Kumar Rajesh Chandra takes over as SSB chief

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra on Friday took over as the Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) -- a paramilitary force mandated to guard 1,751-km India-Nepal and 699-km India-Bhutan borders.

Chandra, a 1985-batch Bihar cadre officer, took over the charge from Surjeet Singh Deswal, who had been holding the additional charge of the SSB since October 31 after being appointed the chief of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet appointed Chandra to the post on January 8. He will retire from service on December 31, 2021.

A post-graduate in Economics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Chandra had been serving as the Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) under the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, in Delhi till now.

Chandra has earlier served in the Special Protection Group (SPG) that guards the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their families. He has also worked extensively in his cadre state of Bihar.

He is a distinguished and decorated officer and is the recipient of President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Police Medal for Meritorious Service, Special Duty Medal and Antarik Surakhsha Medal.

--IANS

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