UPSC seeks Punjab’s DGP panel within 10 days after Supreme Court directive; SAD terms move vindication of demand.
UPSC directs Punjab to submit eligible IPS officers’ panel for regular DGP appointment following Supreme Court order against acting arrangements.
Chandigarh: The Union Public Service Commission has formally asked the Punjab government to submit a panel listing eligible senior IPS officers for consideration by its empanelment committee for the appointment of a regular Director General of Police in the state, following directions issued by the Supreme Court earlier this month.
According to the latest communication sent to the Punjab Chief Secretary on February 18, the commission has sought the complete proposal within ten days in compliance with the Supreme Court’s February 5 order, which expressed strong disapproval over states continuing with acting DGP arrangements instead of making regular appointments.
Punjab Police has been headed by acting DGP Gaurav Yadav, a 1992 batch IPS officer, since July 2022 after he was appointed by the AAP government. He has continued in the position for more than three and a half years under an interim arrangement.
The Supreme Court, while reiterating directions issued in the Prakash Singh police reforms case, authorised the UPSC to ensure that states send proposals on time and warned that continued delays in appointing full time police chiefs would attract accountability. The court empowered the commission to approach it directly if states fail to comply.
Punjab currently has 17 officers holding DGP rank. However, the seniormost officer, 1989 batch IPS officer Sanjeev Kalra, is nearing retirement and may fall outside eligibility norms requiring a minimum residual service period. Another senior officer, Parag Jain, is serving on central deputation and is unlikely to return for the state post. Among those expected to be considered are four 1992 batch officers including Gaurav Yadav, Sharad Satya Chauhan, Harpreet Singh Sidhu and Kuldeep Singh.
Reacting to the development, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the move validates the his consistent demand for appointment of a permanent DGP in Punjab. He stated that the After coming out of Jail, he had repeatedly raised the issue for the appointment of permanent DGP before constitutional, arguing that continuation of adhoc police chiefs weakened accountability in law enforcement.
Majithia described the Supreme Court backed process and it is a victory for the Shiromani Akali Dal, maintaining that a regular DGP appointed through the UPSC mechanism would ensure institutional responsibility and prevent governments from functioning through temporary arrangements at the top police post.
He added that fixed tenure leadership was essential to ensure accountability in handling challenges such as drug trafficking, cross border crime and law and order issues in the border state.
Under the prescribed procedure, the UPSC empanelment committee will shortlist three eligible officers based on seniority, experience and service record. The Punjab government will then appoint one officer as the regular DGP from the recommended panel.
The development effectively restarts the long pending process of appointing a permanent police chief in Punjab and places the state under judicial scrutiny to complete the exercise within the mandated timeframe, ending the prolonged reliance on an acting DGP system.
