Odisha Sends Panel of 11 IPS Officers to UPSC for Appointment of Next DGP; Sudhanshu Sarangi, R P Koche Among Front-Runners
The Government of Odisha has initiated the process for the appointment of the next Director General of Police (DGP) ahead of the retirement of incumbent police chief Y. B. Khurania on August 31, 2026.
As part of the selection procedure, the state government has forwarded a panel of 11 senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for consideration.
According to senior government officials, Odisha had initially submitted a shortlist containing only three names earlier this month. However, the UPSC reportedly advised the state government to send a broader pool of eligible officers to allow for a more comprehensive screening process. Following this communication, the state revised and expanded the panel last week.
Senior IPS Officers in the Race
The panel includes several senior IPS officers from different batches of the Odisha cadre.
Among the officers included are Sudhanshu Sarangi from the 1990 batch; Susanta Kumar Nath and R. P. Koche from the 1993 batch; and Sanjeeb Panda along with Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa from the 1994 batch.
The list also includes 1995-batch officers Ritu Arora, Saumendra Priyadarshi, Santosh Bala and P. S. Ranpise, besides Arun Bothra and Sunita Kakran from the 1996 batch.
At present, Sudhanshu Sarangi, Susanta Kumar Nath and R. P. Koche are serving in the rank of Director General of Police, while the remaining officers hold the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and possess more than three decades of policing and administrative experience.
Why Odisha Expanded the Panel
Under the existing appointment process, state governments are required to send names of eligible senior IPS officers to the UPSC. The commission then prepares a shortlist of three officers for the top police post, from which the state government makes the final appointment.
Officials indicated that sending only three names earlier had limited the scope of the UPSC’s screening mechanism. To address this concern, Odisha expanded the panel to include all officers fulfilling the eligibility criteria prescribed for DGP appointments.
In 2023, the UPSC relaxed the minimum service requirement for appointment as DGP from 30 years to 25 years. The revised rule enabled smaller states and Union Territories to consider ADGP-rank officers in situations where a sufficient number of DGP-ranked officers were unavailable.
Front-Runners for Odisha’s Top Police Post
Odisha currently has four DGP-ranked officers apart from incumbent police chief Y. B. Khurania — Sudhanshu Sarangi, Susanta Kumar Nath, R. P. Koche and Vinaytosh Mishra.
However, Vinaytosh Mishra is reportedly not under active consideration because he is scheduled to retire in November 2026 and does not fulfil the requirement of having a minimum residual service period of six months from the date the vacancy arises.
Among the officers being discussed for the post, Sudhanshu Sarangi and R. P. Koche are widely viewed as leading contenders. At the same time, Sanjeeb Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa are also considered strong candidates due to their extensive field and administrative experience.
Retired police officer S. K. Pattnaik stated that the selection should be based on merit, professional competence and overall service record. He observed that while the political leadership and the chief minister play a major role in such appointments, both the UPSC and the state government should ensure that the most suitable officer is chosen to lead the Odisha Police.
The appointment of the new DGP is expected to be finalised before the retirement of incumbent chief Y. B. Khurania on August 31.
