Kolkata, February 3: The Delhi High Court is set to hear a petition from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday. This petition challenges a directive from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which ordered the West Bengal government to complete the recruitment process for a new Director General of Police (DGP) by January 31.
Legal complications persist in this matter. Although the state government appointed Piyush Pandey as the successor to Rajeev Kumar, he was designated as the acting DGP rather than a permanent one.
All eyes will be on the proceedings in the Delhi High Court, as the court’s ruling will determine whether West Bengal will have a permanent DGP ahead of the crucial assembly elections later this year.
On January 21, the CAT instructed the West Bengal government to send a proposal to the UPSC by January 23 to create a panel for the new DGP appointment, with the entire process to be completed by January 31.
In line with this directive, the state government submitted the names of eight serving Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the UPSC last week for inclusion in the panel. Among these names was Rajeev Kumar, for whom the state government has requested an extension to remain in the DGP position.
Just as the appointment of a new DGP in West Bengal seemed to be resolving, the UPSC’s challenge to the CAT’s order has created new hurdles.
According to protocol, the state government must send a list of serving IPS officers for the DGP position, and the UPSC ultimately approves the appointment from this list. However, the controversy began when the UPSC returned the list of Indian Police Service officers sent by the West Bengal government for selection of the new DGP.
Nand Kishore Kumar, the Director of All India Services at the UPSC, advised West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty to approach the Supreme Court for necessary approvals regarding the appointment of Rajeev Kumar’s successor.
This confusion began in December 2023 when Rajeev Kumar’s predecessor, Manoj Malviya, retired from the DGP position. Instead of sending a panel of three IPS officers for UPSC approval to replace Malviya, the state government opted to appoint Rajeev Kumar as the acting Police Director General.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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