Overview
- The Punjab government issued the appointment on Friday, October 9, 2026, naming 1992-batch IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the regular director general of police with a minimum two-year tenure.
- The decision followed questioning by a Punjab and Haryana High Court bench that had pressed the state over months of delay in naming a regular DGP and ordered the government to act before the next hearing.
- The appointment implements a July 2026 Union Public Service Commission empanelment that shortlisted three 1992-batch officers for the post, with Special DGP Sharad Satya Chauhan and Harpreet Singh Sidhu remaining on the panel.
- Sources differ on when Yadav began as acting or officiating DGP in 2022, with some reports saying May and others July, but all accounts say he has led key campaigns such as Yudh Nasheyan Virudh and Operation Prahaar.
- By regularizing the post under Supreme Court‑laid Prakash Singh guidelines, the move aims to reduce arbitrary transfers, provide policy stability for policing priorities, and shape how the state manages senior police postings going forward.