An IPS officer being posted to a position earmarked for an IAS officer has always been a bone of contention between officers of the two cadres, often leading to legal wrangling. This is exactly what is happening in Telangana, where a writ petition challenging the validity of a state government’s order deputing IPS officers to posts earmarked for the IAS cadre has been filed in the High Court. A single-judge bench is now hearing the case.
The writ cites two specific postings of IPS officers in IAS-specific roles – appointment of IPS officer C V Anand (IPS:1991:TG) as Special Chief Secretary (Home) and that of Shikha Goel (IPS:1994:TG), as Director-General, Vigilance & Enforcement, and Ex-Officio Principal Secretary in the general administration department.
The Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of the general administration department (GAD) have been arrayed as respondents.
The petitioner, Vadla Srikanth, contends that the government’s order violates the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954, which regulate cadre postings at the state level.
The petitioner argues that the IAS and IPS are two distinct All-India Services that follow different training modules, orientations and administrative systems. According to the petitioner, while IAS officers are trained in public administration, policy formulation, and interaction with elected representatives, the IPS officers’ training primarily equips them for policing, law enforcement, and security-related functions. Thus, as per the petitioner, such decisions undermine the specialised nature of the IAS.
Join Us on WhatsApp