- By March 2025, the number of employees in central government departments, excluding central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), is estimated to decrease by about 50,000.
Expenditure Estimates:
- Despite the decrease in workforce, the total spending on salaries and allowances is expected to rise by 6.9% to Rs 3.2 trillion in the financial year 2024-2025, as per the latest Interim Budget documents.
Employee Strength Trends:
- Interim Budget documents for FY25 indicate that the number of central government employees is expected to peak in 2024 at 3.51 million, showing a 12% growth from the previous year.
- However, there’s a projected decline of 1.4% in 2025, mainly due to a 5.6% decrease (equivalent to 72,000 employees) in railway staff to 1.2 million.
Changes in Various Departments:
- Other central government sectors like police, postal services, and civil defense are anticipated to witness a slight increase in their workforce by March 1 of the following year.
Measures to Address Vacancies:
- In December 2023, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, mentioned in the Rajya Sabha about steps taken to address reserved vacancies backlog. Each department is instructed to form an in-house committee to identify, analyze, and fill such vacancies through special recruitment drives.
- Additionally, each department should appoint a liaison officer of deputy secretary rank or above to ensure compliance with reservation orders and set up a Special Reservation Cell to assist them. Regular follow-ups and workshops are conducted to monitor implementation.
Vacancy Management in Railways:
- Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Railways Minister, stated in December 2023 that recruitment in railways is done periodically to anticipate vacancies and operational needs.
- He highlighted the dynamic nature of vacancy identification and filling process, primarily managed through indent placement by Railways with recruitment agencies.
- In the last five years until September 30, 2023, approximately 294,115 vacancies have been filled up in railways.