In the context of Indian law, “cadre” refers to a specific group or category of government employees. It is used to refer to the set of positions or jobs that are grouped together based on their similar characteristics or responsibilities.
For example, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) are two different cadres. The IAS officers are responsible for the general administration of the government, whereas IPS officers are responsible for maintaining law and order and enforcing the laws of the land.
Additionally, there are different cadres for different states in India. Therefore, an IAS officer will have an All India Service cadre, but also have a state cadre. It means that they can work in different states of India, but they will be considered as part of the cadre of that particular state. The state cadre is determined by the state where the officer is appointed.