LUCKNOW, July 7 -- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Monday approved the appointment of 1994-batch IPS officer Sujeet Pandey as the director of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad, making him only the third IPS officer from the UP cadre to head the country's premier police training institution since its establishment in September 1948. According to an order issued by the department of personnel and training (DoPT), Pandey, who is currently serving in his parent cadre, will take charge as director, SVPNPA, in the Level-16 pay matrix from the date he assumes office. He will hold the post until July 31, 2028, the date of his superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Speaking to Hindustan Times after the appointment was announced, Pandey said: "It is a matter of immense honour and privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the country's premier police training academy." "I am grateful to the Government of India for reposing faith in me. SVPNPA has played a defining role in shaping generations of IPS officers, and I look forward to contributing to its tradition of excellence, professionalism and leadership in policing," he added. Pandey succeeds Amit Garg, a 1993-batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IPS officer, who has been appointed the director of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The post of NCRB director has been temporarily upgraded to the rank of director general on a personal basis. Pandey's appointment places him in an exclusive league of Uttar Pradesh cadre officers who have led the Hyderabad-based academy, which is responsible for training Indian Police Service probationers and senior police officers from across the country. The first UP cadre officer to head the academy was SC Mishra who served as director from March 24, 1962, to October 19, 1965. Four decades later, Ganeshwar Jha held the post from July 11, 2002, to July 31, 2004. With Monday's appointment, Pandey becomes the third UP cadre IPS officer to occupy the prestigious position. The ACC order, issued on Monday, also approved two other senior IPS appointments. Alok Kumar Mittal (Haryana cadre, 1993 batch) has been appointed director general of the Bureau of Police Research and Development until June 30, 2029, while Amit Garg has been appointed director of the National Crime Records Bureau until October 31, 2027. SVPNPA is India's apex institution for training IPS officers. htc...