Six 1995-Batch IPS Officers Elevated to Special DG and Special Director Posts in CRPF, BSF, CISF and IB
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment and elevation of six senior 1995-batch IPS officers to key leadership positions in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Intelligence Bureau (IB). The decision brings a major round of senior-level changes across some of the country’s most important central police and intelligence organisations.
The approvals were conveyed through an order issued by the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on September 3, 2026. The order was issued with reference to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Office Memorandum dated August 12, 2026, concerning the appointments and elevation of the officers.
All six officers belong to the 1995 batch of the Indian Police Service, but they come from different cadres and are currently serving in senior positions in the central armed police forces and the Intelligence Bureau. Their new assignments carry the rank of Special Director General or Special Director and are placed at Level 16 of the Pay Matrix.
Sandeep Khirwar Elevated as Special Director General, CRPF
Shri Sandeep Khirwar, IPS, a 1995-batch officer of the Haryana cadre, has been appointed Special Director General in the Central Reserve Police Force. He is currently serving as Additional Director General in the CRPF.
The ACC has approved his elevation to the Level-16 post of Special Director General from the date he assumes charge. His tenure will continue until his superannuation on May 31, 2033, unless the government issues further orders before that date.
Khirwar’s elevation comes as part of the broader strengthening of senior leadership within the CRPF, India’s largest central armed police force. The organisation has a wide operational mandate covering internal security, counter-insurgency, protection of vital installations and deployment in challenging security environments.
With a long career in the IPS and experience at senior levels within the CRPF, his elevation places him among the force’s top leadership.
Puneet Rastogi Appointed Special Director General in BSF
Another 1995-batch officer, Shri Puneet Rastogi, IPS, of the Tripura cadre, has been appointed Special Director General in the Border Security Force. Rastogi is currently serving as Additional Director General in the BSF.
The ACC has approved his appointment to the Level-16 post with effect from the date he assumes charge. His tenure will continue until his superannuation on June 30, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The BSF is responsible for guarding India’s land borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh and has a significant role in border management, anti-smuggling operations and maintaining security along some of the country’s most sensitive frontiers. The elevation of a senior officer to the Special DG level is therefore an important leadership appointment within the force.
Satish Shriramaji Khandare Gets Special DG Rank in BSF
The ACC has also approved the appointment of Shri Satish Shriramaji Khandare, IPS, a 1995-batch AGMUT cadre officer, as Special Director General in the BSF. Khandare is presently serving as Additional Director General in the border guarding force.
His elevation will be to Level 16 of the Pay Matrix from the date of assumption of charge. The appointment will continue until his superannuation on June 30, 2031, or until further orders, whichever comes first.
The order specifies an important administrative provision in his case. His appointment has been approved by restoring the temporarily downgraded post of Special Director General in the BSF, allowing him to assume the higher rank against the restored post.
Khandare’s elevation adds another senior 1995-batch officer to the top leadership structure of the BSF at a time when border management continues to remain a major component of India’s internal and national security framework.
Padmakar S Ranipse Elevated as Special DG in CISF
Shri Padmakar S Ranipse, IPS, a 1995-batch officer of the Odisha cadre, has also received the ACC’s approval for elevation to the post of Special Director General in the Central Industrial Security Force.
Ranipse is currently serving as Additional Director General in the Odisha Industrial Security Force (OISF). His elevation has been approved on an in-situ basis, meaning that the higher rank will be granted while temporarily upgrading the post he currently holds for the purpose of the appointment.
The new position is placed at Level 16 of the Pay Matrix. His tenure will continue up to his superannuation on May 31, 2028, unless further orders are issued earlier.
The CISF has a specialised mandate involving the protection of critical infrastructure, airports, industrial units, government establishments and other important installations. The force’s responsibilities have expanded considerably over the years, making senior-level leadership particularly important for maintaining security standards across a wide network of installations.
Rajesh Kumar Gets Special DG Rank in CRPF
The ACC has also approved the elevation of Shri Rajesh Kumar, IPS, a 1995-batch AGMUT cadre officer, to the rank of Special Director General in the CRPF.
Rajesh Kumar is currently serving as Additional Director General in the CRPF. Unlike some of the other appointments in the order, his elevation has been approved on an in-situ basis by temporarily upgrading the post he currently holds.
The higher position carries Level 16 of the Pay Matrix. The appointment will be for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
His elevation gives the CRPF another senior Special DG-level officer and strengthens the force’s senior command structure. The two-year tenure specified in the order also sets his appointment apart from those of officers whose tenure has been linked directly to their respective dates of superannuation.
Jag Mohan Appointed Special Director in Intelligence Bureau
The sixth officer covered by the ACC order is Shri Jag Mohan, IPS, a 1995-batch officer of the Bihar cadre. He has been appointed Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau, one of India’s premier internal intelligence organisations.
Jag Mohan is currently serving as Additional Director in the IB. The ACC has approved his appointment as Special Director at Level 16 of the Pay Matrix, effective from the date he assumes charge.
His tenure will continue until his superannuation on June 30, 2031, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The appointment assumes significance because the Intelligence Bureau plays a central role in gathering and analysing intelligence relating to internal security, threats to national security, organised crime, terrorism and other areas of strategic concern. Elevation to the Special Director level represents a senior leadership responsibility within the organisation.
Six Senior Officers, Four Major Security Organisations
Taken together, the ACC’s latest approvals represent a substantial reshuffle at the upper levels of India’s central security establishment. The six officers are being elevated across four important organisations – the CRPF, BSF, CISF and Intelligence Bureau – with five officers moving into Special Director General-level responsibilities and one being appointed Special Director in the IB.
The appointments also highlight the career progression of the 1995-batch IPS officers, who have now reached some of the highest operational and administrative levels available within their respective organisations.
While the officers come from different state cadres, their current assignments reflect the extensive central deputation system through which experienced IPS officers serve in specialised national security and law enforcement institutions. Their combined experience covers internal security, border management, industrial security and intelligence.
The ACC order makes clear that the appointments will take effect from the respective dates on which the officers assume charge. In most cases, the tenure is linked to the officer’s date of superannuation, while Rajesh Kumar’s appointment has been specifically approved for two years.
With these elevations, the central security forces and intelligence establishment will see six experienced officers taking on greater responsibilities at the senior leadership level. Their new assignments are expected to further strengthen command, administration and policy oversight across organisations that remain central to India’s national security architecture.
