Legal basis:

Rule 6, IAS (Cadre) Rules 1954 governs central deputation. Key provisions:

• Officers can be deputed to central government positions on request or mandatory rotation
• Post-2007 policy: All IAS officers must complete at least 2 years of central deputation within the first 16 years of service
• Officers who refuse/avoid central deputation may face stalled promotions

40% cadre deputation cap:

• At any given time, a maximum of 40% of a state cadre's strength can be on central deputation
• This protects state administration from being depleted of experienced officers
• States with small cadres (e.g., Sikkim, Goa) often cannot send 40% without administrative disruption

DoPT May 2025 empanelment revision:

In May 2025, DoPT revised the empanelment criteria for Joint Secretary-level and above positions at Centre. Key changes:

• Greater emphasis on performance appraisal reports (PARs) and field postings
• Officers with no central deputation experience face lower priority in empanelment for Secretary-equivalent roles
• Mandatory central government exposure (via deputation, attachment, or study) for SAG (Super Time Scale/Additional Secretary) empanelment

Popular central deputation positions:

• IAS officers serve as Directors, Joint Secretaries, Additional Secretaries in central ministries
• Cabinet Secretariat, PMO, UIDAI, NITI Aayog, Railway Board — common destinations
• UNDP, World Bank, and UN agencies (with DoPT approval for international deputation)

Source: Rule 6, IAS (Cadre) Rules 1954; DoPT OM F.No.13020/1/2007-AIS(I) dated 07.2007; DoPT Circular May 2025 on SAG empanelment