IPS Officer Advancement Now Requires Mandatory Central Deputation Experience

In a strategic policy shift aimed at enhancing leadership capabilities within India's police hierarchy, the government has instituted a mandatory two-year central deputation requirement for IPS officers from the 2011 batch seeking empanelment at the Inspector General (IG) level. This directive, which formalizes a critical career progression pathway, is designed to ensure that senior officers acquire comprehensive operational and administrative experience within central government frameworks before assuming top-tier command positions. The policy underscores a deliberate effort to cultivate a cadre of police leaders with diversified expertise, bridging state-level policing acumen with national security and policy implementation perspectives. By embedding central service as a prerequisite for advancement, authorities aim to foster a more integrated and strategically aware senior police leadership, better equipped to handle complex inter-agency coordination and national-level law enforcement challenges. This development reflects a broader institutional focus on professionalizing police leadership through structured career development, potentially influencing future training protocols and promotion criteria across the Indian Police Service.