UPSC Cadre Allocation 2022: List, Five Zones of IPS and IAS Cadre Allocation
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
UPSC Cadre Allocation Policy (CAP) was modified after the Government of India stated in January 2019 that the state cadre of “Jammu & Kashmir” would be eliminated. CAP was previously updated in 2017 for the All India Services and went into effect from UPSC 2017 exam. A quick summary of the New UPSC cadre allocation policy is provided here. The classification of UPSC cadres, how candidates designate their chosen cadre for the IAS and IPS exam, and how insider and outsider vacancies are filled are all significantly different in the current IAS cadre allocation policy from the prior CAP.
The Government revised the IAS cadre allotment policy for all India Services, including the IAS, IPS, and other services, through the Office Memorandum (OM) in September 2017. The same rule will apply to UPSC cadre allocation 2022.
Table of content
IAS Cadre Allocation
IAS cadre allocation for each candidate follows the set procedure explained here. The policy seems a little complicated but candidates must trust the process as it is straightforward to understand. Aspirants must indicate their preferences, zones, and UPSC cadres in the application.
☛ UPSC Cadre Allocation Policy PDF (Official)
- All authorities must determine the number of vacancies, including reserved and unreserved categories in each zone and cadre.
- Under the new policy, the UPSC cadre list is divided into 5 zones.
- Candidates must choose the descending order of zones.
- Select one cadre from one zone, then choose from the 2nd zone, and so on. Once the preferences are done, the Commission will not accept any changes.
- UPSC allocates the cadre based on the candidate’s preferences.
- If the candidates have not provided any preference in the application, it is preassumed they have no specific selection.
- The home cadre is allotted based on merit and availability of vacancies. If candidates have not mentioned the home cadre, they will get it as per their preference.
- If the candidates do not get preferred choices, they are allotted a cadre based on the availability of vacancies.
- For same-rank candidates, the UPSC cadre allocation is done in alphabetical order of names.
- Candidates who are physically challenged may also indicate their preference for a UPSC cadre from any state or cadre (other than their home cadre) within their first chosen zone.
- If a reserved category candidate is selected under the unreserved category, they will be allotted unreserved category seats based on preference. The reserved vacancy will be allocated if the unreserved vacancy is unavailable.
- IAS officers enrolling in the Foundation Course at LBSNAA receive IAS Cadre Allocation before the start of training, whereas IPS and IFoS candidates receive it after their appointments.
Objectives of New IAS Cadre Allocation Policy
The Government of India and the State Governments have three primary objectives that the New IAS cadre allocation policy seeks to accomplish:
- Heighten national integration
- Rationalize openings in light of the size of the IAS cadre
- Relocating officers from surplus to deficit states will improve administrative efficiency.
UPSC Cadre Zones
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India has divided the 26 cadres into 5 UPSC cadre zones under the new UPSC Cadre Allocation Policy, 2017. Candidates of All India Services, i.e., Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS), will get any one cadre according to their preference from these cadres. Check the IAS cadre zone list in the table below:
| UPSC Cadre Zones – All India Services | |
| Zones | State Cadre |
| Zone 1 | AGMUT, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan |
| Zone 2 | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand |
| Zone 3 | Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh |
| Zone 4 | Tripura, West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur |
| Zone 5 | Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
Candidates can only make one cadre from the UPSC cadre list their first choice under the new policy. They must choose from a different location for their second, third, fourth, and fifth options. For instance, a candidate cannot choose Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, or Sikkil as his second preference if West Bengal (Zone 4) is his first preference (other cadres in Zone 2).
How is Home Cadre Allocated in UPSC?
As per the UPSC Cadre Allocation list, the allocation of the home cadre and outside cadre is based on the number of vacancies and the rank of candidates in their categories. Candidates must select the first preference as a Home cadre and express the same. If the candidate fails to describe the home cadre, he will be allotted any available cadre based on rank and preference of IAS Cadre Allocation.
UPSC Cadre Allocation 2022 PDF
On 13th December 2022, the Commission released the IAS Cadre Allocation List 2022 for the candidates selected through the 2021 Civil Services exam. It contains the details of the names of officers, their home state, cadre allotted, category, and whether they are insiders or outsiders. Aspirants can download the UPSC Cadre Allocation PDF from the link below to understand the cadre allocation process.
☛ IAS Cadre Allocation 2022 PDF
How to Check IAS Cadre Allocation List 2022?
Candidates who appeared for the interview can check the IAS cadre allocation list by following the steps below:
- Visit the official website of cseplus. nic. in.
- Under the announcement section, the link to cadre allocation based on the CSE exam is given.
- Click on the link, and a new PDF file will open with the allocation list table.
- Save the PDF for future reference, or take the UPSC cadre allocation list printout.
