The Tamil Nadu government has formally requested the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to postpone the Empanelment Committee Meeting (ECM) scheduled for May 11, 2026, in Delhi, seeking to reschedule it to the last week of May. The state cited the essential requirement for the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary to remain in Tamil Nadu amid unfolding political developments following the Assembly elections.

The ECM, which recommends candidates for the post of Director General of Police and Head of Police Force (DGP/HoPF), is chaired by the UPSC and includes the Union Home Secretary, a Central Armed Police Forces DGP, and the state's Chief and Home Secretaries. This marks the third delay: the meeting was earlier postponed from March 20, 2026, due to administrative reasons, and then from April 23, 2026, to avoid conflict with election polling.

Incumbent DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore, appointed by the Election Commission during the electoral process, will continue to lead the Tamil Nadu Police until a permanent, UPSC-empanelled chief is appointed in compliance with Supreme Court directives in the Prakash Singh case. Officers under consideration include Seema Agrawal, Rajeev Kumar, Sandeep Rai Rathore, K. Vannia Perumal, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, and G. Venkatraman, listed in seniority order.

Seema Agrawal, the senior-most officer in line, is scheduled to retire next month. The UPSC is expected to notify a revised date for the ECM following consultation with the state, with officials indicating the meeting may now be held in late May.