Supreme Court Applies Telangana DGP Ruling Nationwide, Sets One-Month Deadline

Overview

• A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed all states and the UPSC to follow paragraphs 10–12 of the Telangana judgment for DGP selection, with completion targeted within one month.
• Tamil Nadu must file a revised proposal to the UPSC within one week, the UPSC must issue its recommendations within two weeks, and the state must make the appointment immediately thereafter.
• To avoid a conflict of interest, Tamil Nadu may replace the acting DGP on the selection panel with a senior official of equal or higher rank, while retaining two state representatives on the committee.
• The Court noted persistent delays by states and affirmed that the UPSC may write to governments for timely proposals or approach the Court if schedules are not met.
• The framework rests on Prakash Singh directions requiring a UPSC shortlist of three and a minimum two-year tenure for the appointee, while an interpretive dispute over Clause 6.1 of the 2023 Guidelines on the 10-year assessment remains under consideration.