Tamil Nadu Begins Process to Appoint New DGP as Shankar Jiwal’s Tenure Nears End

Chennai, July 22, 2025 — The Tamil Nadu government has initiated the selection process for appointing a new Director-General of Police (DGP)/Head of Police Force, as the current DGP, Shankar Jiwal, is set to retire on August 31, 2025. In compliance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines in the Prakash Singh case, the state Home Department is preparing to send a list of eligible officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for shortlisting.

As per the revised rules issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, only IPS officers in the Level-16 pay matrix with DGP rank are eligible for consideration. This marks a shift from earlier norms where officers with 30 years of service could be included regardless of rank.

The UPSC empanelment committee—comprising the UPSC chairperson, Union Home Secretary, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, the State DGP, and a representative from central police or paramilitary forces—will review the list and recommend three officers, one of whom will be appointed as the next DGP.

Top contenders in the order of seniority include:

Seema Agrawal

Rajeev Kumar

Sandeep Rai Rathore
All three have previously served on deputation in the Central government.


Meanwhile, DGPs Pramod Kumar and Abhay Kumar Singh are unlikely to be considered due to having less than six months of service remaining.

The list of eligible officers should ideally have been submitted three months in advance of the vacancy but is now expected to be sent to UPSC within the week, according to sources from the police headquarters.

This appointment is particularly crucial ahead of Tamil Nadu’s upcoming Assembly elections early next year, with the Police Department under scrutiny following multiple alleged custodial deaths, including that of B. Ajith Kumar in Sivaganga district, now being probed by the CBI.

As per MHA’s new criteria, eligible officers must also have 10 years of experience in key policing domains such as law and order, CID, crimes against women, economic and cyber crimes, vigilance, intelligence, anti-terror operations, and central agencies like CBI, NIA, IB, and RAW.

The state’s decision comes amidst increasing demands for police reforms and transparency, especially in the wake of criticism over police excesses. The upcoming DGP appointment is likely to shape the law-and-order landscape during a politically sensitive period in Tamil Nadu.