# Director general of police

The Director General of Police (DGP) is the highest-ranking police officer in Indian states and union territories. The DGP is appointed by the cabinet and holds a three-star rank. The DGP is responsible for overseeing the entire police force and law enforcement activities within their respective jurisdiction. This position holds significant authority and plays a crucial role in maintaining law and order, implementing crime prevention strategies, and ensuring public safety. The DGP is usually appointed by the state government and works closely with other law enforcement agencies and government officials to uphold the rule of law and protect citizens' rights.

## Appointment of Director General of Police

The appointment of the Director General of Police (Head of Police Force) in Indian states and union territories follows a structured process mandated by the Supreme Court of India, primarily based on the directives issued in the landmark Prakash Singh case of 2006. These directives aim to ensure transparency, meritocracy, and stability in the leadership of state police forces. The Director General of Police is designated as the head of the police department for all administrative and operational purposes.

### Supreme Court Directives

In the Prakash Singh case, the Supreme Court issued several directives to reform the police appointment process, emphasizing the need for a transparent and merit-based selection system. Key aspects of these directives include:
* Consultation with UPSC: State governments are required to consult the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) before appointing a DGP. This consultation involves sending the names of eligible officers to the UPSC at least three months before the incumbent DGP's retirement.
* Preparation of Panel: The UPSC prepares a panel of three officers deemed fit for the DGP position based on seniority, service record, and range of experience. This panel is then sent back to the state government, which is required to appoint one of the shortlisted officers as the DGP.
* Minimum Tenure: The selected DGP is mandated to have a minimum tenure of at least two years, irrespective of their date of superannuation. This provision aims to provide stability and continuity in police leadership.
* Eligibility Criteria: Only officers with a minimum of 30 years of service and holding the rank of Additional Director General (ADG) or equivalent are considered for the DGP position. Additionally, officers must have at least six months of service left before retirement at the time of their empanelment.
* No Acting DGPs: The Supreme Court has explicitly rejected the practice of appointing "Acting DGPs," requiring states to appoint a permanent DGP to ensure stable leadership.

### Other appointments

When a state or union territory (UT) cadre has more than one director general (DG)-ranked officer, one of them is appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP), who serves as the head of the police force (HoPF). The remaining DG-ranked officers in a state or UT may be appointed to various positions outside of the police department, such as Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Director General of Fire and Rescue Services, Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Traffic and Road Safety Commissioner, Excise Commissioner, or heads of state public sector undertakings. Alternatively, they may be appointed to commensurate positions in various central police organizations or agencies under the Union government.

## Salary

The pay matrix for Director General of Police (DGP) ranked officers comprises Pay Level 17, the apex grade, and Pay Level 16. The Head of Police Force or State Police Chief, holding the rank of DGP, receives a monthly fixed salary of ₹225,000, excluding allowances. This salary scale is also applicable to Directors General (DGs) of some Central Police Organisations at the Union government level.
For other DG ranked officers within state governments eligible for Pay Level 16, including DG of Prisons, DG of Fire and Rescue, DG of Civil Defence and Home Guards, DG of Anti-Corruption Bureau, or equivalent posts, the monthly pay ranges from ₹205,400 to ₹224,400, exclusive of allowances.
In November 2022, the government approved a proposal to grant apex scale salary to the Directors of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ensuring they receive salaries at par with Secretary-rank Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, irrespective of seniority.

## Insignia and Uniform

DGP-ranked officers wear Gorget patches on their collars, which feature a dark blue background with an oak leaf pattern stitched on it, similar to those worn by Additional Directors General (ADGs) and Inspectors General (IGs). The insignia and uniform are the same as those of the DGP for both Special DGPs and Additional DGPs.

## List of current Chiefs of Police Forces in the States and Union territories of India

State Police Chiefs :
| S.No. | State | Headquarters | Name of Police Chief | Batch |
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | Harish Kumar Gupta, IPS | 1992 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | Anand Mohan, IPS | 1994 |
| 3 | Assam | Guwahati | Harmeet Singh (acting), IPS | 1992 |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna | Vinay Kumar, IPS | 1991 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur | Arun Dev Gautam, IPS | 1992 |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji | Alok Kumar, IPS | 1996 |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar | Vikash Sahay, IPS | 1989 |
| 8 | Haryana | Panchkula | Shatrujit Kapoor, IPS | 1990 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | Atul Verma, IPS | 1991 |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi | Anurag Gupta, IPS | 1990 |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bengaluru | Alok Mohan, IPS | 1987 |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Dr. Shaik Darvesh Saheb, IPS | 1990 |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | Kailash Makwana, IPS | 1988 |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Mumbai | Rashmi Shukla, IPS | 1988 |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal | Rajiv Singh, IPS | 1993 |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Shillong | Idashisha Nongrang, IPS | 1992 |
| 17 | Mizoram | Aizawl | Anil Shukla, IPS | 1996 |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima | Rupin Sharma, IPS | 1992 |
| 19 | Odisha | Cuttack | Y. B. Khurania, IPS | 1990 |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh | Gaurav Yadav (acting), IPS | 1992 |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur | Utkal Ranjan Sahoo, IPS | 1988 |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok | Akshay Sachdeva, IPS | 1991 |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai | Shankar Jiwal, IPS | 1990 |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad | Dr. Jitender, IPS | 1992 |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala | Amitabh Ranjan, IPS | 1988 |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | Prashant Kumar (acting), IPS | 1990 |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun | Deepam Seth, IPS | 1995 |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata | Rajeev Kumar (acting), IPS | 1989 |
Police Chiefs of Union Territories :
| S.No | Union Territory | Headquarters | Name of the Police Chief | Batch | Rank |
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, IPS | 1997 | DG |
| 2 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | Surendra Singh Yadav, IPS | 1997 | DG |
| 3 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman | Milind Mahadeo Dumbere, IPS | 2006 | DIG |
| 4 | Delhi | New Delhi | Sanjay Arora, IPS | 1988 | DG |
| 5 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (May–Oct) Jammu (Nov-Apr) | Nalin Prabhat, IPS | 1992 | DG |
| 6 | Ladakh | Leh | Dr. Shiv Darshan Singh Jamwal, IPS | 1995 | ADGP |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | Sameer Sharma, IPS | 2011 | SP |
| 8 | Puducherry | Pondicherry | Shalini Singh, IPS | 1996 | DG |