Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has carried out another reshuffle in the state’s senior police administration, issuing fresh posting orders for two Director General-rank Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. The latest administrative changes involve 1994-batch IPS officer Dhruv Kant Thakur and 1995-batch IPS officer Ashok Kumar Singh, with the government assigning separate leadership responsibilities for Home Guards and Civil Defence.
Under the orders issued on Tuesday night, October 20, D.K. Thakur will continue as Director General/Commandant General of Home Guards, Lucknow, while Ashok Kumar Singh has been appointed Director General of Civil Defence, Uttar Pradesh.
The latest development follows a series of IPS transfers undertaken by the state government in recent weeks, including a major reshuffle of 20 officers on October 7, which saw changes in the leadership of police departments across several districts and commissionerates.
D.K. Thakur to Continue as DG Home Guards, Relieved of Civil Defence Charge
Dhruv Kant Thakur, a senior 1994-batch IPS officer, has been assigned exclusive responsibility as Director General/Commandant General of Home Guards, Uttar Pradesh.
Before the latest order, Thakur was handling two important responsibilities. Along with serving as DG/Commandant General of Home Guards, he was also holding the additional charge of Director General of Civil Defence.
With the fresh administrative arrangement, the state government has withdrawn his additional responsibility for Civil Defence, allowing him to concentrate on the Home Guards organisation.
The Home Guards play a supporting role in maintaining law and order, traffic management, public safety, disaster response and assistance to the regular police force during major events and emergencies.
The separation of the two responsibilities establishes distinct leadership for the Home Guards and Civil Defence organisations.
1995-Batch IPS Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed DG Civil Defence
In another important posting, the state government has appointed Ashok Kumar Singh, a 1995-batch IPS officer, as the new Director General of Civil Defence, Uttar Pradesh.
Before this appointment, Singh was serving as Director General/Member Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB).
The board is responsible for conducting recruitment processes and handling promotion-related matters for various positions in the Uttar Pradesh Police.
With his appointment as DG Civil Defence, Singh moves from police recruitment administration to an organisation associated with civilian preparedness, emergency response and public safety.
Civil Defence plays an important role in preparing communities to respond to emergencies, disasters and other situations requiring organised civilian assistance. Its activities include public awareness, volunteer mobilisation, training and coordination with relevant authorities.
The latest posting gives Singh responsibility for the organisation at the state level.
Latest UP IPS Transfer List
- D.K. Thakur (Dhruv Kant Thakur), IPS (1994 batch): Will continue as Director General/Commandant General, Home Guards, Lucknow. He has been relieved of the additional charge of Director General, Civil Defence.
- Ashok Kumar Singh, IPS (1995 batch): Appointed as Director General, Civil Defence, Uttar Pradesh. He was previously serving as Director General/Member Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB).
Thakur has been relieved of the additional charge of Civil Defence, while Singh moves from his previous assignment at the UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board.
October 7 Reshuffle: 20 IPS Transferred, Police Chiefs Changed in 12 Districts
The latest orders come shortly after the Uttar Pradesh government carried out a major police reshuffle on October 7, 2026, involving 20 IPS officers.
That reshuffle included changes in the postings of Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) in 12 districts, along with appointments within the police commissionerate system.
Among the prominent changes, Suraj Kumar Rai was appointed Senior Superintendent of Police of Muzaffarnagar, while Alok Raj Narayan was posted as Superintendent of Police of Mathura.
Vinay Kumar Singh was appointed SP of Ghazipur, Iraj Raja was assigned responsibility as SP of Ballia, and Sarvesh Kumar Mishra was posted as SP of Mau.
Other important district-level appointments included Yashveer Singh as SP of Jaunpur and Omveer Singh as SP of Basti.
Ravina Tyagi was appointed SP of Barabanki, Purnendu Singh was given charge as SP of Baghpat, Madhuban Singh was appointed SP of Hapur, and Suresh Chandra Rawat was assigned as SP of Jalaun.
These changes formed part of the government’s wider exercise to reorganise police leadership across the state.
Changes in Police Commissionerates
The October 7 reshuffle also involved appointments within Uttar Pradesh’s police commissionerate system.
IPS officer Kunwar Gyanendra Singh was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Prayagraj, while Arpit Vijayvargiya was posted as DCP in Lucknow.
Several other officers were assigned new responsibilities across police units and administrative establishments.
The commissionerate system operates in major urban areas and is designed to provide an integrated policing structure under senior officers holding commissionerate-level responsibilities.
Changes in these postings are part of the government’s administrative management of urban policing and law enforcement.
Kirit Kumar Haribhai Rathore Posted to Varanasi Commissionerate
In another recent administrative change, IPS officer Kirit Kumar Haribhai Rathore was transferred from his position as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Lucknow Sector, to the Varanasi Police Commissionerate.
He was appointed Additional Police Commissioner, Varanasi.
The transfer marked a shift from a senior position in the PAC to a leadership role within the commissionerate policing structure.
The PAC is an important component of Uttar Pradesh’s police system, providing armed support for law-and-order management, security deployments and other operational requirements.
September 2026: Uttar Pradesh Transferred 35 Officers
Before the October reshuffles, the Uttar Pradesh government had undertaken another significant transfer exercise in September 2026, involving 35 officers.
That reshuffle included changes across district police units, commissionerates and specialised police organisations.
Among the notable appointments, Charu Nigam, who was serving as SP, UP-112, was transferred as Commandant of the 47th Battalion PAC in Ghaziabad.
Shravan Kumar Singh, previously serving as DCP in Kanpur Nagar, was transferred to Gautam Buddh Nagar as DCP.
Similarly, Pramod Kumar, who was serving as DCP in Varanasi, was appointed Superintendent of Police at the Cyber Headquarters in Lucknow.
These transfers reflected changes across different branches of the state police, including emergency response, armed police units, commissionerates and cyber policing.
Further IPS Transfers Possible in Uttar Pradesh
The latest appointments of D.K. Thakur and Ashok Kumar Singh form part of a series of administrative changes undertaken by the Uttar Pradesh government during September and October 2026.
Transfers and changes in the responsibilities of police officers are routine administrative measures undertaken to meet organisational requirements, redistribute responsibilities and fill key positions.
There is speculation that the state government may issue additional transfer orders involving senior IPS officers and other officials. However, no further appointments should be treated as confirmed until formal government orders are issued.
For now, the latest arrangement establishes separate leadership for the Home Guards and Civil Defence organisations, with D.K. Thakur continuing in charge of Home Guards and Ashok Kumar Singh assuming responsibility for Civil Defence.
