UPSC Tightens Guidelines for Appointment of State DGPs

November 2, 2023

Context:

According to revised guidelines released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), only Police officers with at least six months of service left before retirement will be given consideration for selection as a state’s director general of police (DGP).

More About the Guidelines: The police is a State subject, the IPS officers who are constituents of the All India Services are appointed by the UPSC on behalf of the Union government, and their services are placed under State cadres.

The guidelines have been revised to discourage States from appointing “favourite officers” about to retire, in a bid to extend their tenure.
The Empanelment Committee constituted by the UPSC will not assess Indian Police Service (IPS) officers on central deputation for a State Director General of Police’s post if the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informs the State government that “it will not be possible to relieve the officers.”
The guidelines allow officers with 25 years experience to be appointed as a DGP, against the earlier requirement of a minimum 30 years of service.
The number of shortlisted officers cannot exceed three, but may consist of less than three officers in “exceptional circumstances”.
Officers will not be included in the panel unless they themselves are willing,

Need of Guidelines

The amended UPSC guidelines come in the wake of several States choosing to appoint acting DGPs instead of regular DGPs, bypassing the requirement to go through the UPSC-selected panel of eligible officers.
For example: States such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana have appointed “in-charge” DGPs, or DGPs with “full additional charge”.

Procedure for Appointment of Director General of Police

The UPSC had first framed guidelines for the preparation of a panel for appointment to the post of State DGPs in 2009, after the Supreme Court verdict in the police reforms case (Prakash Singh V/S Union of India) of 2006.
According to the guidelines, the DGP is to be selected by the State government from amongst the three senior-most officers of the department.
They have to be empanelled for promotion to that rank by the UPSC on the basis of their length of service, very good service record, and range of experience for heading the police force.
The committee to appoint the State DGP is headed by the UPSC Chairman and includes the Union Home Secretary, the State’s Chief Secretary and DGP, and one of the heads of the Central Armed Police Forces nominated by the MHA who is not from the same State cadre.