Chandigarh: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has scheduled an empanelment committee meeting on June 30 to shortlist three officers for the appointment of a regular director general of police (DGP) for Punjab. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will have the discretion to select one officer from this panel. This move will provide the state with a regular DGP months ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in early 2027 and nearly four years after the AAP-led government appointed Gaurav Yadav as acting DGP in July 2022, bypassing other senior officers.
Tenure and Supreme Court Directives
The newly appointed regular DGP will enjoy a minimum tenure of two years, irrespective of the date of superannuation. The UPSC initiated this process on February 18 by seeking a proposal of eligible officers from Punjab. This followed the Supreme Court's February 5 directives, which slammed multiple states, including Punjab, for relying on 'acting' DGPs. The apex court reiterated strict compliance with the UPSC-led appointment process established in the landmark Prakash Singh police reforms case.
Eligible Officers List
The Punjab government included Gaurav Yadav, a 1992-batch officer, in its list of 14 eligible IPS officers sent to the UPSC on April 6. He currently ranks third in seniority among the four 1992-batch officers in the proposal. The senior-most officer of this batch is Sharad Satya Chauhan, followed by Harpreet Singh Sidhu, Yadav, and Kuldeep Singh. The proposal also includes three officers from the 1993 batch and seven from the 1994 batch.
Committee Composition and Clarifications
The UPSC scheduled the meeting after the Punjab government recently clarified the 'present status of pending cases' against Chauhan and addressed a query regarding the half-pay leave taken by Kuldeep Singh from February 23 to October 16. The empanelment committee comprises the UPSC chairman (or a member acting as chairman), Union home secretary (or a nominee not below the rank of special secretary to the Centre), the head of a central police organisation nominated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) who is not from the state cadre under selection, and the chief secretary and DGP of the state concerned. However, because Yadav is a contender for the post, the UPSC has allowed Punjab to substitute him on the committee with the additional chief secretary (home).
