The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the appointment of two senior Indian Police Service officers, Vivek Raj Singh and Vikram M Khalate, as Deputy Directors General (DDGs) in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Both officers have been brought into the central agency on deputation for a period of five years.
The appointments involve IPS officers from two different state cadres and are part of the Centre’s move to strengthen the senior leadership structure of the NCB. Vivek Raj Singh is a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, while Vikram M Khalate belongs to the 2008 batch of the Nagaland cadre.
According to the MHA order, both officers have been appointed at Level-14 of the Pay Matrix. Their appointments will become effective from the respective dates on which they assume charge of their new assignments, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Vivek Raj Singh Appointed Deputy Director General, NCB
Vivek Raj Singh, a 2006-batch IPS officer, has been selected for the post of Deputy Director General in the Narcotics Control Bureau. Before moving to the central deputation, he was serving in his parent cadre as Inspector General of Police, Training & Armed Police (T&AP), Assam Police.
Singh brings nearly two decades of policing experience to his new assignment. Over the course of his career, he has handled a range of policing and administrative responsibilities in the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
Vivek Raj Singh – Key Profile
- IPS Batch: 2006
- Cadre: Assam-Meghalaya
- Current/previous assignment: IGP, Training & Armed Police, Assam Police
- New assignment: Deputy Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau
- Pay Level: Level 14
- Service: Indian Police Service
- Recruitment: Direct recruit through the UPSC Civil Services Examination
- Home State: Madhya Pradesh
- Date of joining IPS: December 18, 2006
- Educational qualification: B.E.
- Police Antrik Suraksha Seva Padak: 2018
- Medal for Meritorious Service: 2025
His career record also includes recognition for his service. Singh was awarded the Police Antrik Suraksha Seva Padak in 2018 and received the Medal for Meritorious Service in 2025.
His move to the NCB now places him in a senior position within a central organisation responsible for tackling the country’s illicit narcotics trade and coordinating anti-drug enforcement efforts.
Vikram M Khalate Gets NCB Deputy Director General Post
The MHA has also appointed Vikram M Khalate, a 2008-batch IPS officer of the Nagaland cadre, as Deputy Director General in the Narcotics Control Bureau.
Khalate was serving as Inspector General of Police, Crime Investigation Department (CID), Nagaland, before proceeding on central deputation. His appointment to the NCB gives the agency another experienced police officer with extensive experience in state-level policing and investigation.
The appointment has been made at Level-14 of the Pay Matrix. Like Singh, Khalate’s five-year deputation will begin from the date he assumes charge of the new post, subject to further orders.
Vikram M Khalate – Key Profile
- IPS Batch: 2008
- Cadre: Nagaland
- Current/previous assignment: IGP, Crime Investigation Department, Nagaland
- New assignment: Deputy Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau
- Pay Level: Level 14
- Service: Indian Police Service
- Recruitment: Direct recruit through the UPSC Civil Services Examination
- Home State: Maharashtra
- Date of joining IPS: September 1, 2008
- Educational qualification: B.E. in Mechanical Engineering
Khalate has around 18 years of service in the Indian Police Service. According to the profile information provided, he has received two promotions during his IPS career before taking up the new central assignment.
His move from the Nagaland Police to the NCB marks a shift from a state-level senior policing role to a central enforcement and coordination assignment.
Two Experienced IPS Officers Join NCB Leadership
The appointment of Singh and Khalate gives the Narcotics Control Bureau two experienced IPS officers from different cadres at the Deputy Director General level. Both officers have spent a substantial part of their careers in senior policing positions before being selected for central deputation.
Their appointments also underline the importance of experienced police leadership in the NCB, which operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The two officers will formally begin their new responsibilities after assuming charge. Their deputation has been approved for five years, unless the arrangement is modified, curtailed or otherwise changed through subsequent orders.
For the NCB, the appointments come at a time when coordination between central and state enforcement agencies remains an important part of the fight against drug trafficking. Senior police officers posted to the organisation contribute not only to enforcement operations but also to institutional coordination, investigation-related work and broader anti-narcotics efforts.
What Is the Narcotics Control Bureau?
The Narcotics Control Bureau is India’s central law enforcement agency dealing with illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and works closely with various central and state agencies involved in drug law enforcement.
The bureau’s responsibilities include coordinating enforcement activities against drug trafficking networks and supporting efforts to curb the illegal movement and distribution of narcotic substances. Given the interstate and often international nature of narcotics trafficking, coordination between multiple agencies is a critical part of its functioning.
The NCB also works with state police forces and other central agencies to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and tackle organised drug-trafficking activities.
Five-Year Central Deputation for Both Officers
Under the latest MHA order, both Vivek Raj Singh and Vikram M Khalate have been appointed as Deputy Directors General in the NCB for a five-year deputation period. Their appointments are in Level-14 of the Pay Matrix and will take effect from the dates on which they assume charge.
Singh moves to the NCB from his position as IGP, Training & Armed Police, Assam Police, while Khalate moves from his role as IGP, CID, Nagaland. Their different professional backgrounds and experience in senior state police assignments will now be brought into the central anti-narcotics framework.
The appointments effectively add two seasoned IPS officers to the NCB’s senior management structure. Both will serve under the terms specified by the Ministry of Home Affairs and remain in their new positions until the completion of the approved deputation period or until further orders.
With these appointments, the Centre has once again relied on experienced members of the Indian Police Service to strengthen a specialised central agency. For Singh and Khalate, the new assignments also mark an important phase in their respective careers, taking their policing experience from the state level into a national anti-narcotics institution.
