Bengaluru: Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar has been promoted to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) and appointed as the head of the Department of Prisons and Correctional Services. The Karnataka government issued an official order on Wednesday confirming his elevation, which comes into effect with retrospective seniority from 12 September 2025.
The appointment fills a key leadership position in the state’s prison administration system and marks a significant career milestone for the 1994-batch IPS officer, known for his long-standing service across multiple wings of the Karnataka Police.
Promotion order issued
In its notification, the state government stated:
“Alok Kumar, IPS (KN: 1994), Additional Director General of Police, Training, Bengaluru, is promoted to officiate in the grade of Director General of Police carrying the pay scale of Level-16 in the IPS (Pay) Rules, 2016, with retrospective effect from 12.09.2025 and is posted with immediate effect and until further orders as Director General of Police, Prisons and Correctional Services, Bengaluru, in the upgraded post.”
The upgraded DGP post has been declared equivalent in status and responsibilities to the cadre post of DGP, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), under Rule 12 of the IPS (Pay) Rules, 2016.
This means that the Prisons and Correctional Services department continues to hold an important place in the state’s policing structure, especially considering Karnataka’s ongoing prison modernisation and correctional reforms agenda.
Transfer of B Dayananda
Along with Alok Kumar’s promotion, the government also transferred Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) B Dayananda, who was previously overseeing the Prisons and Correctional Services department.
According to the order,
“B Dayananda, Additional Director General of Police, Prisons and Correctional Services, Bengaluru, is transferred with immediate effect and posted until further orders as Additional Director General of Police, Training, Bengaluru, in the upgraded post.”
The ADGP Training post has also been declared equivalent in status to the cadre post of ADGP Administration, reaffirming its importance within the policing structure of the state.
Career profile of Alok Kumar
Alok Kumar has held several prominent positions in the Karnataka Police over the years. He has worked across key divisions, including the Bengaluru City Police, Traffic Department, Internal Security, Training, and Law & Order. Known for his hands-on leadership approach, he has also played important roles in large-scale public event management, anti-terror preparedness, and crime investigations.
Prior to this promotion, he served as the ADGP, Training, Bengaluru — a role in which he oversaw police capacity-building programmes and training modernisation efforts. His shift to Prisons and Correctional Services positions him at the helm of a department undergoing digitisation, improved inmate welfare initiatives, and enhanced security protocols.
Importance of the role
Karnataka’s Prison and Correctional Services department has been focusing on:
- Overhauling prison infrastructure
- Implementing technology-driven monitoring systems
- Strengthening staff training
- Expanding rehabilitation and skill-development programmes for inmates
- Enhancing coordination with judiciary and law enforcement agencies
With new leadership at the DGP level, the government is expected to accelerate several ongoing reform measures, especially in high-security and district-level prisons.
Administrative reshuffle signals renewed focus
The latest reshuffle, which also includes upgradation of posts and equivalence declarations under IPS Pay Rules, indicates the government’s intention to streamline senior-level policing roles in line with operational needs.
Officials suggest that the move could help bring greater administrative stability and clarity across key police wings, especially at a time when Bengaluru and Karnataka are expanding digital governance systems across departments.
Conclusion
With Alok Kumar stepping in as the new DGP of Prisons and Correctional Services, the Karnataka government aims to strengthen the administrative and reform-oriented framework of the state’s correctional ecosystem. His experience is expected to steer the department towards improved management, modernised correctional strategies, and enhanced accountability.