DGP’s Galore, Public Security Lax & Political Security Convoys Swell

The new year started with 17 promotions in Panjab Police. The state got one new Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), four Inspector Generals, and 12 Deputy Inspector Generals. Even though Panjab has only two sanctioned Director General of Police (DGP) cadre posts, it has the highest number of DGP-rank officers (17) in India as the government chooses to promote them against non-cadre posts. Most other states in India follow stricter cadre management traditions promoting officers only when a vacancy arises. However, in Panjab, officers are promoted almost immediately when a batch becomes eligible, regardless of whether there’s a vacancy. These officers are adjusted in non-cadre posts, which are created by state governments, mostly on a temporary basis. Despite having the highest number of DGPs in India , Panjab has an ad hoc DGP. Incumbent Gaurav Yadav, of the 1992 batch, has been an officiating DGP since 2023 because the Panjab Police is yet to send a panel of candidates to the Union Public Service Commission for the selection of a regular DGP. Yadav was chosen as the state DGP, superseding several of his seniors. A retired ADGP from Panjab, Gurinder Singh Dhillon says, 'In the past 30 years, there has been a complete politicization of the Panjab Police. Whether it is a throwback to the days of militancy or for any other reason, professional, scientific and practical policing has been replaced by political agendas.' Yet, a large number of police personnel remain deployed as security guards with political leaders, from local figures to senior functionaries, raising serious questions about public safety priorities, and resource allocation. The impact is visible on the ground: investigation, patrolling, and crime prevention are under strain, while the force struggles to cope with a rising graph of criminal activity. This has created a paradox where police stations operate understaffed, while convoys of armed guards accompany leaders with little or no assessed risk. According to senior police officials, the recruitment process has remained sluggish for nearly four years, leaving thousands of posts vacant. This underscores a critical dilemma: whether scarce police resources should continue to guard the powerful or be redirected to protect the public at large.