NEW DELHI (TIP): An Indian Police Service officer, Devendra Kumar Pathak, took over as the Director General of the Border Security Force. Pathak is the 23rd DG of the BSF, the world’s largest border guarding force having 2.5 lakh personnel. The BSF which was established on December 1, 1965, currently guards the India-Pakistan and India- Bangladesh borders. Pathak is a 1979-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

He was serving as a Special Director General of the BSF and since this March 1, he was holding the additional charge of the DG BSF. He had earlier served in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as an Inspector General in Srinagar, Additional Director General (Training), Additional Director General (Headquarters) and Special Director General of the Jammu and Kashmir Zone.

The CRPF is the primary security force battling the Maoists in India’s “red corridor”. Pathak was also entrusted to raise CRPF’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).