New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): The Central government on Wednesday granted a nine-month extension in service to Special Protection Group (SPG) Director Alok Sharma till March 2027.
The extension will be effective from July 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. Sharma, a 1991-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, was originally scheduled to retire on June 30, 2026.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the decision and approved the extension in service of Sharma in relaxation of Fundamental Rule 56 (d) and the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefit) Rules, 1958 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel reads.
The rules typically do not allow extensions beyond the retirement age of 60, except for select top positions such as the Defence, Foreign and Home Secretaries, along with the chiefs of the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing, among a few others.
“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in service of Alok Sharma, IPS (UP:1991), Director, Special Protection Group, for a period of nine months with effect from July 1, 2026 i.e. upto March 31, 2027, in relaxation of Fundamental Rule 56 (d) and the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefit) Rules, 1958, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”
SPG is the elite security force specially formed to ensure armed cover for the prime minister.
Sharma has been overseeing the post of SPG Director since the demise of the then Director of the force, Arun Kumar Sinha, on September 6, 2023. Sharma was officially appointed as the new chief of SPG in November 2023. Before he was appointed SPG chief, Sharma was serving as additional director general of the force.
Extensions to senior officials in such critical security roles are typically granted to maintain operational stability and institutional continuity, particularly in sensitive assignments.
Sharma has been heading the SPG during a period marked by evolving security challenges, including the increasing use of technology in threat perception and the need for enhanced coordination among intelligence and law enforcement agencies. His tenure has seen a continued emphasis on modernisation, training, and strengthening security protocols for VVIP protection.
The SPG, raised in 1985 following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, functions under the Cabinet Secretariat and is regarded as one of the most elite security forces in the country. Its mandate was later defined through the SPG Act of 1988, which has undergone amendments over the years to refine the scope of protection.
In recent years, the SPG’s responsibilities have been streamlined, with its protection cover now largely limited to the sitting Prime Minister and his immediate family residing with him at the official residence. This has further sharpened the agency’s focus on specialised, high-level security operations.
Officials noted that Sharma’s extension is in line with past instances where heads of key security and intelligence organizations have been given tenure extensions in view of administrative requirements and national security considerations. His continued leadership is expected to provide stability and ensure the seamless functioning of the SPG in the months ahead. (ANI)
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