Further complications have emerged regarding the selection of a new Director General of state police in West Bengal. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has contested a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) directive instructing the Mamata Banerjee government to finalize the appointment process by January 31, the retirement date of the current Acting DGP, Rajeev Kumar. The CAT had mandated the state government to submit proposals to the UPSC by January 23 for the empanelment of IPS officers to decide on the new DGP appointment.
The state government forwarded the names of eight serving IPS officers, including Rajeev Kumar, to the UPSC for panel enlistment. Notably, the government has requested an extension of service for Rajeev Kumar to appoint him as the DGP. Despite initial progress in the DGP appointment process in West Bengal, fresh complications have arisen with the UPSC challenging the CAT’s order. Currently, the West Bengal Police lacks a full-time DGP, with Rajeev Kumar serving as the Acting DGP.
Traditionally, the state government nominates a list of serving IPS officers for the DGP role, which the UPSC approves. However, controversies surfaced after the UPSC returned the list recommended by the West Bengal government. The Director (All India Service) of the UPSC advised the West Bengal Chief Secretary to seek Supreme Court clearance for Rajeev Kumar’s successor. The complexity stems from the retirement of Rajeev Kumar’s predecessor, Manoj Malviya, in December 2023.
Instead of sending a panel of three IPS officers to succeed Malviya, the state government appointed Rajeev Kumar as the Acting DGP. Although a panel of IPS officers has been recommended as his successor, the UPSC rejected it citing a Supreme Court order from July 2018. This order stipulates that the state government should propose a panel for the new DGP appointment at least three months before the current DGP’s retirement. Consequently, the West Bengal government should have submitted the panel in September 2023, three months before Manoj Malviya’s retirement.
