Gujarat IAS Cadre Strength Boosted to 328 with 15 New Posts

The amendment, issued under the All India Services Act, 1951, modifies the Indian Administrative Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations, 1955, in consultation with the government of Gujarat.

The revised regulations were notified by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and came into effect on February 13.

As per the notification, the total number of Senior Duty Posts under the Gujarat government has been fixed at 178. These include key positions such as Chief Secretary (one), Additional Chief Secretary (five), Principal Secretaries (nine), Secretaries to Government (17), Collectors (33), District Development Officers (33), and Municipal Commissioners across major cities including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Gandhinagar.

The Central Deputation Reserve has been fixed at 71 posts (not exceeding 40 per cent of senior duty posts), while the State Deputation Reserve stands at 44 posts. The Training Reserve has been set at 6 posts, and the Leave Reserve and Junior Posts Reserve at 29 posts.

Further, 99 posts are to be filled by promotion under the IAS (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, while 229 posts will be filled through direct recruitment.

Officials said the enhancement of cadre strength is aimed at strengthening administrative capacity in Gujarat, considering the state's expanding governance requirements, growing urbanisation, and increasing developmental activities.

Gujarat's IAS cadre has been in the spotlight over the past year due to ongoing discussions around vacancies, promotions and administrative restructuring. As of late 2024-25, the sanctioned strength of the Gujarat IAS cadre was 313 officers, but the state was operating with significant vacancies, with around 56 IAS posts in Gujarat unfilled and 14 officers on central deputation, according to data shared in the state assembly.

To address this shortfall, the Gujarat government has actively sought to bolster its workforce through both promotions from the State Civil Service (SCS) and direct recruitment. The state government proposed increasing the sanctioned cadre strength to 343 posts by adding 30 new IAS positions, reflecting concerns about administrative capacity in the face of rising development demands.

In recent months, the state has also moved forward with promotions and reshuffles. Several senior officers were elevated to Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary ranks, and numerous SCS officers were promoted to the IAS, reflecting efforts to fill gaps from within the state's administrative pool.

These steps come against a backdrop of periodic transfers and postings of IAS officers across districts and departments, demonstrating the dynamic nature of the state bureaucracy.

The cadre strength and vacancies are governed by rules established under the All India Services Act, 1951 and periodically reviewed in consultation between the Central and state governments. Past reviews have determined the bi-annual or five-yearly strength of posts, with the last formal review before 2026 placing Gujarat's IAS cadre strength at 313.

- ANI