In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed applications from Punjab and four other states seeking modification of its earlier directions on appointing Directors General of Police. These directions, issued in Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006), require that DGPs be selected by the Union Public Service Commission from a panel of senior-most officers, with a guaranteed minimum two-year tenure. The Court held that the directions remain necessary to insulate police from political interference and serve the public interest. Though Punjab had amended its Police Act in 2018, the Court reaffirmed that its earlier directions and the interim order of July 2018 require no modification, as they effectively protect police independence and ensure merit-based selection.
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