National
Police Academy, the Hyderabad-based alma mater for IPS officers in the country,
could soon get a woman chief for the first time in its history.
Aruna Bahuguna, a
1979-batch IPS officer, is tipped to be appointed as the new director of the
65-year-old institution, also known as the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National
Police Academy (SVPNPA), which is tasked with the training of police leaders. Bahuguna (56), who belongs to the Andhra
Pradesh cadre, is at present posted as the Special Director General in the
country’s largest paramilitary force, CRPF, at its headquarters in the national
capital. The orders for Bahuguna’s appointment as the new director of the
academy would be issued soon, sources said.
The officer, who has served in
various positions with Andhra
Pradesh police, also holds the distinction of being the first
woman SDG in CRPF. She is the second-in-command of the 3 lakh strong force, after the DG.
The
post of NPA Director fell vacant after incumbent Subhas Goswami was last month
appointed as the DG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Reputed police
officers like Sankar Sen, Trinath Mishra and K Vijay Kumar have earlier headed
the NPA. Once appointed, Bahuguna would be the 28th boss of the academy.
The
high-level board of the NPA comprises senior civil servants, police officers
and eminent educationists as its members and is headed by the Union home
secretary.