By Abul Hasan|THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM|
Bhopal: In a significant administrative exercise ahead of the New Year 2026, the Madhya Pradesh government has approved a large-scale promotion of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers across multiple senior ranks, strengthening leadership in the state police hierarchy. The promotions span from Director General of Police to Junior Administrative Grade, covering officers from the 1994 to 2017 batches.

DGP and ADG Level Promotions

1994-batch IPS officer Ashutosh Rai has been promoted to the rank of Director General of Police in Pay Matrix Level-16. Currently serving as Additional Director General at Police Headquarters, Bhopal, he has been posted as Special Director General, Ajak, Police Headquarters, with immediate effect.

2001-batch IPS officer Pramod Verma has been elevated to the rank of Additional Director General of Police in Pay Matrix Level-15. Presently posted as Inspector General, Jabalpur Zone, he will continue at the same station. His promotion will be effective from January 1, 2026.

Inspector General Rank Elevations

The state government has promoted three IPS officers to the rank of Inspector General of Police in Pay Matrix Level-14. Niranjan B. Vayanganakar of the 1999 batch, along with Riyas A. and Lalit Shakyawar of the 2008 batch, have been elevated from the Deputy Inspector General level. All three officers are currently posted at Police Headquarters, Bhopal. These promotions will take effect from January 1, 2026.

Thirteen Officers Promoted to DIG Rank

In one of the largest single-rank promotions, the Home Department has promoted 13 IPS officers to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police in Pay Matrix Level-13A. These officers belong to the 2010, 2011 and 2012 batches and are holding key field and specialised assignments.

The promoted officers include Rakesh Sagar, Commandant, 2nd Battalion SAF, Gwalior; Riyaz Iqbal, SP Radio, Bhopal; Rahul Kumar Lodha, SP Railway, Bhopal; Simala Prasad, SP Railway, Jabalpur; Asit Yadav, SP, Bhind; Sushil Ranjan Singh, Commandant, 9th Battalion SAF, Rewa; Sanjay Kumar Singh, SP, Harda; Mayank Awasthi, SP, Dhar; Abhijit Kumar Ranjan, SP, Katni; Amit Tolani, SP, Raisen; Gaurav Tiwari, AIG, Police Headquarters; Saket Pandey, SP, Vigilance; and Virendra Singh, SP, Datia.

Owing to election-related restrictions, most of these officers will continue at their present postings with upgraded designations.

Selection Grade for 2012–2013 Batch Officers

Eleven IPS officers from the 2012 and 2013 batches have been promoted to the Selection Grade in Pay Matrix Level-13 after completing the prescribed service period. These include Jagdish Dawar, SP Barwani; Manohar Singh Mandloi, SP Tikamgarh; Abhishek Tiwari, Vinayak Verma, Pankaj Kumawat and Ajay Singh, all currently on central deputation; Hitesh Choudhary, Commandant, 7th Battalion SAF, Bhopal; Suraj Kumar Verma, SP Datia; Sampat Upadhyay, SP Jabalpur; Yangchen Dolkar Bhutia, SP (Rural) Indore; and Ramji Shrivastava, SP Shahdol.

Proforma Promotions for Officers on Central Deputation

Seven IPS officers serving with the Government of India have been granted proforma promotions aligned with the promotion of their immediate juniors in the state cadre. Anant Kumar Singh and Manmeet Singh Narang, both from the 1994 batch, have been accorded proforma promotion in Pay Matrix Level-16. Jayadevan A. of the 2008 batch has been granted Level-14, while Aditya Pratap Singh and Kartikeyan K. of the 2011 batch, along with Vivek Agrawal and Vipul Shrivastava of the 2012 batch, have received proforma promotion in Pay Matrix Level-13A.

Junior Administrative Grade for 2017 Batch

The government has also cleared the promotion of six IPS officers of the 2017 batch to the Junior Administrative Grade in Pay Matrix Level-12. The officers include Ankit Soni, SP Guna; Ankit Jaiswal, SP Neemuch; Rohit Kashwani, SP Vidisha; Punit Gehlod, SP Dewas; Ravindra Verma, SP Khargone; and Hitika Vasal, Commandant, 15th Battalion SAF, Indore. These officers will be required to undergo the Mid-Career Training Programme (MCTP) Phase-III in the upcoming session.

Strengthening the Police Leadership

This wide-ranging promotion exercise, part of the state government’s New Year administrative decisions, is aimed at strengthening leadership capacity, improving command efficiency, and ensuring continuity in policing and internal security operations across Madhya Pradesh.