Odisha’s senior IPS officer recognised for distinguished three-decade career and leadership in anti-Naxal operations.
Bhubaneswar: Senior Odisha-cadre IPS officer Sanjeeb Panda will be conferred the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) on the occasion of Independence Day 2026, recognising his distinguished career and contribution to policing, public safety and the fight against Left-Wing Extremism.
A 1994-batch IPS officer, Panda has served in several critical assignments during his nearly three-decade-long career. He has served as Superintendent of Police in Rayagada, Rourkela, Balasore, Puri and Bargarh, besides holding several senior positions in the Odisha Police. He has also served as Commissioner of Police of the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate.
Panda has played a significant role in Odisha’s long-running anti-Naxal campaign. He served as Deputy Inspector General of the South-Western Range at Koraput and later played a key role in strengthening the Special Intelligence Wing. His emphasis on intelligence-led operations and coordination among security agencies helped intensify the campaign against Maoist networks.
As Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations and Special Intelligence Wing), Panda was at the forefront of the state’s final phase of operations against Left-Wing Extremism. Odisha Police declared the state free from significant Maoist influence on March 31, 2026, following sustained operations and a large number of surrenders and arrests.
According to Odisha Police, Maoist influence was eliminated from eight districts, including Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Bolangir, Boudh, Nuapada, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi. The success was attributed to coordinated operations involving the Odisha Police, Special Operations Group, intelligence units and central armed police forces.
Beyond counter-insurgency operations, Panda has held important administrative responsibilities and has been associated with technology-driven policing, institutional reforms and modernisation of police services. His career reflects a combination of field experience, intelligence expertise and administrative leadership.
The officer has also been associated with major security and law-and-order arrangements, including the management of large-scale events such as the Puri Rath Yatra. His tenure in various senior assignments has earned him recognition for professional competence and administrative efficiency.
The President’s Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded for prolonged and distinguished service marked by exceptional ability and merit. The Ministry of Home Affairs has prescribed a minimum of 25 years of service for the award in the police and allied services.
Panda’s recognition comes at a significant moment for Odisha Police, following the state’s major success in its decades-long battle against Left-Wing Extremism. It also marks a distinguished milestone in the career of an officer who has served in some of Odisha’s most challenging policing assignments.