Lucknow: A growing number of senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in Uttar Pradesh are opting for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), triggering concern within administrative and political circles. Over the past few years, nearly a dozen IAS officers of the UP cadre have either resigned or sought voluntary retirement, with more expected to follow suit in the coming months.
While most officers have officially cited personal or health-related reasons, insiders point to career stagnation, limited central deputation opportunities, and better prospects outside government service as major drivers behind the trend.
Anamika Singh Latest to Seek VRS
Among the latest officers to seek VRS is 2004-batch IAS officer Anamika Singh, whose decision has once again brought the issue into sharp focus. A senior official confirmed that her request is currently under process.
“There has been no recent application from her for central deputation,” the officer clarified, amid reports suggesting that denial of deputation requests has become a key source of dissatisfaction among officers.
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Central Deputation Bottleneck Fuels Discontent
Several serving IAS officers privately admit to growing frustration over low representation of UP-cadre officers at the Centre. According to them, the state government has been reluctant to clear deputation requests, citing shortages within the state cadre.
“We apply regularly for central deputation, but approvals are not forthcoming. It’s frustrating to see our career graph stagnate,” said a senior officer on condition of anonymity.
Interestingly, officers who were posted in Varanasi and Ayodhya in recent years reportedly had better chances of securing central deputation due to their proximity to high-profile projects and closer coordination with the Centre.
List of Officers Who Have Opted for VRS or Resigned
In recent years, several prominent officers from the UP cadre have exited service. These include:
- Rajiv Agarwal (1993 batch)
- Mohammad Mustafa (1995 batch)
- Amod Kumar (1995 batch)
- Renuka Kumar (1987 batch)
- Juthika Patankar (1988 batch)
- Rigzin Samphael (2003 batch)
- Vikas Gothalwal (2003 batch)
- G Sreenivasulu (2005 batch)
- Vidya Bhushan (2008 batch)
- Abhishek Singh (2011 batch)
- Rakesh Varma and R P Singh
Notably, G Sreenivasulu later withdrew his VRS plea and returned to service, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding such decisions.
Silence of UP IAS Association Adds to Concerns
Adding to the unease is the apparent inactivity of the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association, which earlier served as a platform for officers to raise service-related grievances. The association has reportedly not held its traditional ‘service week’ or annual general meeting for the past few years.
“The service week used to be a forum where officers could openly discuss issues. That culture seems to have faded,” said another senior officer.
Government Yet to Respond Publicly
Senior officials of the state government, including Chief Secretary S P Goyal and Principal Secretary (Appointments) M Devraj, were unavailable for comment. The government has so far maintained silence on the rising number of VRS applications, even as concerns grow over the long-term impact on governance and administrative continuity in India’s most populous state.
