Ajit Karn
Nitin Agarwal, an IPS officer from the Kerala cadre of 1989, was appointed on Sunday evening as the new director general of the Border Security Force (BSF). This appointment follows a position vacancy of over five months.
The BSF is India’s premier security agency, charged with protecting the 4,096-kilometer international borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. In addition, it is responsible for a variety of internal security-related tasks. The BSF employs over 2.65 million personnel in a variety of capacities.
Sujoy Lal Thaosen, the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has held additional responsibility for the BSF for the past five months.
The Cabinet Appointments Committee (ACC) issued an order designating Nitin Agarwal as the BSF director general. The order stated that Agarwal’s tenure would run from the date he assumed the position until his retirement on July 31, 2026, or until further instructions, whichever came first.
Since the retirement of Pankaj Kumar Singh on December 31, 2022, the position of BSF commander has been vacant for more than five months.
Who exactly is Nitin Agarwal?
Nitin Agarwal, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Kerala cadre of 1989, is presently the Additional Director General of Operations for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). In 2014, he achieved the rank of ADG while serving with the ITBP. According to his LinkedIn profile, Agarwal earned both his B.Tech (1983-1987) and M.Tech (1987-1989) at IIT Delhi. In his spare time, he enjoys practicing tennis.
Throughout his tenure, he has held numerous prestigious positions, such as IG Training at ITBP, IG Sashastra Seema Bal, and ADG-Police with Kerala Police. Agarwal served as an Assistant Engineer at the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers in the early phases of his career.
Agarwal has been designated at Level 16 of the Pay Matrix as a result of his promotion and recent order, which entitles him to a higher salary in his new position. According to the 7th Pay Commission Pay Matrix, Level 16 salaries range between 2,05,400 and 2,24,400. In addition to his salary, Agarwal will be eligible for a number of benefits and allowances associated with his new position.
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Nitin Agarwal’s appointment coincided with the biannual, four-day border discussions taking place in Delhi between the Border Security Force (BSF) and its Bangladeshi counterpart, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Due to the absence of a director general (DG) at the time, Sujoy Lal Thaosen commanded the BSF delegation in these negotiations. On June 14, following the conclusion of the discussions, Agarwal is anticipated to assume his position as the new leader of the BSF. This is the 53rd iteration of these discussions; the previous meeting took place in July of last year, when a BSF delegation visited Dhaka.
