Bhubaneswar: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is scheduled to meet on August 7 for its empanelment committee to select three suitable candidates for the Director General of Police (DGP) position in Odisha.

This meeting in New Delhi is taking place shortly before the retirement of the current DGP, YB Khurania, on August 16.

Previously, the Odisha government had granted DGP Khurania permission to retire upon the conclusion of his term as the state’s chief of police.

Last month, the Home department submitted the names of 11 senior IPS officers to the UPSC for consideration in appointing the new police chief.

According to UPSC regulations, candidates must have at least 25 years of service and a minimum remaining service of six months to qualify for the DGP role.

Among the eligible candidates are senior IPS officers such as Sudhansu Sarangi, a 1990-batch officer currently serving as Director General of Fire Services; Susanta Kumar Nath, the Director General of Prisons; and R P Koche, the Director of Intelligence.

Sources indicate that the UPSC will compile a list of the three most senior IPS officers based on their years of service, exemplary records, and varied experience in police leadership.

The UPSC empanelment committee, established in line with Supreme Court directives, is tasked with selecting three qualified candidates for the appointment of state police chiefs. This committee is headed by the UPSC chairperson or a nominee, alongside the Union Home secretary or a nominee, the chief of a Central Police Organization or Central paramilitary force not affiliated with Odisha cadre, the chief secretary, and the outgoing DGP of the respective state.