Punjab is unlikely to send a panel of DGP-rank officers for shortlisting them for the post of the head of the state force to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).Sources in the government revealed that though the list of eligible officers is ready, the state may not involve the UPSC as a policy decision. “The political decision as of today is that no panel will be send. That stays unless there is a sudden change or some legal complication arises,” said an official.A Supreme Court order earlier this month asked the state to follow the national procedure of sending a panel of eligible officers to the UPSC, which returns a shortlisted panel of three officers to the state government to choose one.However, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has not sent any panel to the UPSC since it formed the government in March 2022.The AAP government had passed a legislation, Punjab Police Amendment Bill 2023, which empowered the state to appoint its own Director General of Police. The incumbent DGP Gaurav Yadav is holding the post since June 2022 when DGP VK Bhawra was allegedly asked by the government to proceed on leave following law and order issues after the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala. The legislation is awaiting assent of the President.Sources in the government said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is not inclined to follow the UPSC order to send the panel by February 28.Interestingly, even if the panel is sent, DGP Gaurav Yadav would most likely be in the short-listed panel of three officers and the state government could appoint him as the head of the state force. However, sources said this would mean the AAP went back from its own legislation.The 1992 batch IPS officers are the senior-most serving in Punjab at the moment. The top senior is 1989 Punjab batch officer Parag Jain who is on central deputation and currently heads the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and thus won’t be interested in Punjab DGP post.The 1992 batch officers are Sharad Satya Chauhan (retirement date March 31, 2028); Harpreet Singh Sidhu (retirement date May 31, 2027); Gaurav Yadav (retirement date April 30, 2029) and Kuldeep Singh (retirement date December 31, 2026).As per the procedure, the UPSC chooses three senior-most officers unless the officer does not have a clean record. DGP Yadav would be included in such a panel automatically.On February 5, the Supreme Court had criticised prolonged “acting DGP” arrangements in several states, including Punjab, as a violation of the 2006 Prakash Singh judgment aimed at ensuring transparent, merit-based and fixed-tenure police leadership.In a letter dated February 18 addressed to the Punjab Chief Secretary, the UPSC referenced the SC’s order, the Prakash Singh ruling and related 2018 directives, urging submission of a complete proposal for consideration by its empanelment committee.In June 2023, the AAP-led Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, proposing a seven-member state-led empanelment committee — chaired by a retired Chief Justice or Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with nominees from UPSC, Punjab Public Service Commission and others — to recommend a panel of three officers for a three-year tenure.However, the Bill, referred by the Governor for Presidential assent due to its implications for All-India Services, remains pending and has not received approval.