DGP: Director General of Police

The full form of DGP is Director General of Police. DGP is a three-star rank and is the highest ranking police officer in Indian states and union territories. All DGPs are Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. Other police officers in the state holding the rank of DGP are Director General of CIvil Defence, Fire Forces, Director General of Prisons,Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The Director General of Police (DGP) is equivalent to the rank of Chief of Forest Forces for the Indian Forest Service (IFS). The insignia of the Director General of Police or Commissioner of Police (in Delhi) is the national emblem above the cross sword and baton.

• The Director General of Police or Director General of Police is the last and top rank in the police force. Generally there are only 1 or at most 4 such posts in the state depending on various factors.
• Only an IPS officer can reach this post by promotion. To become an IPS officer, one has to clear the UPSC exam which is one of the toughest in the country. Such officer first gets the post of ASP, SP, DIG, Spl IG, Addl DG and DG.
• Officers are listed according to merit, who took the exam in NPA (National Police Academy). This merit list forms the basis for all promotions up to the end of service.

The difficult fact is that although the officers belong to the same batch they are of different ages. One may have cleared the UPSC at the lowest age, the other may have cleared the last stage of the age and others may have passed in the middle. The officer who is the youngest in the merit list has the best chance to become a DGP. Because others, even if they are senior to the youngest officer, may attain retirement age earlier than the youngest officer.

Other full forms of DGP