IAS IPS Posting: Where will an IAS and IPS officer get posted, how is the cadre system decided?

IAS IPS Posting: Recently, the central government introduced a new cadre allocation policy for the three All India Services. This has brought about some significant changes in how officers are assigned to states and union territories. This policy applies to IAS, IPS, and IFS officers. In the meantime, let’s understand how the cadre system for officers is determined.

Cadre Allocation Basics

An IAS or IPS officer’s cadre is primarily determined by three factors: UPSC rank, the candidate’s preference, and the availability of vacancies in different states. The central government recruits officers through the Union Public Service Commission, and they are allocated to the state cadre where they spend most of their careers. Under the new policy, vacancies are counted from January 1 of the respective year, taking into account the cadre-wise needs of the states.

New Cadre Grouping System 

One of the biggest changes is the replacement of the previous five-zone system with an alphabetical grouping system. India’s 25 cadres are now divided into four groups. Group 1 includes Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, Union Territories, Andhra Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. Group 2 includes Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh. Group 3 includes Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Tamil Nadu. Group 4 includes Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Preference and Cycle Based Allocation 

Candidates will have to first indicate their preferred group and then list their preferred tatesinthatgroupinorder.Allocation is done using a cyclic system where ranks are viewed in batches of 25.For example, ranks 1-25, 26-50, etc. Only one officer is allocated to a specific cadre at a time in each cycle. This ensures that no single state monopolizes the top ranks and thattalent is distributed equally across the country

Insider Outsider Rule 

To maintain neutrality and national integration, the cadre system follows a 33:66 insider-outsider rule. This means that approximately one-third of the seats in a state cadre are reserved for candidates from that state, while the remaining two-thirds are reserved for candidates from other states. A home state cadre is possible, but only if the candidate holds a high enough rank and gives top priority to their home state.

Who controls cadre allocation? 

The final authority rests with the central ministries. Cadre allocation for IAS officers is done by the Department of Personnel and Training. For IPS officers, the Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible.

Although the Centre decides the cadre, postings within the state like District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police or other roles are handled by the respective state government.