Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government now has the authority to appoint the Director General of Police (DGP) at the state level. In a recent cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the 'Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh Selection and Appointment Rules 2024' policy was approved. This new policy mandates a nomination committee headed by a retired High Court judge, with a minimum tenure of two years for the DGP.

Details On Nomination Committee

The nomination committee will include the Chief Secretary, a representative from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Chairman of the UP Public Service Commission or a designated representative, the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and a retired DGP who has previously served in the role, as reported by Hindi news portal Amar Ujala.

The purpose of this framework is to create an independent and transparent mechanism to select a DGP, free from political or executive influence, tailored to meet the state’s unique policing needs. The selection process will focus on candidates with an exceptional service record and extensive experience, ensuring they are well-suited to lead the police force.

The committee will consider candidates with a minimum of six months remaining until retirement and only those serving at the DGP level in Pay Matrix Level 16. The guidelines also grant the state government the power to remove the DGP before their two-year tenure if they are implicated in a criminal or corruption case or are found incompetent in performing their duties. This is in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives.

What Is The SC Directive?

The Supreme Court, in its 2006 ruling on police reforms, urged state governments to enact new police legislation to maintain police independence and safeguard citizen rights under the rule of law. Recently, the Court issued contempt notices to eight states, including Uttar Pradesh, for non-compliance with the DGP appointment process.

According to the report, this issue arose due to the continuous appointment of acting DGPs over the past two and a half years, as UP had not submitted a DGP selection panel to the UPSC since Mukul Goel was removed from the post. With this new regulation, the state government aims to end the recurring controversy surrounding temporary DGP appointments.

Criteria For Permanent DGP Position

For a permanent DGP appointment, a panel of candidates must be sent to the UPSC, which then shortlists three senior officers. The state government then selects the most suitable candidate from these three, following vigilance clearance.

In the last two and a half years, UP has seen multiple acting DGPs, including DS Chauhan, RK Vishwakarma, Vijay Kumar and Prashant Kumar. This new rule aims to address these short-term appointments and establish a more stable leadership within the police force.