A unique situation is unfolding in Uttarakhand as the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), Ashok Kumar (IPS:1989:UK), is set to retire on November 30. This leads to a pressing question: who will succeed him?
The qualifications mandated for the DGP post are currently posing a significant challenge in selecting the next DGP. According to a directive from the Supreme Court, eligible IPS officers aspiring for this role must possess a minimum of 30 years of service experience, a remaining tenure of at least 6 months before retirement, and hold the ranks of DGP or Additional Director General (ADG).
The scenario in Uttarakhand becomes more intricate with the retirement of DGP Ashok Kumar. The most senior IPS officer in the cadre, PVK Prasad, holds the ADG rank and belongs to the 1995 batch. Following him is Abhinav Kumar, another ADG-ranked officer from the 1996 batch. In addition, there are three other IPS officers holding the ADG rank: Amit Kumar Sinha (IPS:1997:UK), V Murugesan (IPS:1997:UK), and AP Anshuman (IPS:1998:UK).
Unfortunately, there is no officer within the cadre who fulfills the criteria of having 30 years of service experience. This presents a fundamental dilemma: how will the state proceed in appointing the next DGP?
One potential course of action could involve the state government submitting a list of officers who fall short of the 30-year service requirement to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). However, this raises questions regarding how UPSC would evaluate such a panel.
Another temporary solution might involve appointing an officiating DGP to address the situation in the interim. Nevertheless, the state government and will ultimately need to devise a strategy to resolve this unusual predicament.
