How Many IAS Officers are Selected Every Year?

A total of 180 IAS officers are selected every year through the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. In the 2023 CSE final results, 180 IAS Officers were selected, out of which 73 belong to the General category, 17 from EWS, 49 from OBC, and 27 and 14 candidates became IAS Officers from SC and ST categories, respectively.

How Many IAS are Selected Every Year?

The number of IAS Officers selected every year by UPSC is fixed, i.e. 180 officers. This is the result of the recommendation of the Baswan Committee report, which the Union Government formed to make recommendations on the format of the UPSC CSE exam, age limit, selections, etc.

Look at the image below showing the selection of candidates in different civil services as per the CSE 2023 result released on 16 April 2024.

Baswan Committee on the Selection of IAS Officers

As per the Baswan Committee report on the requirement of IAS Officers over a longer time period, the following highlights came into the picture regarding the number of IAS Officers selected every year by UPSC:

Baswan Committee Report PDF

• There was a shortage of 569 IAS Officers in the administration system in 2010.
• The Committee suggested that 180 IAS Officers should be selected every year to maintain the balance of officers in the system, considering the shortage and the number of officers retired every year.
• If more than 180 officers would be recruited, then it would compromise quality, might lead to a distortion in the IAS Officers’ careers, and exceed LBSNAA’s capacity.