Official data tabled in the Rajya Sabha has revealed that thousands of sanctioned posts in the All India Services continue to remain vacant across states, pointing to persistent staffing gaps in key administrative services under the Union government. In response to an unstarred question by CPI(M) MP Dr John Brittas, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions informed Parliament that as on 1 January 2025, a total of 2,834 posts were vacant in the three All India Services, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS).
The Indian Administrative Service had 1,300 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 6,877 posts, with only 5,577 officers in position. The Indian Police Service had 505 vacancies out of 5,099 sanctioned posts, with 4,594 officers currently serving. The Indian Forest Service recorded the highest proportional shortfall, with 1,029 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 3,193, and only 2,164 officers in position.
This translates into vacancy levels of nearly 19 per cent in IAS, around 10 per cent in IPS and over 32 per cent in IFS.
The reply was given by the Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
On the issue of social representation, the government stated that details of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) officers “as on date” were not furnished, and instead limited its response to the number of candidates appointed as direct recruits during the last five years, from Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2020 to CSE 2024.
According to the reply, a total of 447 candidates from reserved categories were appointed to the IAS during this period, including 245 from OBC, 135 from SC and 67 from ST categories. In the IPS, 467 candidates from reserved categories were appointed, comprising 255 OBC, 141 SC and 71 ST officers. In the IFS, 374 candidates from reserved categories were recruited, including 231 OBC, 95 SC and 48 ST candidates.
Commenting on the response, John Brittas said that the government had avoided answering the core question on social representation. “When asked about SC/ST/OBC representation as on date in All India Services, the government evades the question and cites only fresh recruit numbers from 2020 to 2024. That does not answer what was asked,” he stated in a post following the release of the data.
The figures show that despite the existence of sanctioned posts, a substantial proportion of positions remain unfilled, particularly in the Indian Forest Service, where nearly one-third of posts are vacant. The data highlights that annual recruitment through the Civil Services Examination has not kept pace with retirements and cadre requirements, resulting in long-term vacancies in district administration, policing and environmental governance across multiple states.
– Magizh
