Hitesh Kumar Makwana, a 1995-batch IAS officer of TamilNadu cadre lost his battle for home cadre in Gujarat High Court as the court dismissed his petition seeking cadre change from Tamil Nadu to his native state Gujarat.
Even after serving for close to 30 years, Makwana, who has been fight the battle since 1996 for a shift to home cadre lost it again after losing the case in Central Administrative Tribunal.
The High Court observed that changing cadre at the end of career would create a cascading effect on other appointments within the cadre.
At the beginning of his service in 1996, Makwana after getting Tamil Nadu cadre, requested the central government to appoint him in the Gujarat cadre, arguing that under the 2:1 cadre allotment ratio for outsiders and insiders, he should have been placed in Gujarat as an insider. He took his case to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and then to the HC after being denied.
The Centre said the petitioner had no inherent right to his home state's cadre and that cadre allocation is an administrative matter, subject to judicial review only in clear cases of discrimination.
Home cadre allocation rule
An IAS officer's home state is their home cadre. The ratio of outsiders to insiders among IAS officers in each Indian State is maintained at 2:1 by the Indian Government. As a result, an IAS official is only seldom assigned to his or her native State. Candidates typically never receive their home State.
Who is Hitesh Kumar Makwana?
Hitesh Kumar Makwana is currently serving as Surveyor General of India in Survey of India department. He has been on central deputation since January 2023 when he was posted as additional secretary in department of home affairs. In November 2023, he was transferred to Survey of India as Surveyor General. Of close to 30 years of service, Makwana has been 8.5 years on central deputation. A bright officer, Makwana wanted to serve home cadre but failed to get an inter cadre transfer despite legal battle at CAT followed by High Court
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