'Shortage of over 1,400 IAS, 900 IPS officers in country'

There is shortage of over 1,400 IAS and 900 IPS officers in the country, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.There are 4,926 officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) as against their total authorised strength of 6,396, leaving a vacancy of 1,470, he told Lok Sabha in a written reply. The highest number of 128 vacancies are in Bihar, followed by 117 in Uttar Pradesh and 101 in West Bengal, said Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Similarly, a total of 908 posts of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers are also lying vacant. As many as 3,894 IPS officers are working as against the total sanctioned strength of 4,802. The highest number of 114 vacancies exist in Uttar Pradesh, followed by 88 in West Bengal, 79 in Odisha and 72 in Karnataka. In Bihar, 43 posts meant for IPS officers are lying vacant as against the sanctioned strength of 231.

There is shortage of officers of Indian Forest Service (IFS) also. A total of 2,597 IFS officers are in the country as against their total authorised strength of 3,157- gap of 560.

The highest number of vacancies of IFS are in Maharashtra (46) followed by Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha (45 each). Annual intake of IAS officers has been increased to 180 during last four years. Intake of IFS officers has been increased to 110, IPS officers to 150.