Secretary (ACS)-rank officers, and 19 sanctioned positions, only seven IAS officers with over 30 years of experience are presently working in the state.

This acute shortage has led to a situation where these seven officers are managing two to three critical departments simultaneously. For instance, Mr. Gaurav Gupta (1990-batch IAS officer), ACS for Energy, is also handling the Water Resources Department, while Mr. L.K. Atheeq (1991-batch IAS officer), ACS for the Finance Department, is shouldering additional responsibilities in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). Similarly, Mr. Anjum Parvez (1994-batch IAS officer) oversees the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) and Forest Departments, and Mr. S.R. Umashankar (1993-batch IAS officer) ACS for the Urban Development Department, is doubling as the BBMP Administrator and ACS for the Home Department.

Adding to the challenge, second and third-rung IAS officers also operate at only 50% of their functional strength. “Critical departments are being juggled by these seven IAS officers, with a bleak line of succession,” noted a senior IAS officer.

Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 281 IAS officers but only 250 are currently functioning, with 25 officers on central deputation. “The situation will likely worsen or remain stagnant as more than half of the ACS-rank officers on central deputation are unlikely to return due to family commitments and career prospects,” said another IAS officer. Informal discussions are ongoing to address the vacuum.

One proposed solution involves shortening the tenure of probationary and senior-scale officers. “Instead of a longer tenure as deputy commissioner or CEO of a district or zilla panchayat for three or four terms, officers could be promoted after two terms to fill the gaps,” suggested a cabinet minister.