Archive · 25 Jan 2026
Centre Revises Cadre Allocation Policy for IAS, IPS, IFoS
The central government has changed the rules for assigning jobs to people in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).
This change aims to make the process more fair and clear.
The government departments in charge will decide how many jobs are available each year and share this information with the states.
States must ask for jobs by January 31.
The new rules also make sure that people who want to work in their home states must be eligible for those jobs.
The jobs will be given out in a fair order, first to people with disabilities and then to others.
The new system groups states alphabetically into four groups instead of the old zonal system.
This change is expected to make the process more fair and efficient, and to help young officers get experience working in different states.
The central government has revised the cadre allocation policy for IAS, IPS, and IFoS to increase transparency and consistency.
Vacancies will be determined by the respective controlling authorities and communicated to states by a deadline.
States have been regrouped into four alphabetical groups for the allocation process, replacing the old zonal system.
The policy emphasizes that insider candidates must opt for their home state cadre to be eligible for insider vacancies.
Cadre allocation will proceed through a rotational cycle system, with priority given to higher-ranked candidates within the same cycle.
- Who
- Central government, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
- What
- Revised cadre allocation policy for IAS, IPS, and IFoS
- When
- Policy issued on January 23, effective for vacancy determination based on January 1 of the year following the Civil Services Examination (CSE)
- Where
- India, affecting all state cadres and joint cadres
- Why
- To bring greater transparency, consistency, and objectivity to the cadre allocation process, and to promote national integration and better inter-state exposure for young officers
Government and Supporters
Critics and Skeptics
Transparency and Fairness
Government and Supporters
The new policy aims to bring greater transparency and consistency to the cadre allocation process, ensuring a fair system for all candidates.
Critics and Skeptics
Some critics argue that the new system may still have biases and that the rotational cycle system could disadvantage certain candidates.
National Integration
Government and Supporters
The government believes the new framework promotes national integration and better inter-state exposure for young officers.
Critics and Skeptics
Skeptics question whether the new grouping will truly achieve national integration or if it will create new imbalances.
- Services Affected
- Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFoS)
- Controlling Authorities
- DoPT (IAS), MHA (IPS), MoEF&CC (IFoS)
- Vacancy Determination
- Based on cadre gap as of January 1 of the year following the Civil Services Examination (CSE)
- States' Submission Deadline
- January 31 of the same year
- EWS Treatment
- Earmarked for the Unreserved category and reflected in the cadre roster
- Rotational Cycle System
- Covers 25 states and joint cadres, with each cycle covering 25 candidates in merit order
- New Groupings
- States grouped alphabetically into four groups for cadre allocation
Sources
Centre revises cadre allocation policy for IAS, IPS, IFoS to increase transparency, consistency
Centre overhauls cadre allocation policy for IAS, IPS, IFoS officers; introduces new groupings
UPSC 2026 Big Update: DoPT scraps old zonal system, check new group-based Cadre rules for IAS, IPS and IFoS
UPSC 2026 New Cadre Allocation Policy: 10 points you need to know
