Who is Babloo Kumar? 2009 IPS offcer and DIG who won the Satyendra K Dubey Memorial Award at IIT Kanpur’s foundation day

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT K) recently hosted its 67th Foundation Day celebrations and conferred the Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award 2026 on senior Indian Police Service officer Babloo Kumar for his sustained commitment to ethical policing, professional integrity and technological innovation.

The institute recognised 23 individuals across four award categories for their contributions to academia, research, public service and other fields. The awards comprised the Institute Fellow Recognition, Distinguished Alumni Awards, Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Awards and Young Alumni Awards.

According to IIT Kanpur, the Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award (SKDA) was instituted in 2005 in memory of alumnus Satyendra K. Dubey (BT/CE/1994), recognising his integrity and courage in his professional life. The award is presented to IIT alumni who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to upholding human values and ethical standards. Conferred annually alongside the Distinguished Alumnus Awards, the SKDA honours individuals whose work contributes to the greater good of society.

Who is Babloo Kumar?

Kumar is the Deputy Inspector General of Police and Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), Lucknow. He is an IPS officer of the 2009 batch of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He studied at a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya before completing his BTech and MTech degrees in Electrical Engineering at IIT Kanpur.

Before joining public service, he had a brief stint in the corporate sector in the United States. During his career, Kumar has held several important operational and leadership positions across Uttar Pradesh. He has served as district police chief in Mahoba, Jaunpur, Jalaun, Shahjahanpur, Mathura, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Agra and Moradabad, as well as Joint Police Commissioner in Noida and Lucknow, among other postings.

Kumar has also served in specialised organisations, including the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Corruption Organisation (UP ACO), the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF), the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (UP ATS), the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and UP-112.

He has frequently been posted in districts facing sensitive law-and-order situations. These include Mathura following the 2016 Jawahar Bagh violence and Saharanpur after major caste-related clashes in 2017. His policing approach emphasises dialogue, measured law enforcement, impartial investigations, and close interaction with local communities. During his tenure as SSP of Saharanpur, he helped maintain peace during the Bharat Bandh in April 2018. Earlier, as Superintendent of Police in Shahjahanpur, he supervised the smooth and fair conduct of the 2015 Panchayat elections, for which the administration received recognition.

During his tenure as Additional Commissioner of Police in Noida, he was involved in security and policing arrangements for major national and international events, including MotoGP Bharat and the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show. In his current role as Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) in Lucknow, he is responsible for maintaining public order in the state capital.

One of his notable initiatives was a campaign launched in Agra in July 2019 to trace missing girls and women. Over the next 16 months, the campaign led to the recovery of 626 girls, who were reunited with their families. Approximately 60 per cent of those recovered were minors.

Kumar has also supported several police welfare measures, including initiatives for women personnel, Police Modern Schools and support programmes for police families. Overall, his career has focused on integrity, ethical policing, institutional development and the protection of vulnerable people.

Awards and recognition

Kumar has received several honours for his contributions to policing, public service and institutional development. These include the Director General of Police's Commendation Discs in Silver (2017), Gold (2018) and Platinum (2020). He was also recognised by the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission for ensuring the free, fair and peaceful conduct of the 2015 Panchayat elections.

In 2021, he was named among India's 50 Most Popular Superintendents of Police in the FameIndia-Asia Post Survey. His contributions to technology-enabled policing were subsequently recognised with the FICCI Smart Policing Award in 2022.

About the Author

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.