Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has appointed former Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Kumar, as the Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC). The appointment marks a significant administrative decision by the state government, entrusting a key education-related body to a retired senior police officer known for his strict law-and-order approach and administrative efficiency.
Mr Kumar, a 1990 batch IPS officer, retired from the post of Director General of Police in May 2025. Since his retirement, there had been widespread speculation that the Chief Minister would assign him an important responsibility, given his close association with and trust of the Yogi Adityanath government. His tenure as chairman will be three years.
Appointment Made Under Amended UPESSC Ordinance
According to a circular issued by Girijesh Kumar Tyagi, Special Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Government, the appointment has been made under Section 4 of the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission Act, 2023, as amended by the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.
The official notification states that Prashant Kumar will serve as chairman for three years from the date of appointment or until he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Vacancy Created After Resignation of First Chairman
The post of UPESSC chairman had been lying vacant following the resignation of the commission’s first chairman, Professor Kirti Pandey, who stepped down on September 22, citing personal reasons.
After Pandey’s resignation, the Uttar Pradesh government issued a circular inviting applications for the post, with October 21 set as the last date for submission. The higher education department again invited applications in November, extending the deadline to December 10.
Integrated UPESSC: A Major Reform in Teacher Recruitment
In November 2023, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the creation of an integrated Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission with the objective of selecting competent and qualified teachers for higher education, secondary, primary, and upper primary level government and government-aided institutions.
Previously, recruitment for higher education institutions was conducted by the UP Higher Education Services Commission, while recruitment of secondary school teachers was handled by the UP Secondary Education Service Selection Board. The formation of UPESSC aims to streamline and unify the teacher recruitment process across the state.
Former Acting DGP With a Distinguished Policing Career
Prashant Kumar served as the Acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh from January 31, 2024, to May 31, 2025, when he retired from service. Known as a sharp, decisive, and anti-mafia officer, he conducted around 300 police encounters during his tenure, leading to the elimination of several notorious criminals.
Originally hailing from Siwan district of Bihar, Prashant Kumar joined the Indian Police Service in 1990 in the Tamil Nadu cadre, before transferring to the Uttar Pradesh cadre in 1994.
Throughout his career, he held several key positions, including –
- Additional Director General of Police, Meerut Zone
- Director General (Law and Order)
- Director General, Criminal Branch
During his tenure as ADG of Meerut Zone, he played a crucial role in apprehending criminals involved in the kidnapping of Dr. Shrikant Gaur, a doctor from Metro Hospital, Delhi.
Highly Decorated Officer With Strong Academic Background
Prashant Kumar is among a select group of police officers in the country to have received the President’s Police Medal four times consecutively, in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, for his indomitable courage and leadership.
Alongside his service career, he prioritized higher education and holds multiple academic qualifications –
- MSc in Applied Geology / Applied Zoology
- MBA in Disaster Management
- MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies
He is widely regarded as an efficient and intellectually strong officer, and is considered one of the most trusted and favorite officers of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Family Background and Personal Details
Prashant Kumar is the son of late Lallan Prasad. His wife, Dimple Verma, a former IAS officer, is currently serving as a member of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).
Government Order Details
The government order reads –
“In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 4 of the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission Act, 2023 as amended by the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, the Governor is pleased to appoint Dr. Prashant Kumar, son of late Lallan Prasad, former Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh (retired), as the Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission, Prayagraj.”
Major Challenges Await the New Chairman
As the new chairman of UPESSC, Prashant Kumar faces several critical challenges that have been pending for years and are of immense importance to lakhs of candidates across the state.
Conducting the UP Teacher Eligibility Test (UP-TET)
The UP-TET has not been conducted for the last four years. The TET 2021 examination had to be reconducted on January 21, 2022, after a paper leak, with results declared on April 8, 2022. Following a Supreme Court order making TET mandatory for council teachers, a large number of aspirants are awaiting the examination. Although the commission proposed January 29 and 30 as tentative dates, conducting the exam in such a short time frame now appears difficult.
Assistant Professor Recruitment Results
Hope has been rekindled for recruitment to 5073 posts in non-government aided colleges and secondary schools. The written examination for 910 Assistant Professor posts in aided colleges has already been conducted, but interviews are pending. Objections raised by candidates regarding the written examination results must be resolved first. Around one lakh candidates who applied by August 31, 2022, were waiting for the appointment of the chairman, making this one of the biggest challenges for the new leadership.
TGT and PGT Recruitment Examinations
Another major task is conducting examinations for 3539 Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) and 624 Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) posts, totaling 4163 vacancies, across 4512 aided secondary schools in Uttar Pradesh. A massive 13,33,136 candidates applied for these posts. Repeated postponement of exam dates has already caused significant mental stress among aspirants.
Initiating New Teacher Recruitments
Beyond clearing pending recruitments, the new chairman must also initiate fresh teacher recruitments by inviting requisitions from all departments. With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, timely recruitment is seen as crucial to sending a positive message to the youth of the state.
Four Key Challenges Before UPESSC Chairman
The new chairman faces four immediate and pressing responsibilities –
- Conducting the UP-TET examination
- Releasing Assistant Professor recruitment results
- Conducting postponed TGT and PGT examinations
- Initiating new teacher recruitment processes
