Who Is IPS Officer Pushkar Sharma? IIT-BHU Graduate and Anti-Naxal Specialist Appointed as Assistant Director in the Intelligence Bureau
In a significant development within India’s internal security framework, IPS officer Pushkar Sharma, a 2018-batch officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, has been inducted into the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on central deputation. The Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed him as Assistant Director, following which the Chhattisgarh government formally relieved him of his state duties. Mr. Sharma is now set to relocate to New Delhi to take up his new national-level assignment. Prior to this posting, he was serving as Commandant of the Mana Battalion in Raipur.
Recognized as a sharp operational strategist, Mr. Sharma has built a strong reputation for leading complex anti-Naxal operations and for breaking entrenched organized crime networks, work that has drawn appreciation at senior levels of the state administration.
Early Life and Academic Excellence
Born on May 30, 1991, in Patna, Bihar, Pushkar Sharma comes from a family with a strong professional background. His father served as a government engineer, while his mother is a homemaker. His siblings have also pursued distinguished careers—one sister is a scientist, another a medical doctor, and his brother is an engineer.
Owing to his father’s transferable service, Mr. Sharma’s schooling took place across multiple cities. He completed his early education from KG-1 to Class 10 in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, where he emerged as an outstanding student, scoring 97 percent in the ICSE examinations. He later moved to Kota, Rajasthan, for Classes 11 and 12, preparing simultaneously for the highly competitive IIT-JEE.
His efforts bore fruit when he cleared the entrance examination and went on to earn a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT-BHU (Varanasi).
UPSC Civil Services Journey: Persistence and Resolve
After completing his engineering degree, Pushkar Sharma shifted to Delhi to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. His journey was marked by persistence rather than instant success. Between 2014 and 2016, he faced three unsuccessful attempts. However, he continued refining his preparation strategy, relying heavily on self-study and structured revision.
In his fourth attempt in 2017, he cleared the examination with an All India Rank of 228, securing his place in the Indian Police Service. He has often credited his disciplined approach, coupled with sustained encouragement and guidance from his mother—particularly in current affairs and humanities—for helping him overcome repeated setbacks.
Policing Career and Field Experience
Mr. Sharma formally joined the Indian Police Service on December 17, 2018, and underwent foundational training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, followed by professional police training.
His early field assignments included training and operational exposure in Raigarh district, followed by a posting as City Superintendent of Police (CSP) in Ambikapur. He later served as Additional Superintendent of Police for Naxal Operations in Narayanpur, a district severely affected by Left-Wing Extremism, before being appointed Superintendent of Police, Narayanpur.
During his tenure in Narayanpur, Mr. Sharma led several successful counter-insurgency operations, combining real-time intelligence with meticulous planning. His leadership contributed significantly to weakening extremist networks and improving ground-level security conditions.
Subsequently, as SP of Sarangarh-Bilaigarh, he launched an aggressive campaign against large-scale marijuana smuggling syndicates operating along the Odisha border. These coordinated actions led to the dismantling of multiple criminal gangs and a marked improvement in law and order in the region.
Policing Philosophy and Leadership Style
Known for his balanced approach, Pushkar Sharma emphasizes discipline-driven policing, modernization of force structures, and preventive intelligence-led strategies. Alongside hard operations, he has consistently promoted community engagement as a tool for long-term stability, particularly in conflict-prone and border areas.
His ability to combine field-level operational experience with analytical thinking has positioned him as one of the promising young officers within the Indian policing system.
New Role in the Intelligence Bureau
With his appointment as Assistant Director in the Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Sharma enters a new phase of service at the national security level. His background in counter-insurgency, organized crime control, and field intelligence is expected to add significant value to the IB’s internal security and strategic intelligence operations across the country.
Officials view his deputation as a timely induction of experienced field leadership into India’s premier intelligence organization, reflecting confidence in his capability to handle complex and sensitive assignments of national importance.
