The Centre on Thursday appointed Manipur police chief Rajiv Singh as the Secretary (Security), according to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Singh, a 1993-batch IPS officer, served as the Director General of Manipur police for nearly three years.Manipur police chief Rajiv Singh. (File)“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Rajiv Singh, IPS (TR:1993), Director General of Police, Government of Manipur to the post of Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” the DoPT order said.Singh had taken charge as the police chief of Manipur on May 30, 2023, in the early days of the Meitei-Kuki clashes in the state. A day after the Meitei-Kuki clashes broke out on May 3, the government had transferred the then police chief, P Doungel(1998 IPS batch), who is from the Kuki-Zo community.The ethnic clashes had also led to an ethnic divide in the force, with Meitei police shifted to the valley while Kuki-Zo officers were shifted to the hill districts. Interestingly, the second most senior officer in the police then was Doungle’s brother C Doungel(1990 IPS batch).By seniority, he too was in line to be the chief, but due to the ethnic clashes, he could not be considered and had to leave Imphal. It was during such a situation that on May 30, 2023, the government brought a non-Kuki, non-Meitei police officer to head the force. Singh’s cadre from the Tripura police was changed to Manipur before his appointment.Singh’s new appointment as Secretary(Security) will be in Delhi and under the Cabinet Secretariat.The Secretary(Security) coordinates the administrative functioning of the Special Protection Group(SPG), the elite protection agency that is in charge of the Prime Minister’s Security. The Secretary also monitors VIP security’s administrative functioning.The Manipur government is yet to announce the next police chief. The two seniormost officers after Singh are Ashutosh Sinha(also 1993 batch) and Lupheng Kailun(1994 batch). Even as the Meitei-Kuki ethnic clashes are yet to be resolved, fresh Naga-Kuki clashes have pushed the state to the brink once again. Authorities are currently working to rescue at least 14 Kuki-Zo and six Naga individuals who were allegedly abducted by members of the rival groups amid the ongoing violence. The government may release Singh only after this crisis is resolved.