Jharkhand has appointed IPS officer Tadasha Mishra as the new Director General of Police, making her the first woman to hold the top police post in the state.
The Home, Prison and Disaster Management Department issued the notification late Thursday night, ending days of speculation over the leadership transition.
Mishra, a 1994-batch IPS officer, will take charge on Friday. She currently serves as Special Secretary in the state Home Department. Her tenure, however, will be brief as she is scheduled to retire on December 31, 2025.
The appointment follows the state government’s approval of outgoing DGP Anurag Gupta’s voluntary retirement request. Gupta, known as one of the most influential faces in Jharkhand Police in recent years, had applied for VRS earlier this week. His request was accepted through a notification issued on Thursday.
The leadership change comes amid an unusual situation in the state police hierarchy. Senior officers Prashant Singh (1992 batch) and M S Bhatia (1993 batch) are currently posted in Jharkhand, yet Mishra, a junior in service seniority, has been appointed to the top post. The move has already triggered conversations within bureaucratic and political circles about seniority norms and the rationale behind the government’s choice.
Mishra’s appointment as DGP marks a symbolic moment for Jharkhand Police, as the state gets its first woman chief of police since its formation in 2000.