The fate of the DGP in Uttar Pradesh has been a matter of dispute between the central and Uttar Pradesh governments for long. On 1 July 2021, after DoPT approval, 1987 batch IPS Mukul Goyal became DGP, but only after 10 months, on 11 May 2022, Mukul Goyal was removed from office by the government. of Uttar Pradesh due to its laxity. supervision and was removed from the post of DGP and became DG of Defence. When the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) asked the UP government the reason for this, it replied that Mukul Goyal was not suitable to become DGP. In addition to age, it should also have capacity.
After removing Mukul Goyal, the Uttar Pradesh government appointed DS Chauhan, who was DG Intelligence, as acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh two days later. He remained the acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh till his retirement on 31 March 2023. After this, DG Recruitment Board RK Vishwakarma became acting DGP and retired on 31 May 2023. After retirement by RK Vishwakarma on May 31, 2023, Vijay Kumar was appointed as the new acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh. When Vijay Kumar retired on January 31, 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government appointed Prashant Kumar as acting DGP. That is, after the removal of Mukul Goyal on May 11, 2022, the work in Uttar Pradesh was carried out by the acting DGP for the last two and a half years.
How do officials become DGPs in UP?
As per the procedure in force so far in the selection of DGP, the Uttar Pradesh government sends the names of all officials for the post of DG to the Union Public Service Commission. Before the Union Public Service Commission, the Department of Personal Training, i.e. DoPT, prepares a panel of three senior officers and posts them, who have tenure of at least 2 years. The state government is not sending the names of DG postal officials who are retiring in 6 months or less. Of the three officials posted by the Union Public Service Commission, one official is appointed as DGP.
Why did the Yogi government make this change?
When the Yogi Adityanath government came to power in Uttar Pradesh, there was a continuing shortage of officers who could live up to the standards of law and order policy that the government was working on. The trusted government officials were young and the Union Public Service Commission standards intervened to make them DGPs. Now, once the proposal is approved in the cabinet, the interference of the Union Public Service Commission will end.
The DGP will be selected by a committee headed by a retired HC judge.
Now the Uttar Pradesh DGP will be selected by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of a retired High Court judge. A retired High Court judge will be the chairman of this committee. The Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, a person nominated by the Union Public Service Commission, the Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission or a nominee, the Principal Home Secretary, a retired DGP who has served in the Uttar Pradesh Police, this committee select the permanent DGP. As per the proposal approved by the cabinet, the tenure of the DGP appointed in the new system will be for 2 years.
