UPSC 2026 Cadre Allocation Policy: Here's how IAS and IPS officers will now be allocated cadres; see the new allocation policy in 10 points..

UPSC 2026 Cadre Allocation Policy: Here's the latest update for young people preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. The central government has introduced a new policy for allocating cadres to civil servants of the three major central services – IAS, IPS, and IFS. New groups have been created for their postings. This policy also states that the concerned ministry will identify vacant positions based on the 'cadre gap' as of January 1st of each year.

A cadre or joint cadre refers to a group of states or union territories to which officers of these three services are allocated. These are also known as All India Services.

The central government has replaced the previous five-zone system for cadre allocation with a new grouping. In this new system, all state cadres/joint cadres are arranged in alphabetical order and divided into four groups.

1. Four Groups of IAS, IPS, and IFS Cadres

Group I: This group includes AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories), Andhra Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.

Group-II: This group includes Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh.

Group-III: This includes Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Tamil Nadu.

Group-IV: This includes Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

2. Insider and Outsider Rule
According to the new policy, the insider and outsider rule will remain in effect for cadre allocation. This means that every officer will get an opportunity to work in their home state and other states. However, vacancies in the home state/home cadre will be filled first. This allocation will be based on merit (rank), category, candidate's preference, and the availability of vacancies.

3. Category-wise Merit List
According to the Central Government's Cadre Allocation Policy 2026, a category-wise (UR/OBC/SC/ST) merit list of selected candidates will be prepared.

4. 25 Cadre Cycle System
According to the Cadre Policy 2026, allotment will be done in a cycle of 25 cadres. In each cycle, the highest-ranked candidate will be placed first. The remaining candidates will be shifted to the next cycle. Allotment for SC/ST/OBC candidates will also follow the same cycle system. Candidates with disabilities will be given priority within their respective categories. Additional posts may be created if needed.

5. What if Insider Vacancies Remain Unfilled?
If any insider post remains unfilled, it will be converted into an outsider post. It will not be carried forward to the next year.

6. Outsider Allotment Later
Outsider allotment will only take place after the insider process is complete. This will be done through a roster-based system to maintain balance across all cadres. The outsider process will have two stages: first, candidates with disabilities will be allotted, followed by the remaining candidates based entirely on merit.

7. What if a Home Cadre is Allotted by Mistake?
If a candidate, despite being an outsider, is allotted their home cadre, they will be exchanged with the next eligible candidate.

8. Who Will Now Determine the Vacancies?
IAS - Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)
IPS - Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
IFoS - Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)

9. How will Vacancies be Determined?
Vacancies will be determined based on:
The existing cadre gap as of January 1st.
State Governments will send their demands by January 31st.

10. Rule related to EWS
EWS posts will be counted under the unreserved category. A separate cadre will not be created.

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