Exclusive: Anand Swaroop Gunning Hard For ITBP DG, Ritwik Rudra Gearing Up For Quiet Succession In NCB

With Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor set to superannuate in October, the race for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police's top post is already well underway. Top sources reveal that Special Secretary (Internal Security) Anand Swaroop is pulling out all stops for the next ITBP DG; he is also reportedly gunning hard and drawing on what insiders describe as his close proximity to the Governor. Top sources add that, along with gunning hard, Swaroop has strong credentials for the top post, having served in the ITBP as IG for more than five years.

Rudra's Moment May Still Be Ahead

Meanwhile, Ritwitk Rudra, currently stationed within the Intelligence Bureau under his own batchmate, appears content to bide his time for now. Top sources said his continued presence is less about missing an opportunity and more about operational necessity, given his deep involvement in coordinating with agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau, with his batchmate Anurag Garg.  "Rudra's track record isn't in question: he is credited with playing a defining role in India's push toward a Naxal-free Bharat and is currently looking at crucial internal security management, especially anti-narcotics operations, in joint coordination with the NCB, "a top source in the security establishment said.

Continuity Under Batchamte

With anti-narcotics operations accelerating and the Nasha Mukt Bharat vision entering a "make-or-break" three-year window as per the roadmap and ambitious vision of the Union Home Minister, top brass is reportedly weighing a strategic shift, installing an IB veteran at the helm of the NCB, and Rudra, sources say, is tipped as the frontrunner to succeed his batchmate Garg once his extended tenure concludes next year.  Top sources add that this wouldn't be uncharted territory. History offers a precedent: when Tapan Deka took over as IB Director in 2022, his own batchmate, Manmohan Singh, served under him for a year.