West Bengal DGP Selection: 6 Senior IPS Officers in Contention, Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Anuj Sharma Among Names
The West Bengal government is expected to forward six senior IPS officers to the UPSC for consideration for the next DGP post. The names include 1991-batch officers Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Anuj Sharma, along with 1993-batch officers Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar.
The process for selecting the next Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal is set to move into its next phase, with the state government expected to forward a list of six senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The proposed list includes officers from two batches of the Indian Police Service. Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Anuj Sharma belong to the 1991 batch, while Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar are from the 1993 batch.
The exercise comes ahead of the retirement of incumbent DGP Siddh Nath Gupta, a 1992-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer, who is due to retire on October 31, 2026, according to the information available for the present selection process.
The forwarding of names to the UPSC will not itself determine the next DGP. The Commission will consider the names submitted by the state and prepare a panel, after which the West Bengal government will take the final decision on the appointment.
Six Senior IPS Officers Under Consideration
The six officers whose names have been reported in connection with the current process are:
- Natarajan Ramesh Babu, IPS: 1991, West Bengal cadre
- Anuj Sharma, IPS: 1991, West Bengal cadre
- Peeyush Pandey, IPS: 1993, West Bengal cadre
- Praveen Kumar, IPS: 1993, West Bengal cadre
- Gyanwant Singh, IPS: 1993, West Bengal cadre
- Ajoy Kumar, IPS: 1993, West Bengal cadre
The officers have held a range of senior positions in the West Bengal Police as well as, in the case of Praveen Kumar, important assignments on central deputation. Their careers cover policing, intelligence, internal security, traffic, economic offences, correctional services, fire and emergency services, headquarters administration and specialised central security responsibilities.
Natarajan Ramesh Babu
Natarajan Ramesh Babu is a 1991-batch direct-recruit IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre. According to the official IPS civil list, he is a native of Tamil Nadu and holds an MA degree.
He was inducted into the IPS in September 1991 and was promoted to the DGP-level post in November 2023. During his career in West Bengal, Ramesh Babu has held several senior assignments, including responsibilities connected with traffic, economic offences and telecommunications.
The latest West Bengal Police posting information lists him as DG & IGP, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), with additional charge of DG, Correctional Services. His service record also includes the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
His name has featured prominently in reports concerning the present DGP selection exercise. Some reports have also discussed his prospects in the context of Praveen Kumar’s continuing central deputation, but no appointment has been made at this stage.
Anuj Sharma
Anuj Sharma is the second 1991-batch IPS officer whose name has been reported as part of the proposed list. Born on March 27, 1968, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Sharma studied at La Martiniere College before completing his BA, MA in Economics and MBA.
He has held a number of important policing assignments in West Bengal during his career. Among these was his posting as Inspector General of Police in North Bengal during the period of Gorkha unrest. He subsequently served as ADG, Law and Order, and later held the important position of Commissioner of Police, Kolkata.
His career also includes leadership roles in the West Bengal Armed Police and Fire & Emergency Services. The current West Bengal Police posting information lists him as DG, Fire & Emergency Services. Sharma has received both the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
His name has also appeared in earlier discussions concerning the appointment of a regular DGP in West Bengal.
Peeyush Pandey
Peeyush Pandey is a 1993-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh. The official IPS civil list records his educational qualification as M.Tech and his induction into the service as September 1994.
Over the course of his career, Pandey has served in several senior assignments in West Bengal, including positions involving security and crime records.
He became acting DGP of West Bengal in January 2026 following the retirement of Rajeev Kumar. He continued in that role until the Election Commission subsequently appointed Siddh Nath Gupta as DGP in-charge in March.
According to the state’s latest police posting information, Pandey is currently Director, Security, West Bengal, in the rank of DGP. He has also been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar is another 1993-batch IPS officer included in the names being considered. A Bihar native, Kumar holds a B.Tech degree, according to the official IPS civil list. He has been on central deputation since June 2022.
His career includes significant assignments in the national security establishment, including senior positions in the Intelligence Bureau. He subsequently served as Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and is currently Director General of the Border Security Force.
His experience covers areas such as border management, internal security and anti-smuggling operations. He has also received the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Kumar’s current central deputation is an important part of his present service profile. Reports about the West Bengal DGP selection have specifically referred to his central posting while discussing the six names. Whether and when he would return to the West Bengal cadre is part of the broader administrative context surrounding the selection process.
Gyanwant Singh
Gyanwant Singh is a 1993-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh. According to the official IPS civil list, Singh holds a B.Sc degree and joined the IPS in September 1993.
He has spent a substantial part of his career in senior West Bengal Police assignments, with responsibilities involving intelligence and internal security among his areas of experience. The latest state police posting list records him as ADG & IGP, Intelligence Branch, West Bengal.
With more than three decades in the police service, Singh brings long experience in intelligence-related work as well as senior-level state policing responsibilities to the current group of officers under consideration.
Ajoy Kumar
Ajoy Kumar, also a 1993-batch IPS officer, is the sixth name associated with the proposed list. The official IPS civil list records Kumar as a native of Uttar Pradesh. He holds a B.Tech degree and joined the Indian Police Service in September 1993. His career has included several senior administrative and operational assignments within the West Bengal Police.
He is currently listed by the West Bengal Police as ADG & IGP (Headquarters), placing him within the senior leadership structure of the state police. His inclusion in the proposed list adds another experienced 1993-batch officer to the pool being considered for the next DGP appointment.
UPSC Panel to Come Before Final Appointment
The current exercise should not be confused with a final appointment. The six names are expected to be forwarded by the West Bengal government to the UPSC, which will consider the eligible officers and prepare a panel for the state.
The final choice will then be made by the West Bengal government from the panel prepared through the prescribed process. The selection exercise follows several changes at the top of the state’s police leadership during 2026. In March, the Election Commission appointed Siddh Nath Gupta as DGP in-charge, replacing Peeyush Pandey, while Natarajan Ramesh Babu was moved to Correctional Services at that stage.
The latest West Bengal Police posting information now lists Gupta as DG & IGP, while Ramesh Babu is heading the CID with additional charge of Correctional Services. Peeyush Pandey is serving as Director, Security, in the rank of DGP.
With Gupta’s retirement scheduled for October 31, 2026, the next formal steps will involve the forwarding of the proposed names to the UPSC, preparation of the panel and the subsequent decision by the state government. For now, the six officers remain part of the reported pool under consideration, and the formal selection will follow the prescribed UPSC panel process and the state’s final decision.
