In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) allowed the Manipur government to appoint its Director General of Police (DGP) from outside the state cadre, taking note of the prevailing ethnic and civil unrest in the state.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant passed the order while hearing an application moved by the Manipur government seeking permission to appoint a senior IPS officer from outside the cadre to head the state police force.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the government required a “competent” officer to lead the police force in the present circumstances. He informed the court that among the eligible officers available within the cadre, the government was unable to find a suitable officer possessing the required competence for the assignment.
Allowing the plea, the Supreme Court observed that the state had faced unprecedented ethnic and civil unrest and found merit in the request made by the government. The court accordingly permitted the appointment of a DGP from outside the Manipur cadre.
The incumbent DGP Rajiv Singh, a Tripura cadre IPS officer of 1993 batch, who was appointed as DGP Manipur in June 2023, is set to complete his tenure on May 31, 2026. The Central government has already appointed him as Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat.
Meanwhile, the Centre on May 22 transferred DGP Ladakh Mukesh Singh, an IPS officer of AGMUT cadre of 1996 batch, to Manipur. Though his formal appointment order as DGP Manipur is still awaited, sources indicate that he is likely to succeed Rajiv Singh in the post.
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