Punjab: Ten IAS officers from the 2024 batch have completed their probation at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and district training, but none has been given the important first field posting of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
Instead, all 10 have reportedly been attached to their respective Deputy Commissioners as Officers on Special Duty (OSD), Urban Affairs. The arrangement has raised concerns over whether the young officers are being given meaningful administrative responsibility at a crucial stage of their careers.
A prestigious title, but little independent work
An SDM posting gives a young IAS officer a jurisdiction, statutory powers, staff and direct responsibility for citizens and local administration.
The OSD arrangement, by contrast, does not necessarily provide the same independent authority. The source describes the officers as being kept in a “waiting room with an impressive nameplate”, with no clearly defined jurisdiction or statutory responsibility of their own.
The concern is not that urban affairs lack importance. Rather, it is whether these officers have real work to lead, decisions to take and public responsibilities to handle independently.
Field experience shapes future administrators
Early field postings are considered an important part of an IAS officer’s professional development. An SDM deals with revenue matters, law and order, elections, land acquisition and public grievances.
Such responsibilities expose officers directly to the challenges faced by citizens and help them learn how government decisions affect people on the ground.
The source notes that skills such as grievance redressal and crisis management cannot be learnt entirely from files or briefing notes.
A lost opportunity for the 2024 batch
The source also points to the changing duration of first field postings. Earlier recruits joined on July 1 and could spend around two years in their first charge. With recruits now joining on January 1, the corresponding period can fall to about 18 months.
Against this background, the absence of SDM postings for all 10 officers has heightened concerns about the erosion of hands-on administrative training.
Officers need responsibility, not just a designation
The central argument is that these young officers should be given an actual jurisdiction, statutory responsibility and a public-facing role.
A designation alone cannot prepare future Deputy Commissioners and senior administrators. They need the opportunity to take charge, face problems, make decisions and learn from the realities of governance.