NEW DELHI: For the first time, a woman IPS officer has been appointed as the chief of a paramilitary force -- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the appointment of Archana Ramasundram on Monday.
Ramasundram, who is currently Special Director at National Crime Records Bureau, has been appointed to the post till the date of her superannuation September 30 next year, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
The 1980-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre was embroiled in controversy in 2014 over her appointment as Additional Director in the CBI. Her appointment was also challenged in the Supreme Court after which she was moved to the NCRB as its chief. She was the chairperson of Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board before joining the CBI.
Apart from her, IPS officer K Durga Prasad has been appointed as Director General of Central Reserve Police Force and K K Sharma as Director General of Border Security Force.
Prasad, a 1981 batch IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, was in 2014 removed as chief of the Special Protection Group. He was in January last year appointed Special Director General of the CRPF. KK Sharma is currently Additional Director General, BSF.
Additionally, a 1982-batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre M K Singla has been appointed Special Secretary (Internal Security) in Ministry of Home Affairs. He is at present serving as Special DG (West) in the BSF.
In his new posting, Singla will be entrusted with the task of dealing with matters related to policing, law and order and analysing threats from terror groups, Maoists and other anti-national forces.
Replacing Ramasundram, the committee appointed A R K Kinni as director of NCRB. The 1981 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre is currently Special DG in Bureau of Police Research and Development.
The panel hasapproved Kinni’s appointment by temporarily upgrading Director post in NCRB.