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Sharad Satya Chauhan is new Punjab Vigilance Bureau chief
The appointment comes on a day the government also sent a list of eligible officers to the Union Public Service Commission for the selection of the next director general of police
In a significant administrative reshuffle, the Punjab government on Monday appointed 1992-batch IPS officer and special DGP Sharad Satya Chauhan as the chief director of the Vigilance Bureau.
The appointment comes on a day the government also sent a list of eligible officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the selection of the next director general of police (DGP).
Chauhan, a batchmate of incumbent DGP Gaurav Yadav, is the senior-most IPS officer presently serving in Punjab.
Parag Jain, a 1989-batch officer who is otherwise the senior-most in the Punjab cadre, is currently on central deputation, heading India’s premier external intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW).
Many senior officials in the state government believe that Chauhan’s appointment as VB chief could bolster Yadav’s chances of continuing in the top post.
Harpreet Singh Sidhu, another batchmate of Yadav, is the only officer senior to him whose name features in the UPSC panel. Sidhu has been without a posting since returning from central deputation in September 2025.
Chauhan replaces PK Sinha, a 1994-batch IPS officer, who has been posted as officer on special duty (OSD), law and order, till April 30. He will subsequently take over as special DGP, law and order, from May 1 following the superannuation of incumbent Arpit Shukla.
In another key move, 1997-batch IPS officer Arun Pal Singh, who was serving as ADGP (jails), has been appointed managing director of the Punjab Police Housing Corporation, Mohali, replacing Chauhan.
RK Jaiswal, also from the 1997 batch, will continue as ADGP (NRI) along with the additional charge of ADGP (jails).
Meanwhile, 1994-batch IPS officer Ram Singh will continue as special DGP, technical support services, and has been given additional charge of special DGP-cum-commandant general, Punjab Home Guards, and director, civil defence.
Among younger officers, 2011-batch IPS officer Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, currently DIG, anti-gangster task force (AGTF), has been placed at the disposal of the DGP to decide his next posting.
Punjab sends 14 IPS officers’ names to UPSC for DGP’s post
After years of reluctance, the Punjab government has finally sent a panel of 14 senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission for shortlisting three candidates for the post of regular DGP in the state.
According to information, 1992-batch IPS officers Sharad Satya Chauhan (vigilance chief), Harpreet Singh Sidhu (awaiting posting), Kuldeep Singh (special DGP anti-narcotics task force) and incumbent DGP Gaurav Yadav are the top contenders.
Also in contention are 1993-batch officers Gurpreet Kaur Deo (special DGP community affairs & women affairs), Jitendra Kumar Jain (special DGP Punjab State Power Corporation) and Shashi Prabha Dwivedi (special DGP railway).
From the 1994 batch, the names include Sudhanshu Shekhar Srivastava (special DGP headquarters), special DGP PK Sinha, Amardeep Singh Rai (special DGP traffic and road safety), V Neeraja (special DGP cyber crime), Anita Punj (special DGP-cum-director, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy) and Naresh Kumar (special DGP human rights).
Officials privy to the development said all 14 DGP-rank officers currently posted in Punjab had been included in the list.
Gaurav Yadav has been serving as acting DGP since July 2022, for over three-and-a-half years. As per rules, an officiating DGP can be appointed for a maximum of six months.
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 awaiting Presidential assent.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in a February 7 directive empowered the UPSC to take action against states delaying the appointment of full-time DGPs. Following this, chief minister Bhagwant Mann in March had said his government will send a panel of officers soon.
