The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is meeting today to finalise a shortlist of three names for Odisha’s next Director General of Police (DGP).
In May 2026, the Odisha government forwarded a list of 11 eligible IPS officers to the UPSC, after an initial shorter panel was expanded at the Commission’s instance. As per Supreme Court guidelines, the UPSC prepares a panel of three names, from which the state government selects one officer as DGP.
Eligibility criteria include at least 25 years of service and a minimum residual service of six months from the date of vacancy.
Officers in the Fray
- Sudhanshu Sarangi (1990 batch): Senior-most, already at DGP rank
- Susanta Kumar Nath (1993): DGP rank
- R.P. Koche (1993): DGP rank
- Sanjeeb Panda (1994)
- Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa (1994)
- Ritu Arora, Saumendra Priyadarshi, Santosh Bala, P.S. Ranpise (all 1995)
- Arun Bothra, Sunita Kakran (1996)
Vinaytosh Mishra, another DGP-rank officer, is out of contention due to insufficient residual service.
The UPSC’s recommendations will be crucial in shaping Odisha’s police leadership, ensuring transparency and adherence to merit-based selection.
