The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially initiated the process to appoint a full-time Director General of Police (DGP) for Telangana. The commission has written to the state government, requesting a list of officers eligible for the position, following weeks after the Supreme Court instructed UPSC to complete the selection.
Supreme Court Date of Vacancy Considered
According to sources, the UPSC has asked the Telangana government to consider February 5, the date when the Supreme Court issued its directive, as the official date of the DGP vacancy. This has sparked discussions within the police department about which officers meet the eligibility criteria. The current in-charge DGP, B Shivadhar Reddy, is set to retire at the end of April, and speculation continues over whether his name will be included in the panel of eligible officers.
Panel of Officers to Be Forwarded to UPSC
The state government has been instructed to submit the list of eligible officers as soon as possible. The Supreme Court’s order emphasises that UPSC will determine the eligibility of officers and decide their merit for empanelment. Telangana currently has six officers holding DGP rank: CV Anand, B Shivadhar Reddy, Prabhakar Apte, Sowmya Mishra, Shikha Goel, and Abhilasha Bisht. The UPSC will shortlist three officers from the panel for final consideration.
Nationwide Compliance Following Supreme Court Ruling
Similar notices have been sent to nine other states that have not complied with the Supreme Court’s ‘Prakash Singh vs Union of India’ judgement, which mandates the appointment of regular DGPs instead of in-charge officers. This move is part of an effort to ensure compliance with the established guidelines for police leadership across the country.
