Over 2,800 Vacancies in IAS, IPS and IFS: Government Tables Comprehensive Cadre-Wise Civil Services Data in Rajya Sabha for 2025
In a detailed disclosure before Parliament, the Union Government has presented a comprehensive status report on the strength and vacancies in India’s premier civil services — the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFS) — as of January 1, 2025.
The data was submitted in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, who also oversees the Departments of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space.
The figures reveal a cumulative shortfall exceeding 2,800 officers across the three All India Services, underscoring continuing кадров gaps in administrative, policing, and forest governance structures nationwide.
Overall Cadre Strength and Vacancies
According to the official data:
IAS: 6,877 sanctioned posts; 5,577 officers in position; 1,300 vacancies
IPS: 5,099 sanctioned posts; 4,594 officers in position; 505 vacancies
IFS: 3,193 sanctioned posts; 2,164 officers in position; 1,029 vacancies
The figures indicate that while recruitment continues annually through the Civil Services Examination (CSE), a significant mismatch persists between sanctioned strength and officers currently serving across states and Union Territories.
Cadre-Wise Distribution Across States and UTs
The cadre-wise breakdown offers granular insight into the distribution of officers and the magnitude of vacancies across regions.
AGMUT Cadre
IAS: 542 sanctioned (406 in position)
IPS: 457 sanctioned (427 in position)
IFS: 302 sanctioned (201 in position)
Andhra Pradesh
IAS: 239 (195)
IPS: 174 (140)
IFS: 82 (67)
Assam–Meghalaya
IAS: 263 (214)
IPS: 195 (157)
IFS: 142 (90)
Bihar
IAS: 359 (303)
IPS: 242 (241)
IFS: 74 (50)
Chhattisgarh
IAS: 202 (164)
IPS: 142 (135)
IFS: 153 (116)
Gujarat
IAS: 313 (255)
IPS: 208 (203)
IFS: 125 (77)
Haryana
IAS: 215 (172)
IPS: 144 (127)
IFS: 58 (44)
Himachal Pradesh
IAS: 153 (117)
IPS: 96 (84)
IFS: 114 (90)
Jharkhand
IAS: 224 (177)
IPS: 158 (143)
IFS: 142 (84)
Karnataka
IAS: 314 (273)
IPS: 224 (203)
IFS: 164 (113)
Kerala
IAS: 231 (157)
IPS: 172 (150)
IFS: 107 (78)
Madhya Pradesh
IAS: 459 (391)
IPS: 319 (271)
IFS: 296 (209)
Maharashtra
IAS: 435 (359)
IPS: 329 (306)
IFS: 206 (139)
Manipur
IAS: 115 (80)
IPS: 91 (85)
IFS: 58 (25)
Nagaland
IAS: 94 (53)
IPS: 80 (65)
IFS: 45 (29)
Odisha
IAS: 248 (185)
IPS: 195 (132)
IFS: 141 (82)
Punjab
IAS: 231 (198)
IPS: 172 (138)
IFS: 61 (43)
Rajasthan
IAS: 332 (268)
IPS: 222 (216)
IFS: 145 (106)
Sikkim
IAS: 48 (36)
IPS: 32 (30)
IFS: 30 (26)
Tamil Nadu
IAS: 394 (343)
IPS: 276 (242)
IFS: 152 (102)
Telangana
IAS: 208 (174)
IPS: 139 (134)
IFS: 81 (60)
Tripura
IAS: 102 (74)
IPS: 69 (63)
IFS: 60 (50)
Uttar Pradesh
IAS: 652 (571)
IPS: 541 (510)
IFS: 217 (114)
Uttarakhand
IAS: 126 (109)
IPS: 75 (73)
IFS: 112 (70)
West Bengal
IAS: 378 (303)
IPS: 347 (319)
IFS: 126 (99)
The data reflects particularly large absolute vacancies in populous and administratively complex states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The AGMUT cadre and several North-Eastern states also display notable shortfalls, especially in the IFS segment.
Recruitment Trends: Civil Services Examination (2020–2024)
The government further informed Parliament about category-wise direct recruitment through the Civil Services Examination over the last five years.
IAS Appointments
245 OBC candidates
135 SC candidates
67 ST candidates
IPS Appointments
255 OBC candidates
141 SC candidates
71 ST candidates
IFS Appointments
231 OBC candidates
95 SC candidates
48 ST candidates
These figures highlight ongoing efforts to ensure social diversity and constitutionally mandated representation within the higher civil services, even as overall vacancies remain significant.
Administrative and Policy Implications
The All India Services form the backbone of India’s governance architecture, with IAS officers handling policy formulation and district administration, IPS officers managing internal security and law enforcement, and IFS officers overseeing forest management and environmental conservation.
Persistent vacancies can affect:
District-level administrative efficiency
Policing and public order management
Forest governance and environmental oversight
Policy implementation at the grassroots
The government has indicated that cadre strength is periodically reviewed and that recruitment through the Civil Services Examination, alongside promotions and occasional lateral entries, is used to bridge gaps.
Strategic Manpower Planning
The tabling of detailed cadre-wise data before Parliament serves multiple governance purposes:
Transparent disclosure of staffing positions
Evidence-based manpower planning
Structured promotion and posting decisions
Balanced distribution of officers across states
With more than 2,800 vacancies across IAS, IPS, and IFS combined, the data underscores the need for sustained recruitment cycles, efficient training pipelines, and improved retention strategies to maintain administrative equilibrium nationwide.
The government’s 2025 civil services status report presents a clear and data-backed assessment of cadre strength across India’s premier services. While recruitment efforts continue, the scale of vacancies signals ongoing structural challenges in aligning sanctioned strength with officers in position.
As Parliament reviews these figures, the focus is likely to remain on accelerating recruitment, ensuring equitable cadre distribution, and reinforcing administrative capacity across states and Union Territories.
