Senior IPS officer Alok Sharma was on Friday(17 November) appointed the director of the Special Protection Group (SPG), which is entrusted with the task of providing security to the prime minister.

• Sharma, a 1991-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is currently an additional director general in the SPG. 
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as the SPG's director from the date of assumption of charge of the post and until further orders, an order issued by the personnel ministry said.
• Sharma was currently serving as the Additional Director General of SPG, and has been overseeing the force since the passing of Director Arun Kumar Sinha on September 6. Sinha held the position of SPG Director from 2016 to 2023, making him its longest-serving chief.