The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has shortlisted three officers from the 1992 batch of the Indian Police Service (IPS) for the post of Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab, with incumbent Gaurav Yadav among the candidates. The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will select one of the three for the top police post, according to sources.
Shortlisted Officers and Seniority
The three shortlisted officers, in order of seniority, are: Sharad Satya Chauhan (retirement: March 31, 2028), Harpreet Singh Sidhu (May 31, 2027), and Gaurav Yadav (April 30, 2029). Yadav has been serving as the head of the Punjab Police force since June 2022, when the AAP government handpicked him after asking then-DGP V.K. Bhawra to proceed on leave following the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala.
Dr. Sharad Satya Chauhan is currently posted as Special DGP-cum-Chief Director of the Vigilance Bureau. He previously headed the Police Housing Corporation, a posting considered relatively insignificant compared to leading the state police force. Harpreet Singh Sidhu returned to Punjab last year after serving on deputation with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and is still awaiting a posting.
Process and Supreme Court Directives
The selection process follows Supreme Court directives in the 2006 Prakash Singh case and subsequent clarifications. These require states to send a list of eligible senior IPS officers to the UPSC three months before a vacancy arises. The UPSC then shortlists three names, from which the state selects one. The AAP government had earlier resisted submitting the panel to the UPSC, but has now complied.
Punjab government sources indicated that there appears to be no reason for the state government to replace DGP Yadav in the election year. “Subject to some sudden change of opinion in the government, DGP Yadav is set to continue,” said a senior officer. Although 1989-batch DGP Parag Jain is the seniormost, he already heads the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Other Eligible Officers
Punjab Anti-Narcotics Task Force chief Kuldeep Singh (retirement: December 31, 2026), also from the 1992 batch, misses out on the shortlist. The final selection by the AAP government is expected to be announced soon, with Gaurav Yadav being the frontrunner to retain his position as the state's top police officer.
