MarianaCone66 at 18:44, 7 May 2026

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{{Short description|Seniormost non-elected official of India's external intelligence agency}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2026}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Director of the Special Protection Group
| body = India
| flag = SPG Flag.svg
| flagsize = 110px
| flagcaption = Flag of SPG
| insignia = SPG LOGO.svg
| insigniasize = 100px
| insigniacaption = Logo of SPG
| residence = Classified
| appointer = [[Appointments Committee of the Cabinet]]
| succession = 25th {{small|(on the [[Indian order of precedence]])}}
| member_of =
| image =
| incumbent = [[Alok Sharma (police officer)|Alok Sharma]], [[Indian Police Service|IPS]]
| incumbentsince = 17th November, 2023
| inaugural = [[S. Subramanian]], [[Indian Police Service|IPS]]
| formation = 1985
| website = {{URL|https://spg.nic.in/aboutus.htm}}
| reports_to =
*[[Prime Minister of India]]
*[[Secretary (S)]]
| seat = 9, [[Lok Kalyan Marg]], [[New Delhi]]
| termlength = Typically 3-4 years, can be extended
| salary = {{INRConvert|225000}} monthly
| department = [[Cabinet Secretariat of India|Cabinet Secretariat]] [[Special Protection Group]]
| status = Director of SPG
| native_name = ''विशेष सुरक्षा दल के निदेशक''
}}{{Improve categories|date=May 2026}}{{Politics of India}}

The '''Director of the Special Protection Group''' (''Vishesh Suraksha Dal ke Nirdeshak'') is the ''[[de facto]]'' head of India’s elite security force, the [[Special Protection Group]], which is responsible for providing close protection to the [[PM of India|Prime Minister]] and their immediate family. As the top authority, the Director oversees strategic planning, threat assessment, and coordination with other security and [[List of Indian intelligence agencies|intelligence agencies]]. The current director is [[Alok Sharma (police officer)|Alok Sharma]] since November 2023.<ref name="THE SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP ACT 1988 ,22">{{cite web|last=The Gazette of India|title=THE SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP ACT 1988 [AS AMENDED IN 1991, 1994 & 1999]|url=http://www.spg.nic.in/spgact.htm|work=No. 30|publisher=The Government of India|access-date=22 May 2014|location=New Delhi|date= 7 June 1988| url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020174517/http://www.spg.nic.in/spgact.htm |archive-date=20 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |title=Senior IPS officer Alok Sharma appointed new SPG director |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/senior-ips-officer-alok-sharma-appointed-new-spg-director-9031468/ |work=The Indian Express |date=18 November 2023 |access-date=28 March 2026}}</ref>

The Director of the Special Protection Group reports to the [[Secretary (Security)]], who serves as the ''[[de jure]]'' head of the SPG. The current Secretary (S) is [[Parag Jain]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Service |first1=Express News |title=R&AW Chief Parag Jain given additional charge as Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Nov/12/raw-chief-parag-jain-given-additional-charge-as-secretary-security-cabinet-secretariat |access-date=12 November 2025 |work=The New Indian Express |date=12 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
After the assassination of Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]] in October 1984, a review by the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] recommended an exclusive unit for the Prime Minister’s security. In February 1985, the ''Birbal Nath Committee'' proposed the creation of the Special Protection Unit (SPU), which was formally established as the ''Special Protection Group'' (SPG) on 30 March 1985 under the [[Cabinet Secretariat of India|Cabinet Secretariat]] with 819 posts. The SPG was headed by a Director, typically an [[Indian Police Service]] officer of Director General rank. [[S. Subramanian]], then Joint Director (VIP Security) of the [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]], became its first Director.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.spg.nic.in/aboutus.html|title=About Us :: SPG, Govt. of India|website=www.spg.nic.in|access-date=27 May 2019|archive-date=27 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527162615/http://www.spg.nic.in/aboutus.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Power and responsibilities==
The Director of the Special Protection Group is assisted by Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and Joint Assistant Directors and his/her role includes:<ref>{{cite news |title=SPG amendment bill passed in Lok Sabha |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/spg-amendment-bill-passed-in-lok-sabha/articleshow/72261106.cms |access-date=27 November 2019 |work=The Economic Times |date=27 November 2019 |archive-date=15 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415131412/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/spg-amendment-bill-passed-in-lok-sabha/articleshow/72261106.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
* '''Operations''' – Responsible for close protection duties, including sub-units for Communications, Technical, and Transport.
* '''Training''' – Conducts continuous training in physical fitness, marksmanship, anti-sabotage measures, communications, and other close protection skills.
* '''Intelligence and Tours''' – Handles threat assessment, internal intelligence, and personnel verification.
* '''Administration''' – Manages human resources, finance, procurement, and related administrative matters.

== Emolument, accommodation and perquisites ==
The Director of SPG holds the rank of [[Director General of Police]] (DGP) to the Government of India. The post is accompanied by:

* Official residence.
* Security cover as per central government rules.
* Eligibility for a diplomatic or official passport for foreign travel.
* Salary as per Pay Level 17 of the [[7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and Defence Forces|7th Pay Commission]].<ref name="Army Pay Rules">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mod.nic.in/sites/default/files/ArmyPayRules.pdf|title=Army Pay Rules, 2017|date=May 3, 2017|work=[[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]], [[Government of India]]|access-date=September 24, 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="margin: 1ex 0 1ex 1ex; "
|-
|+'''Director of SPG monthly pay and allowances'''
|-
!Base Salary (Per month)
!Pay Matrix Level
|-
|{{INRConvert|225000}}<ref name="7th Pay Commission Report">{{cite web|url=http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdf|title=Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of India|publisher=Seventh Central [[Pay Commission]], [[Government of India]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120092637/http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdf|archive-date=20 November 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=August 13, 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|Pay Level 17
|}

==List of Directors of SPG==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No.
! Name
! Took office
! Left office
! Prime Minister
|-
| 1
| [[S. Subramanian]]
| 1985
| 1986
| [[Rajiv Gandhi]]
|-
| 2
| Devendra Singh
| 1986
| 1990
| [[Rajiv Gandhi]]
|-
| 3
| Trinath Mishra
| 1990
| 1993
| [[V. P. Singh]] [[Chandra Shekhar]] [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]]
|-
| 4
| S. N. Tiwari
| 1993
| 1994
| [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]]
|-
| 5
| [[Shyamal Datta]]
| 1994
| 1997
| [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]] [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] [[H. D. Deve Gowda]] [[I. K. Gujral]]
|-
| 6
| M. R. Reddy
| 1997
| 2000
| [[I. K. Gujral]] [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]]
|-
| 7
| T. K. Mitra
| 2000
| 2002
| rowspan="2" | [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]]
|-
| 8
| R. K. Das
| 2002
| 2004
|-
| 9
| [[B. V. Wanchoo]]
| 2004
| 2011
| rowspan="2" | [[Manmohan Singh]]
|-
| 10
| K. Durga Prasad
| 2011
| 2014
|-
| 11
| Vivek Srivastava
| 2014
| 2016
| rowspan="3" | [[Narendra Modi]]
|-
| 12
| [[Arun Kumar Sinha (police officer)|Arun Kumar Sinha]]
| 2016
| 2023
|-
| 13
| [[Alok Sharma (police officer)|Alok Sharma]]
| 2023
| ''Incumbent''
|}

==See also==
*[[Secretary of the Research & Analysis Wing]]
*[[Director of the Intelligence Bureau]]
*[[Director General of the National Investigation Agency]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Politics of India]]

Director of the Special Protection Group - Revision history

MarianaCone66 at 18:44, 7 May 2026