Ban on interstate transfers of IAS and IPS?

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, December 9

Central government is considering a proposal to ban the interstate transfers of IAS and IPS officials to their home states. The proposal, if approved, would deprive a large number of officials who were allotted a different cadre than their home states but somehow managed to serve for long periods in their home states.

An official explained: “Some of the officers in these services lobby with the ruling party in their home state to get a posting. They invariably serve for long terms in districts or other important posts. The provision was being misused by certain officials with the help of the ruling party in their home state.

The idea behind the exercise is to maintain the sanctity of the cadre distribution mechanism and maintain the all India character of central services like the IAS and IPS. Normally two thirds of the sanctioned strength of either IAS or IPS is filled through officers who are from other states. For instance, if the annual intake in IAS is 9 for a big state, only 3 officers would be from the home state and the rest 6 from anywhere in the country. This has been judiciously maintained for more than two decades now.

The choice of cadre is normally done by a simultaneous method of choice, merit in the selection list and then random selection. The top 10 candidates in the civil services examinations are practically assured of a home cadre if they have opted for it. The rest can get any other cadre except their home state by a system of rotation.

In several states, serving in these two services is considered a matter of social prestige. This gave practice to lobbying with the politicians of the ruling party. If a state government agrees to avail of the services of an officer, it writes to the state concerned from where the officer has to be brought back and also the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. If both agree, the officer concerned is sent to his home state. The repatriated officer invariably acts on behalf of those who brought him back to the state compromising the administrative principles in the process.

Officials believe that if interstate transfers are banned, politicisation of the bureaucracy and police administration can be controlled to a great extent. (2005)