The allocation of home state cadres in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Police Service (IPS) is governed by a structured policy implemented by the Government of India. The process, particularly after 2017, emphasizes national integration over regional preference, making it increasingly difficult for candidates to be posted in or near their home states.
1. Cadre Allocation – Basic Process
- Candidates selected through the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) are allocated to cadres (states or groups of Union Territories) belonging to the All India Services (IAS, IPS, IFoS).
- After selection and during their training at LBSNAA (for IAS) or SVPNPA (for IPS), candidates are asked to submit their cadre preferences based on zones introduced in 2017.
2. New Cadre Allocation Policy (Effective 2017)
To promote national integration, the Government of India introduced the Zone-based Cadre Allocation Policy. The existing 26 cadres were divided into five zones:
- Zone I: AGMUT, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana
- Zone II: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha
- Zone III: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
- Zone IV: West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam-Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura
- Zone V: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
3. How Preference Filling Works Now
- One cadre per zone rule: Candidates must select their first preference from one zone, and their next four preferences must be from different zones.
- For example, if a candidate selects Uttar Pradesh (Zone II) as their first preference, they cannot choose Bihar, Jharkhand, or Odisha (same zone) as subsequent preferences.
This drastically reduces the chances of being posted in or near one’s home state, especially for those without top ranks.
4. Home State Allocation – An Exception, Not a Norm
- The Government follows a 2:1 outsider-to-insider ratio in cadre allocation. This means only 1 out of every 3 officers in a state can be a native of that state.
- Due to this policy, home cadre allocation is rare and usually only happens if:
– The candidate has a very high rank
A vacancy exists in the home cadre for their category (General/OBC/SC/ST/EWS)
5. Post Allocation & Inter-Cadre Transfer
- Officers must serve at least 5 years in their allotted cadre.
- Inter-cadre transfers may be permitted under rare conditions, such as:
– Marriage to another All India Services officer of a different cadre
– Severe medical or humanitarian reasons
- These are approved by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for IAS and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for IPS.
Key Takeaway:
Due to the post-2017 policy, even if you don’t get your home cadre, you may be posted to a far-off state depending on your rank, availability, and preference order. For instance, a candidate from Bihar (Zone II) might be posted to Kerala (Zone V) if they don’t have a top rank and Bihar has already filled its insider quota.
Conclusion:
Getting a home state cadre in UPSC is now the exception rather than the norm. Due to the zone-based policy and outsider-insider ratio (2:1), even top candidates may not get their home state unless they:
- Have a high rank
- Select your home state as the first preference
- Find a vacancy in that year under their category
