The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the empanelment of 30 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, primarily from the 1998 batch, for holding Additional Director General of Police (ADG) or equivalent posts at the Centre. This development, detailed in an official Information Note (No. 35/04/2026-EO(SM-I)) dated March 11, 2026, opens the door for these senior officers to take up key central deputation roles in various ministries, departments, and organizations under the Government of India.
Among the empanelled officers is Suresh Dev Dutta Singh, a 1998-batch IPS officer from the Odisha cadre. He currently serves as the Commissioner of Police for the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate (Twin City Police Commissioner). Singh stands out as the sole representative from the Odisha cadre in this list, marking a notable achievement for the state’s police force.
The majority of the officers belong to the 1998 batch and have been cleared for ADG/ADG Equivalent level positions. A few from earlier batches, including 1994, have been empanelled at the ADG level. The list spans various state cadres, including Andhra Pradesh (AP), Bihar (BH), Chhattisgarh (CG), Gujarat (GJ), Himachal Pradesh (HP), Haryana (HY), Kerala (KL), Karnataka (KN), Maharashtra (MH), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Odisha (OR), Punjab (PB), Telangana (TG), Tamil Nadu (TN), Tripura (TR), Uttarakhand (UK), Uttar Pradesh (UP), AGMUT, and others.
Key highlights from the empanelment list include:
- Multiple officers from cadres like Kerala (KL), Maharashtra (MH), Tamil Nadu (TN), and Gujarat (GJ).
- Officers such as Mahesh Chandra Laddha (AP), Malothu Ramulu Naik (BH), Ratn Sanjay Katiyar (BH), Amit Kumar (CG), and others from the 1998 batch cleared for ADG/equivalent roles.
- Additional names from the 1994 batch, including Vineet Agarwal (MH) and Sanjiv Mathur (TN), empanelled at ADG level.
This empanelment reflects the Centre’s recognition of the officers’ seniority, experience, and suitability for high-level central assignments. For Singh, it paves the way for potential deputation to prestigious roles in Delhi or other central organizations, building on his distinguished career in Odisha Police, where he has held critical positions including ADGP (Operations) before assuming charge as Twin City Commissioner in September 2024.
The full list of empanelled officers is as per the official note issued by the Establishment Officer. This move is expected to strengthen central policing and security apparatus with experienced leadership from across the country.
