Centre warns IAS officers: file property returns on time or risk action, promotion block

New Delhi: The Centre has asked all Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers to submit their annual property disclosures on time, warning that delays could trigger disciplinary action and block promotions, according to an official communique.

Under service rules, IAS officers are required to file their Immovable Property Return (IPR) by January 31 of the following year. The Ministry of Personnel said failure to comply would be treated as a serious lapse.

"Failure on part of the members of the service to comply with the requirements of the aforesaid provisions constitutes good and sufficient reason for, inter alia, institution of disciplinary proceedings against them," said the communique issued by the Ministry of Personnel.


The government has also amended rules to link promotions directly to timely filing of property returns. Officers who fail to submit their IPRs within the deadline will not be considered for appointment to the next level of the pay matrix, it added.

To simplify the process, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) introduced online filing of IPRs in January 2017 through the SPARROW portal. Officers can submit the returns electronically or upload scanned copies of manually filled forms.

The ministry noted improved compliance over the years, saying it was “a matter of immense satisfaction” that officers are increasingly using the online system to file their returns.

The communique, dated December 23, said the SPARROW module would automatically close after January 31, 2026, for property returns relating to the calendar year 2025.

Secretaries of central government departments and chief secretaries of all states have been directed to ensure that IAS officers working under them adhere strictly to the deadline, the communique added.