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Chandigarh, July 1
Punjab’s debate over who will lead its police force on a permanent basis has intensified, after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) shortlisted three senior IPS officers for the post of Director General of Police (DGP). The shortlist has placed acting DGP Gaurav Yadav, Punjab Vigilance Bureau chief Sharad Satya Chauhan, and senior officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu in contention for one of the state’s most powerful administrative roles. Sources suggest Yadav is currently seen as the frontrunner.
The UPSC panel met in New Delhi on Tuesday and prepared its list after the Punjab government submitted names of 14 senior IPS officers for consideration. Under the established process, the Commission narrows the field to three names, leaving the final choice to the state government.
Yadav, a 1992-batch IPS officer, has been serving as acting DGP since July 2022, when he took over after then police chief V K Bhawra went on leave. He has effectively remained in charge of the force since.
The expectation in official circles is that the Aam Aadmi Party government will opt to regularise his appointment, though no formal decision has been announced.
The process comes against a backdrop of repeated delays in appointing a full-time police chief in Punjab. The state had earlier been criticised for not forwarding a panel of officers to the UPSC in a timely manner.
In February, the Supreme Court criticised Punjab and several other states for continuing with acting DGP arrangements instead of following the prescribed appointment procedure.
Punjab’s legislative attempt to alter the process — the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023 — has also stalled, pending presidential assent. Until then, the UPSC-led mechanism remains in force.
A final decision from the state government is expected soon, bringing clarity to a post that has remained in interim hands for an unusually long period.
