✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › DGP Prakash Singh

DGP Prakash Singh biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

DGP Prakash Singh Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth10 January 1936

Age86 Years

BirthplaceAzamgarh, United Provinces, British India (now Uttar Pradesh, India)

ProfessionRetired IPS officer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSavitri

FamilyTwo sons: Pankaj Kumar Singh and Piyush Kumar Singh

DGP Prakash Singh Biography

Prakash Singh is a retired Indian Police Service officer of the 1959 UP cadre who served in senior law-and-order and border security roles, led reform work

Early life and background

Prakash Singh was born on 10 January 1936 in Azamgarh, in what was then the United Provinces of British India. He completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Allahabad, earning a BA and an MA in History. His long residence is noted as Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Career

Singh joined the Indian Police Service in the 1959 batch and began his career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Kanpur. Over the following decades he rose through the ranks in the Uttar Pradesh cadre, holding field and senior staff appointments including Senior Superintendent of Police and Deputy Inspector General in Meerut.

He served in a number of high-profile and challenging postings. Between 1965 and 1968 he was posted in Kohima, where he was involved in counter-insurgency operations. Later he served as Inspector General of the Border Security Force’s Punjab frontier during a period of intense militancy, where he planned and implemented measures to reduce infiltration and insurgent activity, including the construction of fence lines along the international border.

In 1991 Singh was appointed Director General of Police of Assam. Citing persistent interference from the state government, he asked to be relieved of that position. Later that year he took charge as Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh, serving two tenures: first from 22 July 1991 to 30 September 1992, and again from 23 December 1992 to 8 June 1993. His time as DGP of UP saw a number of anti-mafia operations carried out by the police. Following his UP tenure, he was appointed Director General of the Border Security Force and served as DG BSF from 9 June 1993 until his retirement on 31 January 1994.

Singh attended a four-month administrative police course in Australia as part of his professional development. After superannuation in 1994, he remained active in public service and policing reform. In 1996 he filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking implementation of seven key recommendations from the National Police Commission (1977) intended to reduce political interference and strengthen police governance. The Supreme Court issued a judgment in his favour in 2006; as of 2021, the excerpt records that 18 states had implemented the orders.

Post-retirement roles and expertise

Singh continued to serve the public interest in a range of advisory and investigatory roles. He was engaged by the Union Public Service Commission on matters related to All-India Civil Services officer selection. The Andhra Pradesh government commissioned him to investigate the 2003 assassination attempt on that state’s chief minister; he submitted a report in February 2004. From 2007 to 2008 he chaired an Allahabad High Court committee on decriminalising politics in Uttar Pradesh. The Planning Commission appointed him to an expert panel in 2008 to study challenges in addressing extremism. He served on the National Security Advisory Board from 2013 to 2014.

Singh also led and contributed to institutions and publications: he became chairman of the Indian Police Foundation and Institute in 2015, worked as an associate fellow with the Joint Special Operations University in the United States, and was a member of the Vivekananda International Foundation. He wrote regularly as a columnist and authored several books on internal security and policing, including titles addressing Naxalism, insurgency in India’s Northeast, and police reform.

Public profile

Prakash Singh received national recognition during his career. In 1991 he was awarded the Padma Shri for distinguished service in policing. He is also a recipient of state police medals for meritorious and distinguished service. His public profile has included television appearances: he was a guest on the national talk show Satyamev Jayate in 2014 and made a guest appearance on the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati on 27 December 2022.

Family

Singh is married to Savitri and is the father of two sons. One son, Pankaj Kumar Singh, followed a policing career and served as Director General of the Border Security Force. His other son, Piyush Kumar Singh, is a corporate executive and entrepreneur based in the United States.

Latest updates

As detailed in the available records, Singh remained active in public debate and institutional reform well after retirement, leading the Indian Police Foundation and participating in advisory panels. His appearance on national television in December 2022 marked a recent public engagement.
◈

Recent Work

Guest appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati

Made a guest appearance on the Sony TV game show Kaun Banega Crorepati on 27 December 2022.

2022
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Joined Indian Police Service, 1959 batch (Uttar Pradesh cadre)
  2. Served in counter-insurgency roles in Kohima (1965–1968)
  3. Inspector General, BSF Punjab frontier
  4. Director General of Police, Assam (1991)
  5. Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh (1991–1992; 1992–1993)
  6. Director General, Border Security Force (9 June 1993–31 January 1994)
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was DGP Prakash Singh born?

10 January 1936

What is DGP Prakash Singh known for?

Retired IPS officer

What is DGP Prakash Singh’s marital status?

Married

Who is DGP Prakash Singh married to?

Savitri