Chhattisgarh inches closer to full-time DGP appointment as UPSC clears Gautam, Gupta

 

 

 

 

The appointment of a full-time regular Director General of Police (DGP) in Chhattisgarh, distinct from the current officiating or acting role, is now in its final stage, following the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) clearance of a two-member panel of senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. As per Supreme Court-mandated procedure, the ‘regular DGP’ refers to a permanent, tenure-protected appointee selected through UPSC’s empanelment and approved by the state, unlike an acting DGP who holds the post temporarily.

 

With this due diligence now complete, the Chhattisgarh Government is poised to select one of the two cleared IPS officers – Arun Deo Gautam (1992-batch) or Himanshu Gupta (1994-batch) –to formally lead as Head of Police Force (HoPF). The process reached its decisive phase with a Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting convened by UPSC on May 13, in which the Commission reviewed a four-member panel forwarded earlier by the state government.

 

The original list comprised senior IPS officers Arun Deo Gautam, Pawan Deo (1992-batch), G P Singh (1994-batch), and Himanshu Gupta. However, only Gautam and Gupta were included in the final panel approved by UPSC. According to well-placed sources, the exclusion of G P Singh was based on a set of administrative and technical considerations examined internally by the Commission. These factors, deemed relevant to service integrity norms and long-term suitability, led to his name being withheld without further reference to pending representations or review inputs. Pawan Deo’s name was also not shortlisted.

 

This leaves the field open to two senior officers – Arun Deo Gautam, currently holding interim charge as DGP, and Himanshu Gupta, a senior IPS official known for his unblemished record and administrative depth. Government insiders suggest a preference for continuity, with Gautam being viewed favourably due to his leadership in ongoing internal security operations and institutional policing reform efforts. The eventual appointment will have lasting implications on the state’s law enforcement priorities, especially in addressing Maoist insurgency, accelerating modernisation drives, and navigating the political sensitivities of corruption probes. The decision will also reflect the government’s strategic direction and confidence in long-term stability under the chosen DGP. The selection process – coordinated between the Ministry of Home Affairs, UPSC, and the state home department – is expected to culminate in an official notification within the coming days.