Lucknow: Ending days of speculation, the Uttar Pradesh government has appointed 1991-batch IPS officer Rajeev Krishna as the new acting Director General of Police (DGP). With this move, Mr Krishna becomes the fifth consecutive officer to hold the top post in an acting capacity, signaling the state’s continued reliance on senior IPS officers without formal UPSC empanelment.
The appointment also settles the uncertainty around outgoing DGP Prashant Kumar, an IPS officer of 1990 batch, who has not been granted an extension, as had been speculated.
Trusted Officer of CM Yogi Adityanath
Currently serving as Director of Vigilance and Chairman of the UP Police Recruitment Board, Mr Krishna is considered one of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s most trusted officers. He was handed the crucial responsibility of conducting the UP Police Recruitment Examination after recent paper leak controversies, a task he is said to have executed effectively and transparently.
Read On: Why The Next DGP of UP to Be An Acting One Again?
Cadre Position May Delay Permanent DGP Appointment
Despite the appointment, Krishna cannot be designated as permanent DGP at present, as per UPSC guidelines. He currently stands 12th in the seniority list of DG-rank officers in the Uttar Pradesh IPS cadre. A permanent appointment may only be possible around March 2026, when senior officers are expected to retire, making him eligible for consideration.
A Distinguished Service Record Across Uttar Pradesh
Mr Krishna began his policing career as a trainee IPS officer in Allahabad (now Prayagraj). He has since served as ASP in Bareilly, Kanpur, and Aligarh, and held key posts as SP and SSP in Firozabad, Etawah, Mathura, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Agra, Lucknow, and more. He was also DIG of Lucknow during the Mayawati regime and later IG of the Meerut Range.
In 2012, Mr Krishna went on central deputation and returned to UP in 2017. He later held positions such as ADG Lucknow Zone and ADG Agra Zone, gaining wide experience in policing and administration.
Family of Civil Servants and Political Influencers
Hailing from Noida, Mr Krishna belongs to a family steeped in public service. His wife, Meenakshi Singh, is an IRS officer and Income Tax Commissioner in Lucknow. His brother-in-law, Rajeshwar Singh, is a former ED officer and current MLA from Sarojininagar, while Lakshmi Singh, an IPS officer of 2000 batch and the Police Commissioner of Gautam Buddha Nagar, is his sister-in-law. His father-in-law also served as DIG, underscoring the family’s long-standing association with public service.
Calls for a Permanent Appointment
Mr Krishna’s appointment as acting DGP comes at a pivotal time for Uttar Pradesh’s law and order machinery. As the state prepares for high-stakes administrative and recruitment reforms in the police force, the CM’s choice signals both trust and continuity.
However, with yet another acting DGP, calls for a permanent appointment backed by UPSC clearance are likely to grow louder in the coming months.
