IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal appointed CBI director for two years

Senior IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was appointed on May 25, 2021, as the new CBI director for two years, as per the personnel ministry order.

A three-member selection committee led by PM Narendra Modi on May 24, 2021, had shortlisted Jaiswal’s name for the position of director, Central Bureau of Investigation.

The post of the Director of Central Bureau of Investigation had been lying vacant since February 2021 when then-director Rishi Kumar Shukla completed his tenure.

In the absence of the CBI director, additional director Praveen Sinha was given the charge of affairs of the Central Investigation agency as interim chief.

IPS Subodh Kumar Jaiswal has been appointed as Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a period of 2 years pic.twitter.com/jFGwZbOen4

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2021

Who is Subodh Kumar Jaiswal?

Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, a 1985-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer of Maharashtra Cadre, has currently been serving as the Director-General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Earlier, he had served as Maharashtra’s director-general of Police. Jaiswal was also in the Maharashtra Police Special Investigation Team (SIT), Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, and the State Reserve Police Force.

His previous experiences also include serving with the Special Protection Group (SPG) that provides security to the Prime Minister of India and the country’s intelligence agency, Research & Wing Analysis (RAW).

How Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was picked for the position?

Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was picked by the government from a panel of three officers who were shortlisted by PM Modi-led high-level selection committee consisting of the leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India.

The other two officers who were shortlisted for the top position were the other IPS Officer of Bihar Cadre Kumar Rajesh Chandra and Special Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs V.S.K. Kaumudi.

Jaiswal was chosen because of his wide experience as he served as the Maharashtra Director-General of Police and has also served in CBI earlier.

What are the criteria to appoint a CBI director?

As per the guidelines by the Supreme Court set in 2004, the officers from the four oldest serving batches of IPS are considered for the position of CBI director.

Officials with experience in anti-corruption investigations or CBI, from the senior-most four batches of Indian Police Services, are preferred for the top post.

Those candidates who are left with less than six months in their retirement will not be considered.