The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) empanelment committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to shortlist three IPS officers for the appointment of a regular Director General of Police (DGP) in Punjab, paving the way for the state to get a full-time police chief nearly four years after the appointment of an acting DGP.
The development comes months ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections due in early 2027. The incumbent, Gaurav Yadav (IPS:1992:PB), has been serving as the acting DGP since July 2022 after being appointed by the AAP-led government.
The Punjab government had, on April 6, submitted a panel of 14 eligible IPS officers to the UPSC. The list includes four officers from the 1992 batch, with Sharad Satya Chauhan being the senior-most, followed by Harpreet Singh Sidhu, Gaurav Yadav and Kuldeep Singh. It also includes three officers from the 1993 batch and seven officers from the 1994 batch.
The UPSC had initiated the selection process on February 18 by seeking the names of eligible officers from the Punjab government, following the Supreme Court’s February 5 directions directing states to adhere to the prescribed procedure for appointing regular DGPs. The apex court had criticised several states, including Punjab, for continuing with “acting” DGPs and reiterated that appointments must be made through the UPSC-led process laid down in the landmark Prakash Singh police reforms judgment.
After scrutinising the eligible officers’ service records, experience and suitability, the UPSC will recommend a panel of three names to the Punjab government, which will appoint one of them as the state’s regular DGP.
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