The Indian Constitution provides for the establishment of All India Services (AIS) that are shared by the Union and the States. The All-India Services Act, 1951 establishes the rules for the control of recruitment and other service conditions for All-India Services (AIS) personnel.
The staff is recruited either directly through examination or through promotion from state services. AIS currently only includes the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Services (IFS).
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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) provides a list of vacancies that will be filled through the Civil Service Examination each year. As a result, the candidates are chosen and assigned to their desired cadres.
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Vacancy and recruitment
The number of jobs available each year is not fixed. It is determined by a variety of factors, including ministry requirements and state government personnel requests. The Baswan Committee was constituted to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the requirements of IAS officials over a longer time period, and its report was submitted in 2016. It suggested limiting the intake to ensure the quality and balance of needs of different cadres.
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According to the report, a maximum of 180 IAS officers can be recruited each year to balance out the backlog of vacancies that existed at the time, and any number above 180 could compromise quality, lead to a distortion in the career pyramid of IAS officers, and exceed the capacity for training of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). However, the backlog of vacancies frequently forces states to promote non-cadre officers to cadre officer positions.
According to a response to Parliament in April 2022, the vacancies and their filling are an ongoing process. For direct recruitment (Civil Service Examination, CSE), an examination is held, however for promotion quota openings, the UPSC selection committee meets with the relevant State Governments.
Furthermore, the Central Government has agreed to enhance the yearly intake of IAS officers from 2012 to CSE 2022, while the annual intake of IPS officers has been increased from 150 to 200 with effect from CSE-2020. In addition, from CSE 2022 to CSE 2030, a committee has been created to suggest the intake for direct recruitment of IAS officers.
According to the Department Related Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice 112th report, there is a mismatch between the total number of vacancies stated at the time of notification and vacancies before the results are declared. Data from 2010 to 2020 show an average rise of 81 vacancies between the two rounds, which the committee deemed as an unfavourable practice.
AIS Cadre Management
Cadre management is a critical component of the All-India Services. This approach ensured that officials from diverse regions of India were assigned in various locations throughout India, allowing diversity to dominate. It also has its drawbacks, because the professional exposure one receives is entirely contingent on the nature of the posting and differs greatly from one another.
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Cadre Management for IAS is governed by the Indian Administrative Services (Cadre) Rules, 1954. Similarly, the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules 1954 govern the IPS, and the Indian Forest Service (Cadre) Rules 1966 govern the forest service. These regulations collectively guide AIS cadre management.
The regulations also outline how members are assigned to various cadres and how cadre officers are deputised (Cadre officer, as stated in rules, means the member of AIS). It also specifies posting norms, the temporary appointment of non-cadre officers to cadre jobs, cadre officers holding multiple posts, authority where a joint cadre is involved, and reporting to the Union Government on vacant cadre positions, among other things.
Shortage of IAS officers in India
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Each state has a different cadre strength, which is fixed according to the previously mentioned cadre fixation principles. This is revised on a regular basis based on the requirements and availability of essential resources. Uttar Pradesh has the most cadres, followed by AGMUT, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. When it comes to the gendered nature of the cadre strength, Telangana leads the way with one in every three IAS officers being female, whereas the national average is one in every five. Leaving aside the Northeastern states, Bihar and Jharkhand have the lowest proportion of female IAS officers.
According to the 112th report of the Department Related Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice, the total permitted strength of IAS officers, regardless of selection method, is 6746. However, the number of IAS officers in position is only 5231, representing a 22% shortfall. This deficit is far more severe in a few states, like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and 8 Union Territories) cadre. A continuing scarcity has the potential to impair service delivery efficiency.
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