The Union Home Ministry has come out with a modification in the guidelines for empanelment of IPS officers for Inspector General (IG) and equivalent posts at the Centre. Now the central experience has been made a compulsory requirement for empanelment to IG-level posts at the Centre, which was not the case earlier. Thus the new rule virtually tightens the existing empanelment norms.
The new eligibility condition will apply to IPS officers of the 2011 batch onwards. It means the new rules will affect those currently serving at DIG or equivalent levels in their cadres and are expected to be considered for empanelment as IG in the coming years.
The new order, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), stipulates a minimum of two years of central deputation at the level of SP/DIG or equivalent as being mandatory for empanelment to IG-level posts at the Centre. Earlier, the empanelment guidelines did not prescribe such central experience as a precondition for empanelment to the IG rank.
The revised condition will apply prospectively to officers of the 2011 batch onwards, who are currently serving at DIG or equivalent levels in their cadres and are expected to be considered for IG empanelment in the coming years.
The Home Ministry’s attempt to tighten the norms comes at a time when Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) are coping with significant vacancies at the DIG and SP levels. Official data shows that as of December 23, 2025, central forces together had around 69 vacant DIG posts and over 100 vacant SP posts, including large shortages in organisations such as the Intelligence Bureau and the CBI.
The fact that officers of the 2011 batch onwards are not yet eligible for IG-level postings means the new rule is unlikely to have an immediate impact.
In a real sense, the modification aims at shaping career progression for future senior leadership, as it will ensure that officers likely to assume IG-level responsibilities at the Centre in the future possess adequate prior exposure to central organisations.
Another potent reason behind this move is to encourage IPS officers to opt for central deputation at SP and DIG ranks in order to be eligible for IG-level postings later. The move also seems to have been designed to potentially improve staffing at middle and senior levels in central forces, as current IPS officers are not very keen to join the central government on deputation, due to which a sizeable number of posts remain vacant.
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