Jaipur: Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officers awaiting their promotion to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) are expressing increasing frustration as delays continue to stall the process. Despite completing all necessary formalities, the promotion files have yet to progress, leaving the officers hopeful for swift action from the Department of Personnel (DoP).
A total of 19 RAS officers are set for promotion to IAS, and a panel of 57 names, three times the required number, has been prepared by the DoP. This panel is now pending submission to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for final selection. UPSC is expected to review the list, approve the 19 names, and issue a formal promotion notification, which should be completed within one to two months. As a result, these officers are likely to be promoted by June 2025.
Sources confirm that the DoP has already prepared the panel with all the necessary documentation, including ACRs, property returns, and integrity certificates. Additionally, no issues have been reported regarding the case of RAS officer Praveen Lekhra (1999), whose file has been cleared. Despite this, the case remains stalled within the DoP. If the department acts quickly, the panel could be sent to UPSC once approval is obtained from the Chief Secretary (CS) and Chief Minister.
This delay marks a continuation of the traditional pattern, with RAS officers often facing last-minute promotions just before retirement. In some instances, these officers rise to the position of Special Secretary or Secretary, though the promotion to Principal Secretary remains an exception. For the 19 officers on the promotion list, many are in their final years of service, including the most senior officer, Navneet Kumar, who has just three years left before retirement.
As the promotion process drags on, many officers are comparing their situation to that of state service officers in Kerala, where officers from the 2014 batch are already being considered for IAS promotions.
