Mr. Prashant Kumar, UP’s acting Director General of Police (DGP), is no longer in contention for the permanent DGP position. His chances ended on November 30th, as he fell short of the mandatory six months of service required to be eligible. Officer Kumar (1990-batch IPS officer) is set to retire on May 31st.
The state, which has had four acting DGPs since May 2022, will now restart the process of appointing a permanent DGP. According to sources, the selection process is expected to begin soon, with a final decision likely by mid-December.
Previously, it was widely speculated that Officer Kumar, considered close to the Yogi government, would secure the position. However, newly introduced rules mandate that the permanent DGP must have a minimum two-year tenure. With just six months left in service, appointing Kumar would have necessitated an extension of 1.5 years, requiring Union home ministry clearance.
To avoid such procedural hurdles, the state government is reportedly considering an IPS officer of Director General rank with at least two years of service remaining. The selection committee, to be chaired by a retired High Court judge, is yet to be constituted.
