SSB chief to take additional charge of ITBP as D-G retires

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has assigned the additional charge of Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to Sanjay Singhal, who heads the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), with effect from October 31, when incumbent Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor retires. The ITBP guards India’s 3,488-km border with China.

On October 22, Mr. Kapoor said at an ITBP event in Rajasthan’s Alwar that “face-offs with Chinese troops continue at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh,” leading to a political uproar and demands by the Opposition parties for clarity on the extent of Chinese incursion in the eastern sector.

Mr. Kapoor said, “In the past few days, a situation arose where face-offs happened at several locations in Arunachal, and it still continues. Our Shaurya commandos played an exemplary role in this. ITBP was raised as a mountain guerrilla force, and we were given border guarding duty along China in 2004. We need not leave our original function, and a specialised high-altitude mountain fighting force is being set up, distinct from the Army. We will soon have one full battalion of Shaurya commandos. High-altitude (deployment) is our strength,” Mr. Kapur said.

This was the first official confirmation of the scale of tensions along the northeastern border since July.

On Tuesday (October 27), an MHA order said, “The undersigned is directed to refer to the subject mentioned above and to convey the approval of competent authority for assignment of additional charge of the post of D-G, ITBP to Sanjay Singhal, IPS (UP:1993), D-G, SSB upon superannuation of Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, IPS (HY:1990) on 31.10.2026 and till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”

The SSB guards India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan.