THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With about four weeks remaining for Shaik Darvesh Saheb to step down, all eyes will be on the UPSC meeting, likely to be held by the third week of June, for a shortlist of three officers who could replace him. There are six officers – DGPs Nitin Agrawal, Ravada A Chandrasekhar, Yogesh Gupta and Manoj Abraham, and ADGPs S Suresh and M R Ajith Kumar – in the running to replace the incumbent state police chief.
As per protocol, the UPSC’s screening meeting will be attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, UPSC chairman Ajay Mohan, Shaik Darvesh, Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak and a head of the Armed Police Forces.
The state government had sent the list of six names to the UPSC for its consideration. The Union Public Service Commission usually shortlists officers based on seniority, track record and experience. If that is the criteria that the commission takes into account, then Nitin, Ravada and Yogesh would make it to the shortlist.
Nitin, a 1990 batch IPS officer, is the senior-most of the lot. He was BSF director general before being repatriated to the state. Currently the road safety commissioner, he is set to retire by June 2026.
Ravada is the special director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The 1991 batch officer will also retire by June next year. Having been with a premier institution, Ravada had expressed his willingness to rejoin Kerala Police in case he is selected.
If he gets the call, then the promotion of ADGP M R Ajith Kumar to DGP rank will hit a roadblock as the state can only have only four officers of the rank of DGP. The state government had asked the Centre to create an additional cadre post of DGP, but the request has not been entertained.
The tenure of Yogesh, director general of the Fire and Rescue Services, will run till 2030. He was recently moved out of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau over differences with the state government. It’s to be seen whether that perceived rift will affect his prospects. Manoj is the presently the Vigilance director.
The 1994 batch officer’s service will last till 2031. Suresh, of the 1995 batch, is currently an additional director with the Special Protection Group (SPG), which provides security to the prime minister. Also of the 1995 batch, Ajith Kumar is ADGP of the Armed Police Battalion. He will retire on December 31, 2028.