IPS shortage: Govt increases recruitment number for Indian Police Service

The Centre has increased the recruitment to IPS (Direct Recruitment) from 150 to 200 from Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2020, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He said the vacancies in IPS are caused due to factors such as retirement, resignation, death, removal of service, etc.

As on January 1, 2022, authorised strength of Indian Police Service officers is 4,984 against which 4,120 IPS officers are in position, the minister said while responding to a question by DMK MP Dr Pon Gautham Sigamani on the shortage of IPS officers in the country.

Sigamani had asked whether there were hundreds of vacancies of IPS officers existing in the central organisations unfilled as of date.

Replying to this, the MoS Home said that as of date, 226 posts in Central organizations i.e. Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) to be manned by IPS officers from Superintendent of Police (SP) to Director General (DG) level were unfilled.

The DMK leader also asked whether it was also true that the IPS officers were not inclined to the central deputation and that only three such officers have opted for central deputation. 

To this question, the minister responded in the negative and said that during this year, 144 IPS officers have applied for the central deputation.

"No sir. During this year, 144 IPS officers have applied for central deputation. 95 IPS officers at various levels have been appointed to date in CAPFs and CPOs," Rai said.