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For IPS officers, Central stint must for IG-level posting: Govt

The Centre has decided to change the norms as an attempt to address the persistent shortage of officers at the SP and DIG ranks in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other key security-related posts.

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 1, 2026 03:26 AM IST

The new condition will apply to officers of the 2011 IPS batch onwards, according to a communication issued on January 28 to the states and Union Territories by the Ministry of Home Affairs. (File photo)

In a significant change to cadre management norms, the Centre has amended the guidelines for the empanelment of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, making it mandatory to have at least two years of central deputation at the level of Superintendent of Police (SP) or Deputy Inspector General (DIG) to be considered for empanelment as Inspector General (IG) or equivalent at the Centre.

The new condition will apply to officers of the 2011 IPS batch onwards, according to a communication issued on January 28 to the states and Union Territories by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Centre has decided to change the norms as an attempt to address the persistent shortage of officers at the SP and DIG ranks in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), central police organisations and key security-related posts.

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Under the revised guidelines, “minimum two years of Central experience at SP/DIG or equivalent level shall be mandatory for empanelment of IPS officers at IG/equivalent level at the Centre from 2011 batch onwards,” the ministry has conveyed.

“For several years now, the Centre has been grappling with a shortage of IPS officers willing to come on central deputation at the SP and DIG levels. Many officers prefer to remain in the states, where they hold district and range-level postings with significant field responsibilities,” a senior government official said.

An official said that by linking future empanelment as IG at the Centre with a mandatory two-year central stint at SP or DIG rank, the government is effectively creating an incentive – and a compulsion – for officers to gain central exposure early in their careers.

Last week, the central government revised the cadre allocation policy for the three All-India Services – the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), IPS and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) – introducing a new grouping structure that replaces the earlier zonal arrangement for allocation of cadres to successful candidates of the civil services examination.

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