New Delhi: Kerala has emerged as the state with the highest vacancy rate in the Indian Administrative Service, while several northern states continue to face a serious shortage of both IAS and Indian Police Service officers, according to data submitted in Parliament.
The figures presented in the Lok Sabha reveal that Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the AGMUT cadre together are facing a substantial shortage, with 482 posts lying vacant against a sanctioned strength of 2,010.
Kerala records highest IAS vacancy rate in India
According to information provided by Jitendra Singh, Kerala currently has 74 IAS vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 231 posts, resulting in a 32 per cent vacancy rate, the highest in the country.
AGMUT and Himachal Pradesh follow Kerala in vacancy rankings
The AGMUT Cadre, which includes Delhi, ranks second with 136 vacant IAS posts against 542 sanctioned positions, translating into a 25.1 per cent vacancy rate.
Himachal Pradesh stands third, with 36 IAS posts vacant out of 153 sanctioned posts, amounting to 23.5 per cent vacancy.
National IAS vacancy touches nearly 19 per cent
At the national level, 5,577 IAS officers are in position against a sanctioned strength of 6,877, leaving 1,300 posts vacant, which means an 18.9 per cent vacancy rate.
For IPS officers, 4,594 officers are serving against 5,099 sanctioned posts, leaving 505 vacancies, equivalent to 9.9 per cent shortage nationwide.
Haryana reports 60 vacancies in IAS and IPS combined
Haryana currently has 172 IAS officers against 215 sanctioned posts, leaving 43 vacancies, or 20 per cent shortage.
In IPS, Haryana has 127 officers against 144 sanctioned posts, resulting in 17 vacancies or 11.8 per cent shortage.
Overall, Haryana faces 60 vacancies out of 359 sanctioned IAS and IPS posts, taking the combined vacancy rate to 16.7 per cent.
Punjab faces major shortage in IPS cadre
Punjab has 33 IAS vacancies out of 231 sanctioned posts, amounting to 14.3 per cent shortage.
Its IPS cadre is more stressed, with 34 vacancies against 172 sanctioned posts, leading to 19.8 per cent shortage.
In total, Punjab has 67 vacancies out of 403 sanctioned posts, which equals 16.6 per cent combined vacancy.
Himachal Pradesh worst affected in northern region
Himachal Pradesh has only 117 IAS officers against 153 sanctioned posts, and 84 IPS officers against 96 sanctioned posts.
This leaves 48 total vacancies out of 249 sanctioned posts, producing an overall vacancy rate of 19.3 per cent, the highest among northern states.
North India facing serious administrative strain
Across Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the combined shortage stands at:
- 18.6 per cent in IAS
- 15.59 per cent in IPS
When AGMUT is included, the combined shortfall reaches 24 per cent, indicating mounting administrative pressure in governance-heavy regions.
Government explains reasons behind vacancies
The Centre informed Parliament that vacancies continue due to:
- retirements
- expanding governance responsibilities
- cadre restructuring
- delayed replenishment cycles
The government also noted that 180 IAS officers are recruited annually, with 4 per cent reservation for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, and clarified that there is no backlog in reserved category posts.
Vacancies may influence governance and postings
The shortage of senior civil service officers is likely to affect:
- field administration
- departmental leadership
- policy execution
- cadre-based promotions and deputations
With retirements continuing and governance demands increasing, several states may seek accelerated cadre strengthening measures.
