Haryana Gets 6 New IAS Officers; Only 2 Hail From State

The Central government has allocated six new IAS officers to Haryana in the latest cadre assignment for the 2024 batch, providing some relief to a state grappling with administrative officer shortages. However, only two of these officers actually hail from Haryana, while four come from other states.

New Additions to Haryana Cadre

The Department of Personnel and Training conducted the cadre allocation exercise, assigning officers based on ranks and preferences. Muskan Srivastava from Madhya Pradesh, who secured the 53rd rank, has been allotted Haryana cadre. Delhi resident Vishal Singh (ranked 56th), Amitej Pangtey (222nd), and Soham Sailendra (235th) complete the list of outside officers joining Haryana.

The two officers from Haryana assigned to their home cadre are Shivani Panchal (53rd rank) and Vivek Yadav (272nd rank). Their addition brings local perspective and understanding of state-specific issues to the administrative framework.

Top Haryana Rankers Go Elsewhere

Ironically, several high-performing candidates from Haryana who ranked within the top 100 have been allocated to other states. Harshita Goyal, who achieved an impressive second rank nationally, received Gujarat cadre. This represents a significant loss of top talent for Haryana.

Aditya Vikram Agarwal, ranked ninth, was allocated Uttar Pradesh cadre, while Deepak Godara (92nd rank) received AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories) cadre. Three additional Haryana officers—Tejasav, Jitender Kumar, and Vishal—were allocated West Bengal, AGMUT, and Himachal Pradesh cadres respectively.

This pattern reflects the complex dynamics of cadre allocation, where candidates' preference lists, reservation policies, and administrative requirements all play roles in final assignments.

Addressing Officer Shortage

The officials, however, said that these six new officers would contribute to the IAS officer shortfall in Haryana, though this would not solve the problem. Against a total sanctioned strength of 215 officers, Haryana has a shortage of about 30 officers; a gap affecting administrative efficiency across departments.

The shortage became particularly acute before August this year, when 15 Haryana Civil Service officers were elevated to IAS, providing temporary relief. However, several officers continue to hold multiple charges, stretching their capacity and probably affecting the quality of governance.

The persistent shortage means individual officers often handle responsibilities across multiple departments simultaneously, limiting their capacity for deep focus into any one area. It affects policy implementation, its monitoring, and responsiveness to needs as expressed by citizens.

Systemic Challenges

This allocation pattern points to a more significant challenge: the ability to retain top talent within home states. Where top-ranking candidates from Haryana get allocated elsewhere, the state is deprived of officers who would bring administrative excellence, coupled with intimate knowledge of local contexts.

The addition of the six officers is helping but constitutes only partial progress toward making up a gap of 30 officers. Full sanctioned strength, with further efforts at promotion, deputation arrangement, and future UPSC batches, will be required to achieve efficient governance across Haryana's administrative machinery.