Supreme Court objects to appointment of acting DGPs, empowers UPSC to enforce timely selection
A state DGP must be appointed by state government from a panel of three senior officers shortlisted by UPSC, says apex court
PTC Web Desk: The Supreme Court has strongly objected to the growing practice of state governments appointing acting Directors General of Police (DGPs) instead of making regular appointments, observing that the trend deprives senior police officers of their legitimate opportunity to head the force.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said several states were violating the guidelines laid down in the landmark Prakash Singh case by failing to send proposals to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in time. Instead, states have been resorting to appointing officiating DGPs, the court noted.
To curb this practice, the apex court authorised the UPSC to formally write to state governments, directing them to submit proposals for DGP selection within the stipulated time. The court further ruled that if any state fails to comply, the UPSC would be free to approach the Supreme Court directly. In such cases, the states concerned would be held accountable.
Reiterating existing norms, the court underlined that a state DGP must be appointed by the state government from a panel of three senior officers shortlisted by the UPSC.
The observations came while hearing an appeal against a Telangana High Court order directing the UPSC to act on names forwarded by the state government for the DGP post. The UPSC had objected to what it described as an undue delay by the Telangana government in initiating the selection process.
The Commission pointed out that Telangana’s last regular DGP, Anurag Sharma, retired in 2017, after which no timely recommendation was sent. Although the state forwarded its proposal in April 2025, the UPSC declined to act on it, citing the prolonged delay and sought clarification from the Supreme Court. The UPSC also informed the court that similar delays were being witnessed in several other states.
Agreeing with the UPSC’s concerns, the Supreme Court said such delays had adversely impacted the careers of many senior police officers, some of whom have since retired. However, the bench added that merely raising objections would not resolve the issue and could instead benefit defaulting states.
Accordingly, the court directed the UPSC to proceed with the DGP selection process for Telangana and forward its recommendations to the state at the earliest. The Commission has been granted an additional four weeks to complete the necessary formalities.