For The Elevation DPC Meeting Set for July 14, 2025
Amid a pressing shortage of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in Haryana, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has agreed to examine a longstanding proposal from the state government to promote 27 Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers to the IAS cadre. The Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) is slated to deliberate on the matter during its meeting on July 14, 2025.
IAS Shortage Puts Administrative Pressure on State
Currently, Haryana has only 169 IAS officers in active service, well below the sanctioned cadre strength of 225. In response to growing administrative demands, the state government formally requested the Centre in April 2025 to increase the sanctioned strength to 252. Promotions are being considered against vacancies across five years:
| Year | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 2 |
Controversies Surrounding 2002 Batch Cast Shadow
The candidates under review belong to the 2002, 2003, and 2004 HCS batches. However, the 2002 batch remains mired in controversy. In 2023, the Anti-Corruption Bureau filed a chargesheet in a Hisar court alleging irregularities during recruitment. This has stalled the promotion process for several years.
Despite legal complexities, state officials remain hopeful. A senior official noted, “We expect a favorable outcome, as in previous instances, officers with chargesheets have been promoted—subject to judicial clearance. Moreover, charges are yet to be framed in eight cases.”
Centre’s Regulatory Interpretation Adds Friction
This isn’t Haryana’s first attempt to secure these promotions. A previous proposal was rejected by the UPSC in March 2025 following a legal opinion by the Solicitor General of India. The Solicitor General clarified that:
A report filed under Section 173 of the CrPC qualifies as a formal chargesheet under IAS Promotion Regulations.
Officers facing such reports are ineligible for promotion unless they are judicially cleared.
The interpretation aligns with key Supreme Court judgments, including Gurpreet Singh Bhullar vs Union of India.
The opinion has significantly restricted Haryana’s flexibility in categorizing pending legal matters as non-impediments to promotion.
