Mokokchung, January 23 (MTNews): The Supreme Court on Monday directed the state government of Nagaland to pass orders within one week on the appointment of 1992-batch IPS officer Rupin Sharma as the Director General of Police (DGP).
A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud declined to consider Nagaland government’s plea that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) should be asked to relax the 30 years’ service criteria rule to 25 years for the empanelment of IPS officers.
The bench, also comprising Justices V. Ramasubramanian and J.B. Pardiwala, said the issue of relaxation of 30 years service criteria into 25 years for IPS officers can be determined by the UPSC and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
It was argued by the state government that it was very difficult to find three senior IPS officers of 30 years of experience in small states like Nagaland who could be considered for empanelment by the UPSC.
“As already noted… Rupin Sharma has already been appointed and this being the position, we are not issuing directions mandating the UPSC to relax the eligibility criteria from 30 years to 25 years,” the bench was quoted by PTI.
“The court cannot be unmindful of the fact that any mandate for relaxation of eligibility would result in a situation” where an officer, who is junior by five years, can become the DGP, it said.
The bench was hearing a plea by the Nagaland Law Students Federation, seeking a direction to recall the order granting extension to Nagaland DGP T. John Longkumer, a 1991 batch IPS officer, after his superannuation. Longkumer resigned earlier this month.