G. Venkatraman
| Photo Credit: File
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has maintained status quo in the matter of appointing a new Director General of Police/Head of Police Force for Tamil Nadu. The representation of Chief Secretary N. Muruganandham explaining the reasons why the names of three DGPs shortlisted by the UPSC was not acceptable to the State has been “disposed”.
According to official sources, the UPSC has written back to the Tamil Nadu government reiterating its decision on the panel of DGP candidates fit for appointment as DGP/HoPF. “We have disposed of the representation from Tamil Nadu…status quo remains,” a senior official in the central agency told ‘The Hindu’ on Tuesday.
The appointment of a new DGP/HoPF was necessitated following the retirement of Shankar Jiwal on August 30, 2025. Though the proposal comprising the names of eligible DGP-rank officers to the top post should have been sent to the UPSC three months before the anticipated vacancy (August 30, 2025), it was handed over in person only on August 29, 2025. A senior officer moving the Central Administrative Tribunal and then the Supreme Court seeking to include his name in the panel was cited as the reason for the delay.
After G. Venkatraman was appointed as in-charge for the post of DGP/HoPF, a Madurai-based advocate Henri Tiphagne moved a contempt petition accusing the State Government of not following the Supreme Court guidelines in the Prakash Singh case (in the matter of appointing DGPs). Passing orders in the case, the apex court requested the UPSC to expeditiously complete the process of empanelment and directed the Tamil Nadu government to take steps forthwith to appoint a regular DGP.
The UPSC convened the Empanlment Committee meeting on September 26, 2025, and recommended the names of top three officers (Seema Agrawal, Rajeev Kumar, and Sandeep Rai Rathore) as fit for appointment as DGP/HoPF. However, the Chief Secretary wrote to the UPSC saying the panel of shortlisted officers was not acceptable to the State Government and gave a detailed explanation justifying the same, the sources said.
With the delay in appointing a regular DGP/HoPF drawing criticism from Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, State law Minister S. Reghupathy issued a statement on October 22, accusing the Centre of ignoring Tamil Nadu’s views and trying to appoint an officer of its choice as DGP.
He said the UPSC had finalised the names of certain officers despite strong objections raised by the State at the Empanelment Committee Meeting. The Tamil Nadu government would take all necessary steps to defend its rights on the issue, he added.
Published – November 05, 2025 05:30 am IST
