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Chandigarh: Haryana is set to get a new Director General of Police (DGP) on January 1, 2026, with the Nayab Singh Saini-led state government formally initiating the process of preparing a panel of senior IPS officers for the top police post. The exercise has begun as 1992-batch IPS officer O.P. Singh, who is currently holding the additional charge of DGP, is scheduled to retire on December 31, 2025. Singh assumed charge on October 14 after the then DGP Shatrujeet Kapur was sent on leave, following the mention of his name in the suicide note of late IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar.
Panel of 5–7 IPS Officers Sent to UPSC
According to official sources, the Haryana government will forward the names of five to seven senior IPS officers with at least 30 years of service to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The UPSC will then scrutinise the profiles and shortlist three officers, from whom the state government will have the discretion to select the next DGP. The shortlisted names will be examined on multiple parameters, including-Integrity certificates, Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs), Service records and Disciplinary and vigilance status. Only those officers found fully eligible after this scrutiny will be included in the final three-member panel.
Senior Officers Likely in the Race
Several experienced IPS officers are likely to be considered for the panel. These include:
1991-batch: Shatrujeet Kapur ( has to retire in October 2026), S.K. Jain
1992-batch: Ajay Singhal
1993 batch: Alok Mittal, A.S. Chawla
1994 batch: Navdeep Singh Virk and Kala Ramachandran are an IPS couple
UPSC Guidelines to Govern Selection
As per the UPSC guidelines issued on September 22, 2023, only those IPS officers are eligible for appointment as DGP who hold the DGP rank (Pay Level 16) and have completed at least 30 years of service. These norms aim to ensure transparency, merit-based selection, and insulation of police leadership from excessive political interference.
Current Transition
The change in leadership follows an unusual transition triggered in October when Shatrujeet Kapur was sent on leave after being named in the suicide note of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar. Subsequently, O.P. Singh(1992 batch) was given additional charge to ensure continuity in police administration during a sensitive period.
With Singh’s retirement approaching, the state government is moving swiftly to ensure that the new police chief is appointed without any administrative vacuum. The final decision on Haryana’s next DGP will now depend on the UPSC’s shortlisted panel and the state government’s final selection from among the three names.
