Ashok Kumar (born 9 November 1963) is a retired 1989 batch

Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service (IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became Partition of India, independent from the British Empire. Along with the Indian Admini ...

officer of the Uttarakhand cadre, who served as the 11th director general of

Uttarakhand Police The Uttarakhand Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Uttarakhand in India. It was formed in 2000. Uttarakhand Police Constable Notification 2024: The Uttarakhand Subordinate Selection Commission (UKSSSC) has published an offi ...

. He was appointed as

vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

(VC) of the Sports University of Haryana on 28 February 2024 and served there till 1 March 2027.

Indian Police Service career

Kumar joined the

in 1989 in Uttar Pradesh cadre and served in various challenging assignments in the state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

and

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...

. His initial posting was as

Assistant Superintendent of Police Assistant superintendent, or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), is a rank that was used by police forces in the British Empire and is still used in many police forces in the Commonwealth. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held b ...

(ASP) in

Prayagraj Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...

(then

Allahabad Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...

) and

Aligarh Aligarh (; formerly known as Koil) is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Aligarh district and lies northwest of state capital Lucknow and approximately southeast of the capital, New Delhi. ...

from 1991 to 1993. At the time of

demolition of the Babri Masjid The Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque in the Indian city of Ayodhya, was destroyed on 6 December 1992 by a large group of activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and allied organisations. The mosque had been the subject of a lengthy socio ...

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

, he discharged curfew duties for ten days. He served as

Senior Superintendent of Police Senior superintendent, also police senior superintendent or senior superintendent of police, is a senior rank in police forces used in Brunei, Estonia, Germany, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Lesotho, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and formerly in ...

Superintendent of Police Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territori ...

Shahjahanpur Shahjahanpur () is a municipal corporation, town and district headquarters of Shahjahanpur District in Western Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located between Bareilly and Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. History Shahjahanpur was establi ...

Bagpat Baghpat, historically known as Vyaghraprastha, is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Bagpat district, which was established in 1997. It is part of the National Capital Region, surrounding New D ...

, Rampur,

Mainpuri Mainpuri (; ) is a city in Mainpuri district in the States and territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Mainpuri district and is 55 km from Etawah and 294 km from New Delhi. Mainp ...

and

Mathura district Mathura district () is situated along the banks of the river Yamuna is a district of Uttar Pradesh States and Territories of India, state of north-central India. The historic city of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura is the district headquarters. ...

s of Uttar Pradesh and in

Chamoli Chamoli district is a district of the Uttarakhand state of India. It is bounded by China's Xizang Autonomous Region to the north, and by the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar to the east, Almora to the south, Pauri Garhwal to ...

Haridwar Haridwar (; ; formerly Mayapuri) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district. The city is s ...

and

Nainital district Nainital district is a district in Kumaon division which is a part of Uttarakhand state in India. The headquarters is at Nainital. Nainital District is located in Kumaon Division, and is located in the lower Himalayas. Haldwani is the largest ...

s of Uttarakhand. As Senior Superintendent of Police in Haridwar, he collapsed the budding network of kidnappers, assassins, and land mafia who were trying to settle their roots in Uttarakhand after its creation.

Postings and deputations

(then Allahabad), Aligarh, and Nainital from November 1990 to May 1994. *

Senior Superintendent Senior superintendent, also police senior superintendent or senior superintendent of police, is a senior rank in police forces used in Brunei, Estonia, Germany, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Lesotho, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and formerly in ...

Nainital Nainital (Kumaoni language, Kumaoni: ''Naintāl''; ) is a town and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the Uttarakhand High Court, High Court of the state being ...

, Rampur,

Moradabad Moradabad () is an industrial city, commissionerate, and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the banks of the Ramganga river, at a distance of from the national capital, New Del ...

(

Railways Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to roa ...

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Police Academy (

) and

Commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

(

PAC Pac or PAC may refer to: Aviation * IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama * Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft: ** PAC 750XL ** PAC Cresco ** PAC CT/4 ** PA ...

) in

Jhansi Jhansi ( ) is a historic city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. (Toshan) Balwant Nagar was the old name of Jhansi. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand, on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme ...

Meerut Meerut (, ISO 15919, ISO: ''Mēraṭh'') is a city in the western region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located in the Meerut district, it is northeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and is ...

, Moradabad from May 1994 to September 2003. * Superintendent of Police in

UN Mission in Kosovo The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Привремена административна мисија Уједињених нација на Косову, Privremena administrativna misija Ujedinjenih na ...

, Europe from December 2000 to December 2001. * Deputy Inspector General of Haridwar, Police Headquarters,

Garhwal Range The Garhwal Himalayas are mountain ranges located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Geology This range is also a part of the Himalayan Sivalik Hills, the outer most hills of the Himalaya located in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Major p ...

from September 2003 to January 2008. * Inspector General of Garhwal Range and Kumaon Range from January 2008 to January 2009 and January 2009 to November 2009 respectively. * Inspector General (Deputation) in

Central Reserve Police Force The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CRPF assists states and Union Territories in maintaining law and order and internal security. It is composed of the Cent ...

and

Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pak War of 196 ...

from December 2009 to January 2011 and January 2011 to November 2014 respectively. *

Additional Director General The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. It was started on 1 February 1977 and forma ...

(Intelligence & Security) from February 2015 to October 2016. * Additional Director General/Director (Vigilance & Prosecution) from June 2015 to December 2016. * Additional Director General (Administration/ Home Guards) from December 2016 to August 2017. * Additional Director General (Secretary, Police Sports) from October 2016 to January 2018. * Additional Director General (Law & Order) from August 2017 to December 2018. * Director General (

CID Cid may refer to: * Cid (soil) * Cubic inch (c.i.d., cid), a displacement unit for internal combustion engines * Cid, a slang term for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) * Content-ID, a URI scheme (cid:) that allows the use of MIME within email Peop ...

) from January 2019 to January 2020. * Director General (Law & Order/CID) from January 2019 to November 2020. * Director General (Director, Prosecution) from August 2017 to November 2020. * Director General of Police,

from 30 November 2020, to 30 November 2023

Major operations and contributions

Hira Singh encounter

As Additional Superintendent of Police in Nainital, he led the counter-terrorist operation gunning down two terrorists of the dreaded Hira Singh gang in a 3-hour long, fierce gun-fight on 22 January 1994. Two AK-47 rifles and other weapons were recovered. The gang was involved in more than 100 killings and responsible for many terror activities.

Uttarakhand Movement

During the

Uttarakhand Movement The Uttarakhand movement refers to the events of statehood activism within the undivided state of Uttar Pradesh which ultimately resulted in the formation of Uttarakhand, India as a separate state. The first demand of a separate state, Uttarakh ...

, he was posted as

. Violence was reported in the adjoining districts, but due to effective law and order policy, no untoward incident was reported in Chamoli. Before the formation of Uttarakhand, he was posted in

Udham Singh Nagar Udham Singh Nagar is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, Rudrapur is the district headquarter. The district consists of nine Tehsils named Bajpur, Gadarpur, Jaspur, Kashipur, Uttarakhand, Kashipur, Khatima, ...

, Chamoli,

and

Ardh Kumbh Mela 2004

He effectively managed law and order in Haridwar during the Ardh Kumbh Mela in 2004.

Police modernisation

Right after the formation of Uttarakhand, the police lacked infrastructural facilities. As Deputy Inspector General (Headquarters), he contributed in the modernisation and construction of various police buildings including Police Headquarter, Police Line,

Provincial Armed Constabulary Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Cana ...

(PAC),

Police Training Centre Bangladesh Police Training Centres (PTC) in Bangladesh were initially established in 1972 as Zonal Police Training Schools (ZPTS) to impart training mainly to Trainee Recruit Constables (TRC) of Bangladesh Police The Bangladesh Police () is the na ...

s, Police Stations and Police Chowkis. To effectively manage the fairs in

, he established and operationalised the Mela Control Room.

Fight against corruption

As director (vigilance) started an initiative called ‘Fight Against Corruption’ to curb corruption in public servants. Around 50 such public servants were sent to jail in two years.

People-oriented policing

During his stint as director general (law & order), he particularly focused on working out criminal cases, victim-centric policing and humane policing which proved helpful and made an impact during the COVID-19 waves.

United Nations Mission in Kosovo

Served in the UN Mission in war-infested Kosovo as team leader of Crime Investigation Unit for which he was awarded the UN Medal and Bar in 2001.

Fight against drugs and terrorism

During his deputation as inspector general in

Punjab Frontier Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and nor ...

and

Bengal Frontier Bengal ( ) is a historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Bengal proper is divided between the modern-d ...

, he played an instrumental role in the strategy and execution of many

counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...

/intrusion and anti-drug operations.

As an author

He has authored the boo
''Human in Khaki''
which is a collection of anecdotes and experiences of him and Lokesh Ohri as police officers across numerous districts. The book has been translated into Bengali, Gujarati & Marathi. The book was awarded Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Award by

Bureau of Police Research and Development The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) was set up on the 28 August 1970 to further the objectives of the Government of India regarding the modernisation of Indian Police Service, police forces. It has since evolved into a multi ...

, Ministry of Home Affairs. He has also authored three other books titled
''Challenges to Internal Security of India''''Cracking the Civil Services Examination: The Open Secret''
an
''Ethics Integrity & Aptitude''

As a sportsperson

Kumar plays badminton. He has won several tournaments. He stood 1st Runner-up in open category in the First All-India Police Badminton Championship. He equally loves Lawn Tennis and has organised many National-level Lawn Tennis tournaments. He is the force behind the Dehradun Marathon which witnesses participation of more than 20,000 people every year.

Personal life

His daughter Kuhoo is an Indian Badminton player has represented

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Awards and recognitions

* Police Medal (PM) for Meritorious Service in 2006 *

President's Police Medal The President's Police Medal is a decoration awarded to members of law enforcement in India. Established on 1 March 1951, the medal was originally called the President's Police and Fire Service Medal. The medal is awarded for either gallantry or di ...

(PPM) for Distinguished Service in 2013 * UN Medal and Bar for UN Mission in Kosovo in 2001 *

’s Maharana Pratap Trophy for Best Operation Frontier as Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) in 2014 * Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Award by

Bureau of Police Research & Development The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) was set up on the 28 August 1970 to further the objectives of the Government of India regarding the modernisation of police forces. It has since evolved into a multifaceted consultancy org ...

for the book ''Human in Khaki'' in 2010. * Outstanding Contribution to National Development award by

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT- Delhi) is a public institute of technology located in Delhi, India. It is one of the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology created to be a Centre of Excellence for India's training, research and developme ...

Positions held

* Senate member of

for 3 years. * President of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Alumni Association * President of Uttarakhand State Badminton Association from 2005 to 2017. * Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Sports University of Haryana from 28 February 2024 and will serve till 1 March 2027.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Ashok 1963 births Living people People from Panipat district Indian Police Service officers Indian police chiefs IIT Delhi alumni United Nations Mission in Kosovo officials People from Uttarakhand People from Uttar Pradesh Ayodhya dispute Expatriates in Kosovo 21st-century Indian non-fiction writers Indian memoirists Illegal drug trade in Asia Encounters in India Anti-corruption measures in India