Centre rejects Tamil Nadu's proposal for apex scale promotion of 1995 batch IAS officers
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New Delhi/Chennai: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Central Government, in its formal order issued on November 22, 2025, has explicitly rejected the proposal sent by the Tamil Nadu government for the apex scale promotion of 1995 batch IAS officers.
The order states that the state is currently operating more apex category posts than permitted by the rules, and therefore, no additional posts can be sanctioned. The central order cites the violation of the maximum limit of posts as the primary reason for the rejection.
While the state government has initiated the process of convening a three-member committee meeting, comprising the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, an Additional Chief Secretary, and a central IAS officer, several former and senior IAS officers have expressed serious concerns about this proposal. They argue that the inclusion of a central IAS officer in the committee after the clear rejection by the Centre would be a direct violation of the central government's order.
The Chief Secretary's primary duty is to uphold the law and protect taxpayers' money. Several retired officers have also stated that this process appears to be being pushed through surreptitiously to benefit a particular officer, which is against transparency and administrative discipline. This decision has not only raised questions about state-centre coordination but has also sparked a wider debate on administrative accountability, interpretation of cadre rules, and transparency.
This matter is likely to have significant implications for Tamil Nadu's bureaucratic structure and centre-state relations in the coming days.
