Senior Indian Police Service officer Sujeet Pandey, a 1994-batch officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre and currently serving as Director General of Fire Services in Uttar Pradesh, has been appointed as the Director of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment following a recommendation from the Ministry of Home Affairs. This deployment places the veteran officer at the helm of India’s premier institution for the training of police officers, where he will oversee the foundational training of probationers, leadership development programmes, and advanced professional training courses for senior officers from across the country.
Career progression and background of the new director
Born on August 1, 1968, in Patna, Bihar, Pandey comes from an administrative background, as his father, Narendra Kumar Pandey, was an officer of the Indian Administrative Service in the Bihar cadre. After earning a postgraduate degree in History, he joined the Indian Police Service on September 4, 1994, as a Regular Recruit assigned to the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He was confirmed in the service in 1996, entered the Senior Time Scale in 1998, and achieved the Selection Grade in 2007.
Pandey was promoted to Deputy Inspector General in 2009, Inspector General in 2013, and Additional Director General in 2019. He reached the rank of Director General on December 1, 2025, subsequently taking charge as Director General of Fire Services in Uttar Pradesh on February 4, 2026. His elevation to lead the prestigious national academy follows more than three decades of administrative and field experience within the police hierarchy.
Field assignments and central deputation tenure
Throughout his career, Pandey has managed diverse policing assignments encompassing law and order, crime control, police administration, intelligence, and specialised operations. He served as Superintendent of Police across several important districts in Uttar Pradesh, including Ghazipur, Fatehpur, Mainpuri, Mau, Moradabad, Varanasi, and Bulandshahr. In 1998, he handled urban policing responsibilities as Superintendent of Police City in Lucknow.
He also contributed to operations targeting organised crime and serious criminal networks during his tenure with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force. Later, he served as Senior Superintendent of Police in major districts including Lucknow and Varanasi, focusing on field policing, intelligence-led operations, and strategic law enforcement. Beyond his state assignments, Pandey spent nearly seven years on central deputation with the Central Bureau of Investigation, where he was associated with sensitive investigations and significant administrative responsibilities.
Institutional leadership and distinguished decorations
Following his promotion to Inspector General, Pandey headed both the Meerut and Agra Zones. He also served as Inspector General of the Lucknow Range between February 4, 2018, and January 7, 2019, where he was recognised for his administrative leadership. After his promotion to Additional Director General on January 1, 2019, he served as Officer on Special Duty to the Director General of Police before taking charge of the Prayagraj Zone later that year. In his subsequent role leading the Uttar Pradesh Fire Services, he focused on modernising fire safety infrastructure, improving emergency response capabilities, strengthening training systems, and enhancing operational preparedness.
Pandey has received multiple honours, including the Police Medal in 2010, the Director General’s Commendation Disc in Silver, Gold, and Platinum, the Utkrisht Seva Padak, the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2024, and the Ati Utkrisht Seva Padak in 2025. His appointment to the Hyderabad academy comes at a time when the apex institution continues to expand its advanced programmes in leadership, internal security, cybercrime, counter-terrorism, criminal investigation, human rights, forensic sciences, and modern policing practices.
