Trailblazing academician cop, Nina Singh, becomes first woman CISF DG
Nina Singh, the newly appointed director general of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and India's first female to lead a Central Armed Police Force, has a strong background in evidence-based policy, having led a reform initaite of the Rajasthan Police in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and co-authored two research papers with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) co-founding directors and Nobel Laureates in economics, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo.
“Impossible Is Nothing” -- the display image on the mobile phone of Nina Singh, a senior Rajasthan cadre IPS officer, turned out to be prophetic last evening. The officiating Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was finally elevated by the Union Home Ministry to head the organisation, becoming the first woman IPS officer to lead any Central Armed Police Force.
As per the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet’s decision, she will remain the DG until July 31, 2024. Singh has held the charge of interim DG CISF since September 1 after replacing Sheel Vardhan Singh, a Bihar cadre IPS officer of the 1986 batch who demitted from the office a day before. Singh came on to the central deputation to the CISF in 2021 as Additional Director General (ADG) and grew up the ladder to become the DG.
It seems that 2023 is a lucky year for the female officers. This year saw a record high of 37 women IPS probationer officers passed out of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in February, which was 23 % of the total 166 recruits in the 2021 batch, adding to the ‘nari shakti’ bolstering effort of the central government.