India faces a shortage of 2,834 civil service officers as of January 1, 2025. Data presented in the Rajya Sabha reveals significant vacancies in key services: 1,300 in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 505 in the Indian Police Service (IPS), and 1,029 in the Indian Forest Service (IFS).
Official figures show that out of 6,877 sanctioned IAS posts, only 5,577 are filled. The IPS has 4,594 officers out of 5,099 posts. The IFS has 2,164 officers against a sanctioned strength of 3,193.
Vacancies by Service
The IAS has the largest number of unfilled positions with 1,300 vacancies. The IFS follows with 1,029 vacancies. The IPS has 505 vacant posts.
Cadre Strength and Officers in Position
Uttar Pradesh leads in total sanctioned strength for the IAS with 652 posts and the IPS with 541 posts. Madhya Pradesh has the highest sanctioned strength for the IFS, with 296 posts.
In terms of officers currently serving, Uttar Pradesh has the most IAS officers (571) and IPS officers (510). Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of IFS officers in position, with 209.
| Cadre | IAS Sanctioned | IPS Sanctioned | IFS Sanctioned | IAS In Position | IPS In Position | IFS In Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGMUT | 542 | 457 | 302 | 406 | 427 | 201 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 239 | 174 | 82 | 195 | 140 | 67 |
| Assam-Meghalaya | 263 | 195 | 142 | 214 | 157 | 90 |
| Bihar | 359 | 242 | 74 | 303 | 241 | 50 |
| Chhattisgarh | 202 | 142 | 153 | 164 | 135 | 116 |
| Gujarat | 313 | 208 | 125 | 255 | 203 | 77 |
| Haryana | 215 | 144 | 58 | 172 | 127 | 44 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 153 | 96 | 114 | 117 | 84 | 90 |
| Jharkhand | 224 | 158 | 142 | 177 | 143 | 84 |
| Karnataka | 314 | 224 | 164 | 273 | 203 | 113 |
| Kerala | 231 | 172 | 107 | 157 | 150 | 78 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 459 | 319 | 296 | 391 | 271 | 209 |
| Maharashtra | 435 | 329 | 206 | 359 | 306 | 139 |
| Manipur | 115 | 91 | 58 | 80 | 85 | 25 |
| Nagaland | 94 | 80 | 45 | 53 | 65 | 29 |
| Odisha | 248 | 195 | 141 | 185 | 132 | 82 |
| Punjab | 231 | 172 | 61 | 198 | 138 | 43 |
| Rajasthan | 332 | 222 | 145 | 268 | 216 | 106 |
| Sikkim | 48 | 32 | 30 | 36 | 30 | 26 |
| Tamil Nadu | 394 | 276 | 152 | 343 | 242 | 102 |
| Telangana | 208 | 139 | 81 | 174 | 134 | 60 |
| Tripura | 102 | 69 | 60 | 74 | 63 | 50 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 652 | 541 | 217 | 571 | 510 | 114 |
| Uttarakhand | 126 | 75 | 112 | 109 | 73 | 70 |
| West Bengal | 378 | 347 | 126 | 303 | 319 | 99 |
| Total | 6,877 | 5,099 | 3,193 | 5,577 | 4,594 | 2,164 |
Recruitment Figures (2020-2024)
Between the Civil Services Examinations (CSE) 2020 and 2024, direct recruitment filled 245 OBC, 135 SC, and 67 ST positions in the IAS. The IPS saw 255 OBC, 141 SC, and 71 ST appointments. For the IFS, 231 OBC, 95 SC, and 48 ST candidates were directly recruited.