New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) In a key administrative move, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has cleared a nine-month extension in service for Alok Sharma, Director of the Special Protection Group (SPG).

Sharma, a 1991-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, was appointed to the post on 17 November 2023 and was due to retire this month.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday, Sharma will now continue as SPG chief from July 1, 2026, until March 31, 2027, or until further orders.

The extension has been granted in relaxation of Fundamental Rule 56(d) and the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.

Officials said the decision reflects the government’s confidence in Sharma’s leadership and his ability to steer the elite force through evolving security challenges.

With decades of policing and security experience, Sharma has been credited with modernising SPG operations and strengthening its protective protocols.

The SPG, raised in 1985 after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, functions under the Cabinet Secretariat and is tasked with providing the highest level of security to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers, their immediate families, and other designated protectees.

Over the years, it has earned a reputation as one of the most professional and specialised security agencies in the world.

Sharma’s extended tenure is expected to provide continuity in the organisation’s leadership at a time when VIP security remains a sensitive and high-stakes responsibility.

The order was issued from the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

–IANS

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