Nearly 300 IAS officers nationwide are due to retire in 2026, upon attaining age 60, triggering widespread reshuffles at Centre and states. Specific projections for queried states show Tamil Nadu 13 IAS, Odisha 12 IAS. Other southern states face notable gaps but lower numbers. This will create cascading vacancies in senior positions (Chief Secretaries, Secretaries, DGPs, etc.), with predictions of accelerated promotions and lateral movements starting mid-2026.