Senior IPS officer Alok Sharma was on Friday appointed director of the Special Protection Group, which is entrusted with the task of providing security to the prime minister.
Sharma, a 1991-batch Indian Police Service officer, is currently working as additional director general in the SPG.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as the SPG director from the date of assumption of charge of the post and until further orders, an order issued by the personnel ministry said.
The vacancy was necessitated following the demise of SPG chief Arun Kumar Sinha on September 6.
Sinha was a 1987-batch Kerala cadre IPS officer. He was 61.
The SPG provides proximate armed security cover to the prime minister. -- PTI