ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar awarded with President’s Police Medal

Srinagar:  Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar has been awarded the President’s Police Medal for distinguished services on the occasion of Republic Day.

The President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM) is the highest award given for a special distinguished record in Police Service. The medal is awarded for distinguished service to officers who have served at least 25 years in the state, central police or in security organizations.

A 1997 batch IPS officer having AGMUT (erstwhile J&K) cadre, Kumar hails from Saharsa district of Bihar and has done MA from JNU, New Delhi.

In the past, he has served in the valley as SDPO Ganderbal, SP Operation Pulwama, SP Awantipora, SP Kulgam, SP Kupwara, DIG South Kashmir range Anantnag.

Kumar has served in the CRPF as well. He was posted as DIG New Delhi Range, IG CoBRA sector, IG Ops Directorate and IG Chhattisgarh sector. 

Kumar has also received various medals by the President of India in the past too for his exemplary work. He has been awarded with Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) in 2003, President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) in 2005, Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMMS) in 2013, Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG-Bar) in 2019, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services (PPMDS) in 2023.

He has been awarded with the medals by the J&K government as well.

The medals include J&K Police Medal for Gallantry in 2003, J&K Police Medal for Gallantry (Bar) in 2021 and J&K Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2022.           

Kumar has been felicitated with the awards like COAS (Army Chief) in 2007, GOC-in-C (Army Commander) in 2005, DG CRPF in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 and DGP J&K in 2003.

Kumar has maximum field experiences of Kashmir region amongst all serving IPS officers of erstwhile J&K cadre and has also served in SOG, an anti-terrorist wing of J&K Police in south Kashmir.

He has mostly served in the most troubled areas of Kashmir region which includes Pulwama, Awantipora, Kulgam and Anantnag. Besides, he is the only IPS officer of erstwhile J&K cadre who has experiences of both handling anti-terrorists & anti-Maoists operations and handling L&O problems inside & outside state.

He had performed an outstanding job in handling L&O situations during Jat Agitation in Haryana in the year 2016 while serving in CRPF as DIG.

He was assigned the task of chief force coordinator of CAPFs during assembly elections of nine states in the year 2018 and he was awarded by the prestigious National Award 2018 for providing safe environment for election by the ECI and the award was conferred by the President of India.

Besides conducting anti-Maoists operations, he was also instrumental in conducting incident free assembly election of Chhattisgarh as IG CRPF. Some remarkable achievements as Kashmir Police Chief brought peace and stability on the L&O front, more than 550 terrorists including their chiefs and top commanders were neutralised, continuous reduction in killings of civilians and SFs personnel by terrorists, drastic decline in recruitment in terror rank, no civilian died in firing while handling L&O problems.

More importantly, Kumar handled situation peacefully after the death of top separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, conducted first ever election of DDC incident free, stopped handing over dead bodies of terrorists to their families and burial in their native places, managed restriction effectively during COVID, conducted Amarnath Yatra 2022 terror incident free and enhancement in Humint gathering and combat capability of J&K Police by demonstrating dozens of successful independent operations in Kashmir.

Before abrogation of Article 370, he was repatriated prematurely in May 2019 from central deputation on the request of the state government. He is posted as IGP and ADGP Kashmir Zone from December 30, 2019.