Gurpreet Singh :- In a significant step towards the appointment of a regular Director General of Police (DGP), the Punjab Government has forwarded a panel of 14 senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), setting the stage for the final selection process.
Sources indicate that officers from the 1992 batch are emerging as frontrunners for the top post. The current officiating DGP, Gaurav Yadav, also belongs to the same batch and remains a key contender. Seniority and service record are expected to play a crucial role in the selection.
Among the most prominent names in the panel is Parag Jain, a 1989-batch officer and currently the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), making him the senior-most officer under consideration. Other leading contenders from the 1992 batch include Dr. Sharad Satya Chauhan, who is presently heading the Vigilance Bureau and is set to retire in 2028; Harpreet Singh Sidhu, who returned to Punjab after serving on central deputation with the ITBP and is due to retire in 2027; Kuldeep Singh, currently serving as Special DGP; and Gaurav Yadav, whose tenure extends till 2029.
The panel also features several senior officers from subsequent batches. From the 1993 batch, Gurpreet Kaur Deo, Dr. Jitendra Kumar Jain, and Shashi Prabha Dwivedi have been included. The 1994 batch is represented by Sudhanshu Shekhar Srivastava, Praveen Kumar Sinha, Amardeep Singh Rai, V. Neeraja, Anita Punj, and Dr. Naresh Kumar, all of whom hold key positions within the policing framework.
The move comes amid a prolonged period during which Punjab has been functioning without a permanently appointed DGP. The last such appointment made through the UPSC-led process was that of V.K. Bhawra. However, he was sent on leave in June 2022 following the high-profile killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala. Since then, Gaurav Yadav has been serving as the acting DGP.
As per Supreme Court guidelines, the UPSC will now shortlist three names from the panel submitted by the state government. The final appointment of the DGP will be made by the Punjab Government from this shortlist.
With the process now formally underway, attention is firmly focused on the UPSC’s recommendations, which will ultimately determine who takes charge as the state’s next police chief.
