NEW DELHI: The Special Protection Group (SPG), an elite force wing that ensures the security to the Prime Minister round the clock, will have a new officer at the helm as the government has approved the appointment of Alok Sharma as its director.
Sharma, a 1991-batch officer of Indian Police Service (IPS) has been with the SPG as the additional director general. According to a notification by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Sharma’s appointment will be with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders.
Sharma’s appointment was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharma is a native of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. Sharma succeeds Arun Kumar Sinha who died on September 6. Sinha was the longest-serving chief of SPG. He served the force from 2016 to 2023.
SPG was created, drawing trained commandoes from paramilitary forces, through an Act of the Parliament. It is entrusted with the task of providing security to the PM, and former PMs and their relatives. SPG is rated as one of the best as well as the toughest security wings in the world.
It is said that SPG has around 3,000 active personnel and the government allocated a budget of Rs 385.95 crore in 2022-23. At present, only Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys the protection ring of SPG.
Notified by ACC
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet notified that Sharma’s appointment as the SPG chief will be with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders. Sharma succeeds Arun Kumar Sinha who died on September 6. Sinha was the longest-serving chief of SPG. He served the force from 2016 to 2023.