Exclusive: Search For Next SPG Director And Restoration Of Hierarchy In Cabinet Secretariat

The Special Protection Group (SPG), India's most elite security outfit, tasked with guarding the Prime Minister, is bracing for a leadership transition. Alok Sharma, a 1991-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is set to superannuate by the end of this month. As speculation builds inside the corridors of power, top sources indicate that the search for India's next SPG Director is already well underway.

The most natural succession points inward. S. Suresh, a 1995-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre, is currently the second-in-command at SPG, serving as its Additional Director General (ADG). In fact, his tenure has already been extended once 

However, there's a notable complication: top sources indicate that Suresh has been actively seeking a return to his parent cadre, raising questions about whether he would accept the top job even if offered. Adding another layer to the puzzle, while Suresh has not been empanelled to the DG rank in recent empanelment exercises, top sources are quick to point out that this poses no formal barrier. The post of SPG Director is designated at the ADG level, making his current rank entirely sufficient for elevation.

Search from the 1995 batch.

Beyond the internal succession line, the government is reportedly evaluating two external candidates, all from the 1995 batch of IPS officers. Perhaps their time to take the helm has arrived, just like the 1994 batch, which, surprisingly, secured their places at the DG level.

1- Sanjay A Lathkar, currently ADG, Security  Department of Atomic Energy, brings a rare combination of CAPF experience and technical security expertise. His background includes a significant stint with the CRPF

2- Padmakar S Ranipse of Odisha, currently in Odisha, also has a rounded CAPF profile, including tenure in CISF and a crucial tenure with CRPF in J&K

The Heirarchy Restoration 

Perhaps the most significant subplot in this entire transition is what it means for the command structure at the Cabinet Secretariat's security apparatus. For a period that insiders describe as "uneasy" and "rare," the institutional hierarchy between the Secretary (Security) and the SPG Director had quietly inverted. The Secretary (Security) to whom the SPG Director officially reports, as on more than one occasion, is either a batchmate of the SPG chief or even a junior officer in terms of seniority.

Rajiv Singh, a 1993-batch IPS officer of the Tripura cadre, has recently been appointed Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat, bringing with him the weight of seniority from a battle-hardened career, including his tenure as Manipur DGP. With a 1993-batch officer now firmly in the Secretary's chair, appointing a 1995-batch officer as SPG Director would restore the correct and natural senior-to-junior reporting hierarchy.