News: The Union Government has notified a Single Window System for appointing State Director-General of Police/Head of Police Force.
About Appointment of State DGPs
- Director-General of Police (DGP): In India, the DGP is the highest-ranking police officer in a state or union territory, and is also known as the State Police Chief.
Procedure followed in the appointment of State DGPs
- UPSC had framed guidelines for the appointment to the post of State DGPs in 2009 (amended in 2023).
- These guidelines were made on the basis of the Supreme Court judgment on police reforms in Prakash Singh vs Union of India (2006).
- According to these guidelines:
- States must provide the UPSC with a list of officers eligible for consideration.
- A single-window system launched recently by the government for this purpose.
- It comprises a detailed check list and standard easy- to-use formats for the States to send proposals, facilitating smooth and expeditious empanelment by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
- Officers must have a minimum of 30 years of service. Information required to be sent to UPSC include service records, performance appraisals and vigilance clearance.
- Eligible officers should hold the rank of Additional Director General (ADG) or the rank of police chief or one rank below, as specified by the state.
- This list must reach the UPSC six months before the incumbent Director General of Police (DGP) is set to retire.
- The committee, chaired by the UPSC Chairman and consisting of the Union Home Secretary, State Chief Secretary, State DGP, and a Central Police Organization Chief will select three officers based on merit.
- After this, the state has to immediately appoint one of the persons from the panel prepared by the UPSC.
- States must provide the UPSC with a list of officers eligible for consideration.
- Amendments made by the UPSC in 2023 to its 2009 guidelines
| Specification | Details |
| Minimum Service Left | Only police officers with at least six months of service left before retirement will be considered for appointment as the DGPs. |
| Central Deputation | If an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer is serving on a central deputation and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informs the respective State government that it cannot relieve the officer, that individual will not be considered for the position of DGP. |
| Experience required | The previous requirement of 30 years of service for DGP eligibility has been reduced to 25 years. |
| Shortlisted officers | The number of shortlisted officers cannot exceed three, but may consist of less than three officers in “exceptional circumstances”. |
| Willingness of officers | Officers will not be included in the shortlisted list unless they themselves are willing. |
