With the return of senior IPS officer Nithin Agarwal to Kerala on Wednesday, the number of Director Generals of Police (DGP) in the state has now risen to five, exceeding the sanctioned limit of four. Agarwal’s repatriation to the state, which was confirmed by the Centre on August 2, has sparked discussions about the allocation and management of DGP-rank positions within the state police.
The state currently has five DGP-rank officers: K Padmakumar (Commandant General of Fire and Rescue Services), Shaik Darvesh Saheb (State Police Chief), Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi (DGP, Human Rights), Yogesh Gupta (Vigilance Director), and Nithin Agarwal, who is now the senior-most among them. Of these, the posts of State Police Chief and Vigilance Director are classified as cadre positions, while the other two are ex-cadre posts.
Under current regulations, Kerala is permitted to create ex-cadre posts equivalent to the number of sanctioned cadre posts, allowing for a total of four DGP-ranking officers. The state had previously requested an additional cadre post during the last cadre review, but the Centre declined the proposal. If approved, the state would have been allowed to accommodate six DGPs at once.
In light of Agarwal’s return, the state government has sought temporary permission from the Centre to retain five DGPs, citing the unforeseen circumstances surrounding his repatriation. However, this situation is expected to be short-lived, as Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi is set to retire on December 31, bringing the number of DGPs back to the sanctioned four.
This temporary arrangement has reignited conversations around the flexibility of cadre positions and the challenges state governments face in managing top-level police appointments.
