Chandigarh, October 9, 2026: The Punjab Government on Friday formally appointed 1992-batch IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the regular Director General of Police of Punjab, bringing an end to more than four years of an officiating arrangement at the top of the state police force.
According to the government order issued by the Department of Home Affairs, Yadav will have a minimum tenure of two years from the date he assumes charge as regular DGP. He had already been heading Punjab Police in an officiating capacity since July 2022.
The appointment follows completion of the Union Public Service Commission process for selecting Punjab’s regular police chief. The state government had submitted a list of senior IPS officers to the UPSC, which subsequently shortlisted three officers considered suitable for the position.
The UPSC panel comprised Gaurav Yadav, Punjab Vigilance Bureau chief Sharad Satya Chauhan and senior IPS officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu. All three belong to the 1992 IPS batch. The Punjab Government ultimately selected Yadav from the panel.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had given in-principle approval to Yadav’s appointment earlier in the week, following which the Home Department completed the formal process and issued the appointment order.
The decision also comes days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court questioned the continued delay in appointing a regular DGP despite the UPSC having forwarded its panel to the Punjab Government in July.
While hearing a public interest litigation concerning the prolonged officiating arrangement, the High Court directed the state to take an appropriate decision and asked the Chief Secretary to submit a compliance affidavit before the next hearing scheduled for October 13.
Yadav took over as officiating Punjab DGP in July 2022 after then police chief V.K. Bhawra proceeded on leave. Since then, he has remained at the helm of Punjab Police and has overseen several major policing and law-and-order initiatives in the state.
During his tenure, Punjab Police has intensified operations against organised crime, gangster networks, drug trafficking and other criminal activities. Yadav has also overseen major statewide campaigns and coordinated operations involving district police units and specialised wings.
His formal appointment now removes the “officiating” status attached to the position and gives Punjab a regular police chief selected through the UPSC-led process prescribed for state DGP appointments.
The process follows the framework laid down by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh police reforms case, under which states are required to choose their DGP from a panel of eligible senior officers prepared by the UPSC.
A minimum two-year tenure is intended to provide greater stability to the leadership of the police force and reduce uncertainty arising from short-term or ad hoc appointments.
Yadav is due to retire from service on April 30, 2029, meaning his remaining service period extends beyond the minimum two-year tenure provided under the appointment order.
The appointment is significant for Punjab Police because the state had continued with an officiating DGP arrangement for more than four years while the regular appointment process remained pending.
With the formal order now issued, Gaurav Yadav will continue leading Punjab Police, but this time as the state’s regular Director General of Police rather than officiating DGP.
His appointment is expected to provide continuity at the top of the police administration as Punjab continues to deal with challenges including organised crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime and maintaining law and order across the state.
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