GP Singh takes charge as CRPF Director General 

Gyanendra Pratap Singh, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has assumed charge as the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). A 1991 batch officer, Singh took over from officiating chief and Special Director General Vitul Kumar at the CRPF headquarters on January 30.

His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on January 18, 2025, and his tenure will continue until his superannuation on November 30, 2027. Before this, Singh served as the Director General of Assam Police, playing a key role in counter-insurgency operations and law enforcement reforms.  

As the head of the country’s largest paramilitary force, Singh will oversee CRPF’s operations, which include counter-terrorism, internal security, and law enforcement in conflict-prone areas. His leadership comes at a time when the force remains critical to national security efforts.  

Singh, born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, on November 8, 1967, completed his education in Lucknow before joining the IPS. He began his career in Assam in 1992, serving in districts like Sonitpur, Rangia, and Nalbari during a period of intense insurgency. His tenure as Superintendent of Police in Jorhat was notable for conducting counter-insurgency operations without Army support.  

In 2002, Singh joined the Special Protection Group (SPG), handling the security of Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. He later served as Inspector General in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from 2013 to 2019, investigating major terror cases, including the Pulwama, Uri, and Pathankot attacks, and working to dismantle terror financing networks in Jammu and Kashmir.  

During the Citizenship Amendment Act protests in 2019, he was repatriated to Assam as Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for Law and Order. He also led the state's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Rhino Protection Task Force before becoming Assam's Director General of Police in 2023.  

Singh’s extensive experience in security operations and counter-insurgency is expected to shape CRPF’s role in national security in the coming years.