UPSC Refuses To Recognise DGP Gupta. Will Jharkhand Govt Go Ahead With DPC Meeting?

On August 18, the much-awaited meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) — comprising the state’s Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and DGP — to promote nine state police service officers to the ranks of IPS, has now been deferred. 

The meeting takes place under the supervision of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The national civil service recruitment body has deferred the meeting because of the differences with the state government over Gupta’s continuation as acting DGP. This has pushed the Jharkhand government into an awkward position.

Sources said the UPSC has conveyed its position, saying that Gupta’s presence in the DPC meeting was not tenable. They added that the state's Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, an IAS officer of the 1988 batch, and Home Secretary Vandana Dadel, an IAS officer of the 1996 batch, had tried to convince them by arguing that Gupta’s appointment was a decision for the state government to take.

Now, with the process of promotions stalled, aspiring state police service officers, as well the state administration, are left in a state of uncertainty.

Incidentally, Jharkhand has a promoted IPS cadre strength of 48 officers. Out of these, 38 are currently occupied, leaving 10 to be filled. These vacancies arose due to retirements occurring over the past four years: One each in 2021 and 2024, and four each in 2022 and 2023.

According to officials, these promotions were expected to bolster the IPS cadre strength in Jharkhand, which would have ensured better policing and administrative efficiency in the state.