UPSC seeks information from DGP aspirants

In a rather unusual development, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has sought details pertaining to the service record of eight senior IPS officers, all contenders for the post of Director General of Police (DGP), from the officers themselves, instead of directly seeking information from the state government.

However, in the normal course, the UPSC seeks information from the government.

But for some reasons, this time the UPSC has chosen to seek information directly from all the eight senior IPS officers.

This is the first time that IPS officers from the state are undergoing the exercise which was facilitated after the Supreme Court denied to grant stay on the orders of the AP High Court which had quashed the appointment of V Dinesh Reddy as the DGP.

Top sources disclosed to Express that the UPSC recently wrote to the government saying it wanted details of the service record of the eight officers, including in-charge DGP V Dinesh Reddy.

The government promptly forwarded the matter to the DGP’s office, which in turn sent letters to the remaining seven officers which include -- P Gautam Kumar of the 1975 batch, Umesh Kumar of the 1977 batch and IPS officers of the 1979 batch -- Ashok Prasad (presently DGP, Jammu and Kashmir), Aruna Bahuguna, B Prasada Rao, TP Das and SA Huda.

Besides the basic details like the names of officers, date of births, educational qualifications, present posting, scale of pay, the UPSC has also sought posting details ever since the officers joined the IPS including the responsibilities, details of awards, police medals and training among other aspects.

In the letter, the UPSC has said that once the IPS officers will be done with their task of filling up the performa, an official of the rank of Home Secretary will certify the details and then forward the same to the UPSC.

‘’The letter was received by all the eight officers on September 9 and the UPSC had asked that the information should reach to it by September 11,’’ sources said.

They said that the information sought by the UPSC is besides the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) which have reportedly been sent already.

Sources said that the panel of three names, which the UPSC will be sending the government so that one of them will be picked up for the top post, may arrive shortly.