Chennai: After weeks of speculation, the Tamil Nadu government has officially begun the UPSC-led process to appoint the next Director General of Police (DGP). With incumbent DGP Shankar Jiwal (IPS:1990:TN) set to retire on August 31, 2025, the Home Department is preparing to send a list of eligible IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for shortlisting.
This move ends rumors that the state may seek to bypass the UPSC procedure through legislative means or grant an extension to the current DGP. Instead, the government has decided to comply with revised Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines, which mandate a structured, merit-based selection process.
UPSC Panel to Finalize Names for Top Post
The process, initiated slightly behind the recommended schedule, involves sending names of eligible officers in the DGP rank (Level-16 pay matrix). According to MHA norms, the list should ideally have been submitted by May 31 — three months ahead of the anticipated vacancy.
However, officials confirmed that the Home Department will send the list within this week, having already sought willingness from eligible IPS officers.
Sanjay Arora Not in Race; 8 Officers in Contention
Though Sanjay Arora (IPS:1988:TN) is the senior-most officer in the Tamil Nadu cadre and currently serves as Delhi Police Commissioner, he is not in contention due to his upcoming retirement on July 31, 2025.
Two other senior officers — Pramod Kumar (IPS:1989:TN) and Shailesh Kumar Yadav (IPS:1993:TN) — are also out of the running, as they are scheduled to retire within the next six months.
That leaves the following eight officers under consideration:
- Seema Agrawal (IPS:1990:TN)
- Rajeev Kumar (IPS:1992:TN)
- Sandeep Rai Rathore (IPS:1992:TN)
- Abhay Kumar Singh (IPS:1992:TN)
- K Vanniaperumal (IPS:1992:TN)
- Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal (IPS:1994:TN)
- G Venkataraman (IPS:1994:TN)
- Vinit Dev Wankhede (IPS:1994:TN)
Revised MHA Norms Set Clear Criteria
The new guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which took effect recently, have tightened eligibility requirements for the post of DGP. Only officers in the Level-16 pay scale are eligible, and mere completion of 30 years of service is no longer sufficient.
Moreover, officers must have 10 years of cumulative experience in critical law enforcement domains such as:
Law and Order
- CB-CID and Crime Branch
- Economic Offences Wing (EOW)
- Cyber Crime
- Crime Against Women
- Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Units
- Government Railway Police
- Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence
Deputation to central agencies like CBI, IB, R&AW, NIA, ED, NCB, NSG, and CAPFs
Final Selection Process
Once the list is received, the UPSC will scrutinize service records, conduct interviews if necessary, and forward a panel of three shortlisted officers to the Tamil Nadu government. The state must choose its next DGP from this panel, in line with Supreme Court rulings and MHA norms ensuring transparency and professionalism in police leadership appointments.
This structured process is aimed at reducing political interference and enhancing merit-based selections for one of the most crucial posts in state governance.
