Jaipur: Rajasthan is on track to appoint a new Director General of Police (DGP) starting July 1, with the selection process already underway. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is expected to finalize a three-member panel from which the state government will select the next police chief.
Until June 30, Ravi Prakash Meharda, the current Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), will continue serving as acting DGP.
Mr Meharda, a 1990-batch IPS officer, was recently appointed as the acting DGP on June 10, following the voluntary retirement of then DGP Utkal Ranjan Sahu (UR Sahu), a 1988-batch IPS officer. Mr Sahu has since been appointed as the new Chairman of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC).
Selection Process in Final Stage
The Rajasthan government has submitted a list of eligible IPS officers to the UPSC.
The list includes officers who-
- Belong to the DGP cadre seniority list
- Have completed 30 years of service
- Have more than six months left before retirement
Based on this list, UPSC will convene a meeting to select three officers, whose names will then be sent back to the state government. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma will have the final say in appointing one of them as the next DGP.
Top Contenders
Among those being considered are–
- Rajeev Kumar Sharma (IPS, 1990 batch), currently serving as Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), New Delhi. He was deputed to the Centre in April 2024.
- Sanjay Kumar Agarwal (IPS, 1992 batch), the most senior serving IPS officer currently posted in Rajasthan.
- Anand Kumar Srivastava (IPS, 1994 batch), also fulfilling the eligibility criteria.
If the final appointment process extends beyond July 1, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal is likely to take interim charge, given his seniority and current posting within the state.
Background
The change in top police leadership comes as part of a routine administrative process, with a focus on appointing a permanent DGP with a clear service window for long-term planning and law enforcement continuity in the state.
