Chandigarh: Nearly four years after functioning under an acting police chief, the Punjab government has finally initiated the process for appointing a regular Director General of Police (DGP) by sending a panel of 14 senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission.
The move comes after strong intervention by the Supreme Court of India, which on February 5 pulled up several states, including Punjab, for continuing with acting DGP arrangements and directed strict compliance with the police reforms framework laid down in the Prakash Singh case.
Punjab had been delaying the process for months, citing its pending Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, but following judicial pressure, the state formally forwarded the panel on Monday, setting the stage for a long-awaited appointment.
Supreme Court Pressure Forced Punjab to Move
The appointment process gathered pace after the apex court, during hearings in February, reiterated that states must follow the UPSC-led mechanism for selecting DGPs rather than continuing ad hoc arrangements.
Read Also: Punjab DGP Appointment: State to Send IPS Panel to UPSC After Four Years, Top Contenders in Focus
Following the court’s order, UPSC asked Punjab on February 18 to send its proposal within 10 days. When the state failed to respond in time, UPSC issued a reminder.
On March 12, the Supreme Court rejected Punjab’s argument that the matter should await Presidential assent on the Punjab Police Amendment Bill, 2023, which sought to create a state-controlled selection committee instead of following UPSC norms.
Gaurav Yadav Among Top Contenders
Among the 14 names sent to UPSC is Gaurav Yadav, a 1992-batch IPS officer who has been serving as Punjab’s acting DGP since July 2022.
Since he is himself a contender, UPSC has permitted Punjab to replace the DGP’s position in the empanelment committee with the state home secretary. Under the standard procedure, the committee includes:
- Chief Secretary of the state
- Serving DGP
- UPSC representatives
The UPSC committee will now shortlist three officers, from whom the Punjab government will select one as regular DGP.
As per Supreme Court guidelines, the selected officer will receive a minimum fixed tenure of two years, irrespective of retirement date.
Why the Appointment Was Delayed for Four Years
Punjab has effectively functioned under acting police chiefs since 2022.
In January 2022, Viresh Kumar Bhawra was appointed regular DGP through UPSC procedure by the then Charanjit Singh Channi government, just before the state assembly election code of conduct came into force.
However, in July 2022, after the Aam Aadmi Party government took office, Gaurav Yadav was appointed acting DGP, superseding several senior officers.
Since then, the state had delayed initiating a fresh regular appointment.
Punjab Tried to Change the Selection System
The state government had attempted to bypass UPSC through the Punjab Police Amendment Bill, 2023.
The bill proposed:
- A seven-member state committee
- Selection from eligible state officers
- Reduced central role in appointment
But the Supreme Court maintained that the Prakash Singh police reforms framework remains binding until legal changes are fully cleared.
Full List of 14 IPS Officers Sent to UPSC
1992 Batch Officers
- Gaurav Yadav – Acting DGP
- Sharad Satya Chauhan – Special DGP, Punjab Police Housing Corporation
- Kuldeep Singh – Special DGP, Anti-Narcotics Task Force
- Harpreet Singh Sidhu – Awaiting Posting
1993 Batch Officers
- Gurpreet Kaur Deo – Special DGP, Community Affairs Division & Women Affairs
- Jitendra Kumar Jain – Special DGP, Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd
- Shashi Prabha Dwivedi – Special DGP, Railway
1994 Batch Officers
- Sudhanshi Shekhar Srivastava – Special DGP, Headquarters
- Praveen Kumar Sinha – Special DGP-cum-Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau
- Aamardeep Singh Rai – Special DGP, Traffic & Road Safety
- Voruvuru Neeraja – Special DGP, Cyber Crime
- Anita Punj – Special DGP-cum-Director, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy
- Naresh Kumar – Special DGP, Human Rights
- Ram Singh – Special DGP, Technical Support Services
What Happens Next
UPSC will now:
- Scrutinize service records
- Prepare a shortlist of three officers
- Send final panel to Punjab government
- The Punjab government will then appoint one officer as regular DGP.
This appointment is expected to significantly shape Punjab’s policing strategy ahead of upcoming administrative and security challenges.
Read Also: Punjab Sends 14 IPS Officers’ Names to UPSC for Regular DGP Selection; CM Mann Approves Proposal
