KOLKATA: The process for selecting the next Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal is set to enter its next phase, with the state government preparing to forward a list of around half-a-dozen senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The exercise comes ahead of the retirement of incumbent DGP Siddh Nath Gupta, a 1992-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer, who is due to vacate the post on October 31, 2026. The names reportedly being considered include two officers from the 1991 batch and four from the 1993 batch.
The six names in the reported list are Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Anuj Sharma from the 1991 batch, and Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar from the 1993 batch.
The UPSC process is significant because the Commission is expected to scrutinise the eligible officers and recommend a shorter panel from which the state government can make the final selection.
Six Senior IPS Officers in the Reported List
The reported list brings together officers with varied experience — from West Bengal’s CID, Fire & Emergency Services and state policing to central deputation and leadership of major central armed police forces.
The two 1991-batch officers are Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Anuj Sharma, while the 1993-batch group comprises Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar. A report published on October 1 said the state government was preparing to send these names to the UPSC.
The West Bengal Police’s official IPS posting list, updated September 3, 2026, confirms Ramesh Babu as DG & IGP, CID, Peeyush Pandey as Director, Security, in the rank of DGP, and Anuj Sharma as DG, Fire & Emergency Services.
Natarajan Ramesh Babu: 1991-Batch Officer With CID Experience
Natarajan Ramesh Babu, a 1991-batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre, is among the two senior-most officers named in the reported list.
A direct-recruit IPS officer from Tamil Nadu, Ramesh Babu holds a Master of Arts degree and joined the IPS in September 1991. Over more than three decades in service, he has handled several important responsibilities in West Bengal, including assignments connected with traffic management, economic offences and telecommunications.
He currently serves as DG & IGP, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), West Bengal, with additional responsibility for Correctional Services. The West Bengal CID’s official website also identifies him as the department’s DG & IGP.
He was elevated to the rank of DGP in late 2023 and has also held senior leadership roles in the state police. His service record includes the Police Medal for Meritorious Service, awarded in 2017.
His current position in the CID gives him experience in criminal investigation and specialised policing, while his long tenure in the West Bengal cadre places him among the senior officers being considered for the state’s top police post.
Anuj Sharma: Former Kolkata Police Commissioner
The other 1991-batch officer in the reported list is Anuj Sharma, another senior West Bengal cadre IPS officer.
Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Sharma is an alumnus of La Martiniere College and Lucknow University, where he studied Economics at the postgraduate level.
During his career, Sharma has held several high-profile policing assignments. One of his most prominent postings was as the 40th Commissioner of Kolkata Police, a position he held from 2019 to 2021.
He has also served as ADG Law & Order and DG of the Armed Police in West Bengal. He is currently the Director General of Fire & Emergency Services, West Bengal, according to the state police’s official posting list.
Sharma has been decorated with both the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
His long experience in metropolitan policing, law and order and armed police administration makes him one of the senior officers in the reported succession exercise.
Peeyush Pandey: Former Acting DGP With SPG Experience
The 1993 batch has four officers in the reported list, beginning with Peeyush Pandey, who has already had experience at the top of the West Bengal Police hierarchy.
An engineer by training, Pandey graduated from BIT Mesra before completing postgraduate studies at IIT Kanpur. A West Bengal cadre officer originally from Uttar Pradesh, he has held several important field and specialised assignments.
His career includes serving as Superintendent of Police, Burdwan, and becoming the first Commissioner of Police of Chandannagar.
Pandey also served on central deputation as Inspector General in the Special Protection Group (SPG), where he was associated with the security establishment responsible for protecting the Prime Minister.
In January 2026, Pandey was appointed acting DGP of West Bengal, taking charge after the superannuation of then DGP Rajeev Kumar.
His stint as acting DGP, however, ended in March 2026 when the Election Commission replaced him with 1992-batch officer Siddh Nath Gupta after the Model Code of Conduct came into force for the Assembly elections.
The West Bengal Police’s current posting list shows Pandey as Director, Security, West Bengal, in the rank of DGP.
Pandey has been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Praveen Kumar: From West Bengal Cadre to BSF Leadership
Another major name from the 1993 batch is Praveen Kumar, whose career has included substantial service outside the state on central deputation.
Kumar has academic qualifications in both engineering and law, holding degrees in civil engineering as well as LLB and LLM.
A West Bengal cadre IPS officer, he has spent a considerable part of his recent career in central assignments. He served as Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) before taking charge as Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF).
His experience therefore extends beyond conventional state policing to the leadership of major central armed police organisations responsible for India’s border security.
Kumar’s service has also been recognised with the President’s Police Medal, besides other national-level awards associated with his security service.
His current central role makes his candidature distinct from officers who have remained within West Bengal’s policing establishment. Reports have also noted that his availability for a return to the state could be a factor in the eventual composition of the field.
Gyanwant Singh: Extensive Law-and-Order Experience
Gyanwant Singh, another 1993-batch IPS officer, has spent much of his career in important policing assignments within West Bengal.
Singh has handled key law-and-order and regional security responsibilities and has served as Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar.
He has also held the posts of Additional Director General (ADG), Law & Order, and ADG, State Armed Police (SAP).
These assignments have given him experience in managing large policing formations, maintaining law and order and handling security-related responsibilities at the state level.
His career has consequently been closely linked with West Bengal’s core policing structure, making him one of the senior officers being discussed for the DGP’s post.
Ajoy Kumar: Three Decades of State Policing Experience
The sixth name in the reported list is Ajoy Kumar, another senior 1993-batch IPS officer.
Kumar has served in a range of executive and field positions across West Bengal during a career spanning more than three decades.
His assignments have included responsibilities involving police commissionerates, district policing as Superintendent of Police and specialised wings of the state police.
His experience across field administration and specialised policing has placed him among the senior officers eligible for consideration for the state’s highest police position.
Unlike officers who have spent substantial portions of their careers on central deputation, Kumar’s career has been largely associated with West Bengal’s policing establishment, giving him extensive familiarity with the state’s police machinery.
Siddh Nath Gupta’s Tenure Comes to an End
The selection process has been triggered by the scheduled retirement of incumbent DGP Siddh Nath Gupta.
Gupta is a 1992-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer. The West Bengal Police’s official posting database currently lists him as DG & IGP, West Bengal, while the 2026 IPS civil list records him as a 1992-batch officer from the West Bengal cadre.
Gupta took over the state’s top police post in March 2026 after the Election Commission removed Peeyush Pandey during the election period and appointed Gupta as the new DGP.
He is scheduled to retire on October 31, 2026, making the appointment of his successor a time-bound exercise.
How the UPSC Panel Process Works
The state government’s move to send a list of eligible senior IPS officers to the UPSC is an important stage in the appointment of the regular DGP.
According to reports on the current West Bengal exercise, the state is expected to send around six names to the Commission, following which the UPSC will examine the eligible officers and prepare a shorter panel for consideration by the state government.
This process is rooted in the framework laid down by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh police reforms case, under which the UPSC plays a role in preparing a panel of eligible officers for appointment as state police chief.
The reported West Bengal list comprises officers from the 1991 and 1993 batches, reflecting the seniority level of officers currently available for consideration.
Six Names Reported, But Other Reports Indicate a Wider Field
There is, however, some variation in reporting about the size of the panel being considered.
Reports in September identified six officers — Ramesh Babu, Anuj Sharma, Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar — as the names likely to be sent to the UPSC.
More recent reports published on September 28, however, indicated that the state had shortlisted seven officers, adding Sanjay Singh of the 1992 batch and Jawed Shamim and Ajay Mukund Ranade from the 1995 batch to the wider pool in different accounts. The Statesman also reported a seven-officer list involving officers from the 1991 to 1995 batches.
The October 1 report forming the basis of the present selection exercise, meanwhile, identifies the six officers from the 1991 and 1993 batches.
Therefore, the precise composition of the final list sent to the UPSC will be clearer once the state government’s formal proposal is officially issued.
A Contest Between State Experience and Central Exposure
The reported names represent different strands of senior policing experience.
Ramesh Babu and Anuj Sharma bring more than three decades of service in the West Bengal cadre, while Peeyush Pandey combines state policing with experience in the SPG and a previous stint as acting DGP.
Praveen Kumar brings experience of heading major central armed police forces, while Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar have extensive exposure to West Bengal’s law-and-order and field policing structures.
The eventual panel will therefore bring together officers with different professional backgrounds, including CID investigation, metropolitan policing, law and order, armed police, specialised security, SPG service and central border-force leadership.
Final Selection Lies Ahead
With Siddh Nath Gupta scheduled to retire on October 31, the state government has a limited window to complete the selection process.
The next steps are expected to involve the formal transmission of eligible names to the UPSC, scrutiny and empanelment by the Commission, and subsequent consideration by the state government.
At this stage, Natarajan Ramesh Babu, Anuj Sharma, Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar are the six names identified in the latest reported list forming the basis of the exercise. The final panel and eventual appointment will depend on the formal process and decisions of the competent authorities.
