Haryana gets 11 additional IAS posts as Centre revises cadre strength

The previous revision in Haryana’s IAS cadre strength was carried out in December 2018, when the cadre strength was increased from 205 to 215 officers. The revised regulations retain the existing provision of a single chief secretary post to head the state bureaucracy.

Comparing the 2018 and 2026 cadre schedules, lawyer Hemant Kumar, who closely tracks administrative developments in Haryana, said that the most significant change is the creation of five dedicated IAS cadre posts for chief executive officers of the Metropolitan Development Authorities in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Panchkula, Sonipat, and Hisar. These posts did not exist in the 2018 cadre structure.

“The addition reflects the growing importance of metropolitan planning and development authorities as Haryana’s urban centres expand beyond traditional municipal governance models,” Kumar observed.

The revised regulations also indicate a substantial restructuring of senior administrative positions rather than a mere numerical increase in cadre strength. Several specialised posts have been created across different levels of the administrative hierarchy. At the same time, the number of financial commissioner/principal secretary posts has been reduced from 12 to 10, while the number of secretary to government posts has declined from nine to seven.

According to Kumar, these changes suggest a redistribution of senior-level responsibilities rather than a straightforward expansion of the bureaucracy.

Conversely, the category of director general/commissioner has been expanded from one post to three posts, signalling greater emphasis on specialised departmental leadership and governance. Similarly, the number of director/project director posts has increased significantly from one to five, reflecting the growing importance of mission-oriented governance, programme management, and project implementation.

At the district level, the revised cadre regulations have increased the number of deputy commissioner posts from 22 to 23 following the creation of Hansi as Haryana’s 23rd revenue district in December 2025. The number of additional deputy commissioner-cum-chief executive officer, district rural development agency/ additional collector posts has also been raised from seven to eight.

This enhancement is apparently aimed at providing greater administrative depth and strengthening governance capacity at the district level in view of increasing developmental, regulatory, and service-delivery responsibilities.

The revised cadre structure also grants independent representation to several functions that were earlier clubbed together. For instance, hospitality and tourism, which were previously handled under a combined arrangement, have now been separated into distinct director-level positions, reflecting the growing importance and expanding scope of these sectors.