In a notification issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet late Friday, the government announced Sharma's appointment without without stipulating any duration for his tenure, which means, according to sources, he will continue to be at the helm if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power after the general elections next year.

Before his elevation to the coveted position, Sharma was additional DG in the SPG.Since September, he was overseeing the force after the passing of AK Sinha, who helmed the agency from 2016 to 2023.

An UP cadre officer of 1991 batch, Sharma was brought to the SPG in 2017, from Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) where he was an Inspector General.

In his native state of Uttar Pradesh, Sharma is known for his professionalism and tach savvy approach to policing. His stints as Superintendent of Police (SP) and as DIG and IG, thereafter, were noncontroversial despite the political volatility that the state is known for.

Under the Samajwadi Party (SP) regime in the state, 2012-2017, he had played an instrumental role in successful organisation of the Kumbh Mela in now Prayagraj, earlier known as Allahabad.

In his parent cadre UP, he served as Superintendent of Police in Unnao, Moradabad, and Bulandshahr, which is his native district, and as Deputy Inspector General of Police in Prayagraj, Bareilly, and Meerut.

He is a Bachelor of Technology (BTech) from famous Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He comes from a middle class family; father was a government servant in the irrigation department of UP.