Bhubaneswar: Odisha is grappling with one of the country’s most severe shortages of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, with the state currently functioning with just 132 officers against its sanctioned cadre strength of 195, leaving 63 posts vacant. The shortage has begun affecting district policing, senior command positions and the promotion pipeline within the state’s police administration.
The vacancy level is among the highest in India and comes at a time when policing responsibilities are expanding due to increasing law-and-order challenges, cybercrime, organised crime and internal security requirements.
63 Vacancies in IPS Cadre
According to official cadre strength, Odisha has an authorised IPS strength of 195 officers, but only 132 officers are presently available, resulting in a deficit of 63 officers.
The shortage has created pressure across different ranks, with several key positions either lying vacant or being managed through additional charge arrangements.
Read also: Odisha DGP Race Intensifies as IPS Cadre Faces Acute Insider Officer Shortage
No Promotions from State Police Service
One of the major reasons behind the shortage is the complete absence of recent promotions from the Odisha State Police Service (SPS) to the IPS cadre.
The promotion quota of 59 IPS posts, reserved for induction from the State Police Service, currently remains entirely unfilled.
Normally, eligible SPS officers are inducted into the IPS after selection by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and approval by the Central Government. The absence of inductions has widened the vacancy gap and disrupted the state’s leadership pipeline.
District Policing Under Pressure
The shortage has also affected district-level leadership.
Out of 34 police districts in Odisha, only seven are presently headed by insider or domicile IPS officers, highlighting the limited availability of cadre officers for field postings.
The remaining districts are being managed either by officers from outside the state cadre or through alternative administrative arrangements, placing additional responsibility on available officers.
Central Deputation Adds to the Gap
The situation has been further aggravated as several senior Odisha cadre IPS officers continue to serve on Central deputation in various ministries, central police organisations and specialised investigative agencies.
While deputation provides valuable exposure to officers, it also temporarily reduces the number of officers available for state policing.
Impact on Police Administration
The shortage is expected to have implications across multiple areas of policing, including:
- District policing and law-and-order management.
- Filling senior supervisory and command positions.
- Career progression of State Police Service officers awaiting IPS induction.
- Administrative workload on serving IPS officers handling multiple responsibilities.
Police experts note that prolonged vacancies can affect institutional continuity, strategic planning and effective supervision, particularly in a state with diverse policing requirements ranging from coastal security to Maoist-affected regions.
Need for Early Cadre Management
With nearly one-third of the sanctioned IPS posts lying vacant, there is growing expectation that the Centre and the state government will expedite the process of filling vacancies through direct recruitment allocations, promotions from the State Police Service and cadre management measures.
Timely induction of eligible SPS officers and adequate allocation of direct recruit IPS officers are considered crucial for strengthening Odisha’s policing capacity and ensuring effective leadership across the state.
Read also: Odisha Deploys Three IAS Officers on Flood Duty in Jajpur, Bhadrak & Balasore
