Reversing his government’s earlier stance, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced that Punjab will send a panel of officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the selection of a regular director general of police (DGP).
“We will send the panel and follow the law as per the set procedure,” Mann said.
Mann was addressing the media on law and order in the state to mark the completion of four years of the AAP government in Punjab.
Gaurav Yadav, a 1992-batch IPS officer, was appointed as acting DGP in July 2022. According to top officials, Yadav, along with two other 1992-batch officers, is likely to feature in the panel to be forwarded to the UPSC.
As per procedure, states must forward the names of DGP-rank officers who have completed 30 years of service and have a minimum residual tenure of six months, on the date the panel is sent. Currently, only two officers are senior to Yadav—1989-batch IPS officers Sanjeev Kalra and Parag Jain. Kalra is set to retire on February 28 this year, while Jain is serving as RAW chief, effectively ruling both out of contention.
Within the 1992 batch, Sharad Satya Chauhan (retiring March 31, 2028) and Harpreet Singh Sidhu (retiring May 31, 2027) are senior to Yadav, who is third in seniority and is due to retire on April 30, 2029. Kuldeep Singh, of the 1992-batch is junior to Yadav and is set to retire on December 31, 2026. What works in Yadav’s favour is the fact that he is the only officer of his batch currently empanelled as DGP at the Centre.
{{/usCountry}}Within the 1992 batch, Sharad Satya Chauhan (retiring March 31, 2028) and Harpreet Singh Sidhu (retiring May 31, 2027) are senior to Yadav, who is third in seniority and is due to retire on April 30, 2029. Kuldeep Singh, of the 1992-batch is junior to Yadav and is set to retire on December 31, 2026. What works in Yadav’s favour is the fact that he is the only officer of his batch currently empanelled as DGP at the Centre.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, despite UPSC reminders, Punjab had been reluctant to send a panel for a regular DGP appointment. One of the major contentions has been the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill passed by the AAP in 2023, which empowers the state to appoint the DGP through a separate state-level committee. The bill is pending Presidential assent. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in February 7 directive empowered the UPSC to take action against states delaying the appointment of full-time DGPs.
On March 12, the apex court, during a hearing in the case, had pulled up states, including Punjab, for violating its judgment on the appointment of DGP and sought responses from six states on why contempt proceedings should not be initiated over their failure to comply.
Since SC’s directive, UPSC has written two back-to-back reminders in February and March to the Punjab government, citing an apex court’s ruling and asking the state to send a panel.
One other issue the state wants to get addressed before sending the names of officers is the addition of an additional chief secretary (home) in the UPSC selection panel.
As per procedure, when states send panels, the UPSC shortlists a panel of three names, from which the government selects one for appointment as top cop of the state.
Apart from UPSC members, the state is represented by the chief secretary and the outgoing DGP.
On Thursday, the state government shot off a letter to UPSC asking the central body to make changes in the selection panel formed and replace outgoing DGP with additional chief secretary (home) in the selection panel, a senior government official, privy to development, said.
“Since the present DGP is also going to be one of the contenders for the regular appointment, it would be prudent that he is replaced in the selection panel,” a top government functionary, who didn’t wish to be named, said, adding that the state is likely to send the panel once the UPSC replies to the state’s request.