Centre Revises Haryana IAS Cadre Structure Under 2026 Pay Rules; Key Posts Reclassified, Metropolitan Authority CEOs Elevated
In a significant administrative reform affecting Haryana’s bureaucratic framework, the Central Government has notified the Indian Administrative Service (Pay) Seventh Amendment Rules, 2026, introducing a revised classification of IAS cadre posts and corresponding pay levels across the state.
The amendment, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in consultation with the Haryana Government, brings substantial changes to the state’s cadre structure under the IAS (Pay) Rules, 2016. The revised framework updates Schedule-II of the rules, replacing the existing list of cadre posts carrying pay above the Senior Scale as well as posts falling under the Senior Scale category.
Published in the Official Gazette and brought into effect immediately, the amendment seeks to align Haryana’s administrative hierarchy with the state’s evolving governance requirements, expanding urban institutions, and changing policy priorities.
Officials describe the move as a structural modernization exercise designed to provide greater clarity in cadre management, pay classification, and administrative positioning across the state’s governance ecosystem.
Haryana’s Top Bureaucratic Positions Retain Apex Status
At the top of the revised hierarchy, Haryana’s most powerful administrative posts continue to enjoy placement at Level-17, the highest pay level available to IAS officers within the state cadre.
The positions retained in this elite category include:
Chief Secretary
Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister
Additional Chief Secretary
The decision effectively preserves the existing status of these offices, reflecting their central role in policy formulation, inter-departmental coordination, governance oversight, and implementation of the state’s strategic priorities.
Among them, the Chief Secretary remains the administrative head of the state bureaucracy, acting as the principal adviser to the government and coordinating the functioning of various departments.
Similarly, Additional Chief Secretaries and Financial Commissioners continue to occupy key leadership positions responsible for supervising major sectors such as finance, revenue, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, health, and education.
The retention of these posts at Level-17 underscores their importance in steering Haryana’s governance architecture at the highest level.
Financial Commissioners and Special Principal Secretary to CM Placed at Level-15
Under the revised framework, another important layer of senior administration has been categorized under Level-15.
The posts included in this category are:
Financial Commissioner/Principal Secretary
Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister
These officers typically head major departments and are entrusted with responsibilities involving policy implementation, financial management, administrative supervision, and inter-departmental coordination.
The Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister plays a particularly significant role in facilitating governance initiatives, monitoring flagship programmes, and ensuring coordination between the Chief Minister’s Office and various government departments.
Administrative observers note that these positions often serve as the operational backbone of the state’s decision-making machinery.
Major Governance Positions Classified Under Level-14
One of the most notable aspects of the amendment is the extensive list of influential administrative posts that have been placed under Level-14.
The category covers a broad spectrum of senior government offices across sectors.
Among the key positions included are:
Secretary to Government
Secretary to Governor
Chief Electoral Officer
Registrar of Cooperative Societies
Director General, State Transport
Commissioner of Divisions
Transport Commissioner
Excise and Taxation Commissioner
Resident Commissioner, Haryana
Director General, Agriculture
Director General, Town and Country Planning-cum-Urban Estate and Colonisation
Director General, Higher Education
Director General, Technical Education
Director General, Industries and Commerce
Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration
Labour Commissioner
These officers occupy critical positions in the state’s governance framework and are responsible for implementing policies across sectors that directly impact economic growth, public welfare, infrastructure development, education, industry, transportation, and regulatory administration.
The revised classification provides a clearer hierarchy for these strategically important assignments while aligning them with current administrative realities.
Metropolitan Development Authorities Receive Greater Administrative Recognition
Perhaps the most striking feature of the amendment is the enhanced recognition accorded to urban governance institutions.
As Haryana continues to urbanize rapidly, metropolitan development authorities have emerged as major drivers of infrastructure development, mobility planning, urban services, and regional growth.
Acknowledging this changing reality, the Centre has formally included the Chief Executive Officer positions of several metropolitan development authorities within the Level-14 category.
These include:
Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA)
Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA)
Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority
Sonepat Metropolitan Development Authority
Hisar Metropolitan Development Authority
The move is widely seen as recognition of the growing significance of metropolitan governance in Haryana.
Cities such as Gurugram and Faridabad have become major economic and industrial hubs, requiring sophisticated planning mechanisms and strong administrative leadership. By elevating these CEO positions within the cadre structure, the government appears to be acknowledging the increasingly complex responsibilities associated with managing urban expansion, infrastructure projects, transportation systems, and public service delivery.
Experts believe the revised classification could help attract experienced officers to these institutions while strengthening urban governance capacity.
Key Public Administration and Communication Roles Included
The amendment also places several strategically important governance and public administration positions within the Level-14 framework.
These include:
Director General, Information, Public Relations, Cultural Affairs, Languages and Grievances
Director General, Urban Local Bodies
Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister
These offices play an important role in shaping government communication, public outreach, urban governance reforms, grievance redressal mechanisms, and coordination of key policy initiatives.
The inclusion of these positions reflects the growing importance of public engagement and urban management in contemporary governance.
Senior Scale Posts Also Receive Comprehensive Revision
The restructuring exercise is not limited to senior leadership positions.
The amendment simultaneously revises the list of cadre posts falling under the Senior Scale category, covering a wide range of middle and upper-middle management positions within the state bureaucracy.
The updated list includes:
Special Secretaries
Additional Secretaries
Joint Secretaries
Officers on Special Duty (OSDs)
Directors and Project Directors across departments
Several departmental director-level positions have also been incorporated into the revised framework.
Among them are:
Director, Secondary Education
Director, Elementary Education
Director, Food and Supplies
Director, Sports and Youth Affairs
Director, Women and Child Development
Director, Tourism
Director, Rural Development
Director, Industrial Training
Director, Environment
Director, Medical Education and Research
These officers are responsible for implementing policies at the operational level and ensuring effective execution of government programmes across sectors.
District Administration Remains a Core Component
The revised structure also recognizes the continued importance of field administration by incorporating several key district-level assignments.
The posts covered include:
Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister
Additional Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi
Secretary, Haryana Public Service Commission
Secretary, Haryana Board of School Education, Bhiwani
Deputy Commissioners (DCs)
Additional Deputy Commissioners-cum-Chief Executive Officers of District Rural Development Authorities
Additional Collectors
These positions form the backbone of governance at the grassroots level.
Deputy Commissioners, in particular, remain central figures in district administration, overseeing law and order, revenue administration, disaster management, elections, welfare programmes, and implementation of government schemes.
Their inclusion within the revised structure reflects the state’s continued emphasis on strong district-level governance.
Amendment Aligns Bureaucratic Framework With Contemporary Governance Needs
According to officials familiar with the exercise, the primary objective of the amendment is to ensure that Haryana’s IAS cadre structure accurately mirrors the state’s current administrative architecture and governance priorities.
Over the years, new institutions, metropolitan authorities, specialized departments, and policy-driven administrative structures have emerged. The revised classification seeks to incorporate these developments within a coherent and updated cadre framework.
Issued under the provisions of the All India Services Act, 1951, the amendment also aligns Haryana’s cadre structure with the pay matrix prescribed under the Seventh Central Pay Commission.
Officials emphasize that the changes are largely structural rather than financial in nature. The objective is to bring consistency, transparency, and administrative clarity to cadre management while ensuring that important positions receive appropriate recognition within the state’s hierarchy.
With Haryana witnessing rapid economic growth, urban expansion, industrial development, and increasing administrative complexity, the revised IAS cadre structure is expected to provide a more contemporary framework for governance and leadership across the state apparatus.
The notification takes immediate effect and will now serve as the governing framework for classification of IAS cadre posts and pay levels in Haryana going forward.
