NEW DELHI: Senior IPS officer Rakesh Aggarwal has been appointed Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), marking an important leadership transition at India’s premier counter-terrorism body.

A 1994-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Aggarwal had been holding additional charge of the NIA Director General’s post since last month, following the repatriation of his predecessor, Sadanand Vasant Date, to the Maharashtra cadre.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has now approved his full-time appointment as NIA Director General. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), his tenure will extend until August 31, 2028, coinciding with his superannuation.

A native of Haryana, Aggarwal brings a strong academic and professional background to the role. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Management, and is widely regarded for combining technical expertise with strategic and operational acumen.

Prior to this appointment, Aggarwal was serving as Special Director General of the NIA, a position he assumed on September 29, 2025, following an in-situ promotion from the rank of Additional Director General. He joined the agency on central deputation in July 2024 and soon emerged as a key figure in supervising complex national security investigations.

Over a distinguished career, Aggarwal has held several high-profile and sensitive assignments, including stints as Joint Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Inspector General of the BSF’s Guwahati Frontier, and operational roles with the National Security Guard (NSG). In Himachal Pradesh, he has also served as Director General of Home Guards and held multiple senior positions in the state police.

Widely respected for his work on terror financing, radicalisation networks, and cross-border crime, Aggarwal is known for his calm leadership style, managerial competence, and ability to operate effectively under sustained pressure.