Belying the popular perception that IPS is an elite all-India service, nearly 80 officers of the cadre have left the hallowed portals of the top policing job in the country for greener pastures in last seven years.
Disparity in services, uneasiness in allotted cadre, challenging nature of the job, late promotion and attractive salary in private sectors are some of the major reasons for many IPS officers mid-career leaving the service, which is considered “coveted” by many.
Seven Indian Police Service officers quit their jobs in 2007, 11 in 2004, eight in 2005, 13 in 2006, 16 in 2007, 15 in 2008 and eight IPS officers resigned in 2009.
Former director general of BSF and a 1972 batch IPS officer M.L. Kumawat said disparity in the services, long posting in disturbed areas, challenging nature of the job and better opportunity in the private sector could be the reason for the attrition in IPS cadre.
“Service condition should be improved and made on a par with other all India cadres. IPS officers throughout their career work on the field and they should be compensated, else the problem of attrition will remain,” Mr Kumawat said.
Though steps are being taken to the vacancy positions of the IPS officers, no major step has been taken to stop their attrition.
Home minister P. Chidambaram had said that given the shortage of IPS officers at the SP-level in most state cadres and taking into account the average attrition rate, “it was decided that the annual batch-size would be increased from 130 to 150.”
Of the 26 ADGP posts at the Centre, 16 posts were vacant due to superannuation and promotion on March 31. Against 16 vacancies, only one officer was available on the offer list (out of the list of 32 ADGP-empanelled officers) on that date. In order to increase the size of the pool of available officers, 61 IPS officers of the 1977 and earlier batches were empanelled on November 21, 2009 to hold ADGP-level posts. It is the same story among the jawans of Central paramilitary forces. In 2010 till June 30, over 9,000 personnel left their job owing to reasons varying from domestic problems to deployment in remote and difficult terrains.