The Centre has decided to amend its existing cadre allocation policy for all India Services, to ensure that an even mix of officers are placed across the country from all corners. The thought behind amending the policy, DNA has learnt, was fueled by the concern that all India Services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) are losing their "national character" and turning regional in nature. Under the new policy, states will be divided into five zones and a candidate will first have to select a preferred cadre in each zone. After indicating one preferred cadre, the candidate will have to follow the same process and indicate their second preferred cadre in each zone. Another crucial reason that led to the decision was dearth of officers in "less preferred states" such as northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir.

Source: dna August 21, 2017 00:56 UTC