The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed senior IPS officer Amit Garg as the Director of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), effective from July 2026. A 1993-batch officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, Garg was previously serving as the Director of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad. He takes over from Alok Ranjan, who retired on June 30, 2026, and will hold the position until his superannuation on October 31, 2027.
What Is the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)?
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is a central agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) responsible for collecting, compiling, and analysing crime data across India. It was established on March 11, 1986, based on the recommendations of the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA Task Force (1985). The bureau is headquartered in New Delhi at Mahipalpur.
NCRB was formed by merging three existing units: the Inter-State Criminals Data Branch, the Directorate of Coordination and Police Computer (DCPC), and the Central Finger Print Bureau (CFPB) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The statistical branch of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) was also merged initially but was later separated.
The bureau’s motto is “Empowering Indian Police with Information Technology”, reflecting its core mission to modernise policing through technology and data-driven decision making.
Amit Garg: Career and Profile
Amit Garg holds an M.A. in Sociology and an M.Phil from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has held several key positions in policing, particularly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
| Posting | Location | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Superintendent of Police | Vizianagaram | District police chief |
| Superintendent of Police (CBI) | Kolkata and Dhanbad | Deputation with CBI |
| DCP (Crimes) | Hyderabad | City-level crime control |
| DCP (West Zone) | Hyderabad | Law and order |
| Joint Commissioner (Special Branch) | Hyderabad | Intelligence |
| Addl. Commissioner (L&O, Traffic, Crimes) | Hyderabad | Senior city policing |
| Commissioner of Police | Vijayawada (DIG rank) | City police chief |
| Commissioner of Police | Visakhapatnam (IGP rank) | City police chief |
| Addl. DGP (CID) | Andhra Pradesh | State crime investigation |
| Chairman | Andhra Pradesh | State Level Police Recruitment Board |
| Joint Director (2020) | SVPNPA, Hyderabad | Police training |
| Additional Director (2023) | SVPNPA, Hyderabad | Police training |
| Director (2024-2026) | SVPNPA, Hyderabad | Head of national police academy |
Garg joined the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) as Joint Director in February 2020. He was elevated to Additional Director in February 2023 and was appointed as the regular Director in September 2024. Prior to his regular appointment, he held the charge as Director on an additional charge basis following the retirement of A. Seem Rajan in February 2023.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by the Prime Minister, approved Garg’s move to NCRB through a temporary upgradation of the post of Director, NCRB to the Director General level. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued the order on July 6, 2026.
Sujeet Pandey Replaces Garg at SVPNPA
Following Garg’s appointment, Sujeet Pandey, a 1994-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Director of SVPNPA. Pandey will serve until his superannuation on July 31, 2028.
Key Functions of NCRB
The NCRB performs several critical functions that directly support law enforcement and criminal justice administration across India.
Annual Crime Statistics
NCRB publishes three flagship annual reports that serve as the most comprehensive data sources on crime in India:
| Report | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Crime in India | Crime data under IPC and Special and Local Laws, including age, gender, and regional breakdowns |
| Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India | Unnatural deaths, suicides, road accidents, and related data |
| Prison Statistics India | Prison population, demographics, occupancy rates, and related information |
Data for these reports flows from District Crime Records Bureaux (DCRBx) to State Crime Records Bureaux (SCRBx) and finally to the NCRB. The bureau collects data from 89 data supplying centres, including 36 States and Union Territories and 53 metropolitan cities.
Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS)
The CCTNS project, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in June 2009 with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore, aims to connect all police stations across the country through a common IT platform. It enables real-time data sharing, online FIR registration, and improved investigation tools.
Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)
The ICJS is a national platform that integrates five pillars of the criminal justice system:
- Police (through CCTNS)
- Courts (through e-Courts)
- Prisons (through e-Prisons)
- Forensic labs (through e-Forensics)
- Prosecution (through e-Prosecution)
The system ensures that data entered once is available across all pillars, enabling faster investigations and smoother justice delivery. NCRB is the nodal agency for ICJS implementation.
National Databases
NCRB manages several critical national databases, including the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). Launched by Home Minister Amit Shah in August 2022, NAFIS provides a searchable national repository of over 1.06 crore criminal fingerprint records as of October 2024. The bureau also maintains the National Digital Police Portal, launched in 2017, which allows citizens to file complaints online and police to search criminal records.
Key Takeaways
- Amit Garg, a 1993-batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Director of NCRB following the superannuation of Alok Ranjan.
- The NCRB was established on March 11, 1986, and functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs from its headquarters in New Delhi.
- Garg will serve as NCRB Director until October 31, 2027, the date of his superannuation, with the post temporarily upgraded to Director General level.
- Previously, Garg served as Director of SVPNPA, Hyderabad, and has held key positions including CID Chief of Andhra Pradesh and Commissioner of Police in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
- The ACC, headed by the Prime Minister, approved the appointment through a DoPT order issued on July 6, 2026.
- NCRB publishes three annual reports: Crime in India, Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, and Prison Statistics India, and manages the CCTNS and ICJS platforms.
