Haryana’s big promotion push: After IAS elevations, 22 cops eye IPS stars

While these promotions will take place after a couple of years, Haryana officers awaiting promotion demand that this be made an annual exercise, arguing that regular career progression boosts morale among field officers.

The development has sparked fresh hope among HPS officers awaiting promotion from the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) to additional superintendent of police (ASP). In 2022, 16 DSPs were promoted, but the quota was later reduced from 35 to 25, leaving many disappointed.

With the IPS cadre expanding in recent years, voices within the force are growing louder for restoring the higher quota for HPS officers. Haryana officers point out that timely promotions in both civil and police services not only recognise years of service but also encourage better performance.

Traditionally, HPS officers in the ASP rank were sometimes appointed as district police chiefs. That practice has been discontinued in recent years, with ASPs now posted only as deputy commissioners of Police (DCPs) in commissionerate districts. The shift has added to the frustration among mid-level officers, who see promotions as their only path to greater responsibility, say sources.

The promotions in the police come against the backdrop of a parallel saga in the civil services. In July 2025, UPSC’s DPC recommended promotions of 18 HCS officers to IAS, but eight others were left with only “provisional” promotions due to a vigilance chargesheet filed in Hisar over alleged irregularities in the 2001 HCS exam. The chargesheet, filed in June 2023, cast a shadow over their careers.

In February this year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the chargesheet, seemingly clearing the way for their induction. But in March, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court’s order, leaving their future uncertain once again.