Iadashisha Nongrang who will take over as the new Director General of Police (DGP) tomorrow will be the fifth woman IPS officer in India to hold the post.
Nongrang, a 1992 Assam-Meghalaya cadre IPS officer, is the first woman police chief of Meghalaya. She succeeds Lajja Ram Bishnoi, who retired today after a two-year stint as DGP.
India in the past has seen four women reach the highest post in the Police Department.
Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya was the country’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP). She was appointed the DGP of Uttarakhand in 2004.
Others include Rashmi Shukla who was appointed as the DGP of Maharashtra earlier this year, S Sundari Nanda (Puducherry) in 2018 and Letika Saran (Tamil Nadu) in 2010.
A recipient of the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2008 and President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2015, Nongrang will be Meghalaya’s police chief until May 19, 2026.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had recommended Nongrang, Ram Prasad Meena (1991 batch), currently serving as additional director general of police (ADG), Border Security Force, and Deepak Kumar (1992 batch), presently ADG, Central Reserve Police Force, for the post of DGP in Meghalaya.
However, the Meghalaya Security Commission headed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma approved Nongrang’s appointment.
Nongrang had served in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) from November 2003 to January 2020 in various capacities. Before her appointment as DGP, she held the post of Director General of Civil Defence and Home Guard in the State.
