New Delhi (07.02.2026): In a significant administrative move, the Union Government on Saturday cleared the grant of the Apex Scale (Level-17 in the Pay Matrix) to two of the country's senior-most IPS officers currently heading key security and intelligence wings.
The officers elevated to the highest pay grade—reserved for the topmost echelons of the civil services—are B. Srinivasan (IPS: 1992: BH), Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG), and Sapna Tewari (IPS: 1992: OD), Special DG of the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
As the head of the ‘Black Cats’ (NSG), Srinivasan oversees the country's elite counter-terrorism force, while Tewari holds a pivotal role in the internal intelligence framework.
While Srinivasan receives the Apex Scale with over a year and a half left before his superannuation, the timing is particularly noteworthy for Ms. Tewari. The Special Director General of the IB is slated for retirement on April 30, 2026, meaning her elevation comes just two and a half months ahead of her exit from the service.
Apex Scale & Institution Weightage:
The grant of the Apex Scale is a formal recognition of the "coveted positions" represents the pinnacle of the pay matrix, placing these officers on par with the highest-ranking civil servants in the country, including the Director of the IB and the Director of the CBI.
