Chandigarh, Feb. 10 -- The Supreme Court directive empowering the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to take action against states delaying the appointment of full-time directors general of police (DGPs) has put Punjab in a wait-and-watch mode, as it is yet to receive fresh communication from the commission. The state is also keenly watching the response and approach of the other states, especially BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, before taking a call, said people in the know of the matter. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government appointed 1992-batch IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as acting DGP in July 2022. Yadav continues in the post, despite having superseded more than 10 senior officers at the time of his appointment. A senior Punjab government functionary said that no decision on initiating the process for a regular DGP would be taken until the UPSC formally communicates its response to the Supreme Court's latest order. "We have not yet received any communication from the UPSC regarding the fresh directions. The next step will be decided accordingly. Punjab is not the only state with an acting DGP. More than seven states, including BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, have continued with acting DGPs for years. The Supreme Court directions have been issued to the UPSC, not directly to the states," the senior official said, who didn't wish to be named. The Supreme Court's observations came earlier this month during a hearing on a UPSC plea challenging a January 2025 Telangana high court order directing the commission to finalise a DGP panel within four weeks. The bench, comprising chief justice Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi, expressed disapproval of the prevailing 'acting DGP' culture, stating that it erodes the stability and independence of police leadership envisaged under the 2006 Prakash Singh judgment. The court empowered the UPSC to remind states in advance of impending DGP vacancies and, in cases of continued non-compliance, to approach the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh matter, including seeking contempt action against erring governments. Punjab remains among the key states that are not adhering to the laid-down procedure. In 2023, the state assembly passed a bill proposing an alternative mechanism for appointing the DGP, with a selection committee headed by a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court. However, the governor referred the bill to the President. And in the absence of presidential assent, it has not become a law. It could not be ascertained whether the bill has since been returned to the state government. Meanwhile, an AAP government functionary indicated that if the UPSC adopts a firm stance, Punjab may proceed with sending a panel of eligible officers. Under the present rules, Gaurav Yadav is now likely to figure at the top of the list. "Earlier, reluctance to forward a panel stemmed from the fact that Yadav, being junior to several eligible officers at the time, would not have featured in the UPSC shortlist. That situation has now changed," the top official said, requesting anonymity. As per procedure, states must forward the names of DGP-rank officers who have completed 30 years of service and have a minimum residual tenure of six months on the date the panel is sent. Currently, only two officers are senior to Yadav-1989-batch IPS officers Sanjeev Kalra and Parag Jain. Kalra is set to retire on February 28 this year, while Jain is serving as RAW chief, effectively ruling both out of contention. Within the 1992 batch, Sharad Satya Chauhan (retiring March 31, 2028) and Harpreet Singh Sidhu (retiring May 31, 2027) are senior to Yadav, who is third in seniority and is due to retire on April 30, 2029. Kuldeep Singh, junior to Yadav in the batch, is set to retire on December 31, 2026. What works in Yadav's favour is the fact that he is the only officer of his batch currently empanelled as DGP at the Centre. "Another factor favouring a regular DGP appointment is the assembly elections scheduled for early 2027. Heading into elections with an acting DGP invites closer scrutiny from the election commission," the senior officer quoted above said....