Bhubaneswar: A legacy of resolute leadership and uncompromising integrity has once again brought national pride to Odisha as veteran IPS officer Sanjeeb Panda, Director General of Anti-Naxal Operations, will be honoured with the prestigious President’s Medal for Distinguished Service on Independence Day 2026.
This prestigious President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) for Independence Day, are officially announced and notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, ahead of Independence Day celebrations.
A 1994-batch officer known widely across the state as a quintessential tough cop, Sri Panda has built a legendary three-decade career defined by tactical brilliance, administrative transformation, honesty and an unwavering commitment to public safety.
Across a decade of rigorous fieldwork as Superintendent of Police in critical districts including Rayagada, Rourkela, Balasore, Puri, and Bargarh, he earned a formidable reputation for maintaining absolute law and order while cracking down hard on crime.
His mettle was further tested in the trenches of counter-insurgency. As the DIG of the heavily Naxal-affected South-Western Range in Koraput and subsequently as the founding DIG of the Special Intelligence Wing, Sri Panda pioneered high-risk, intelligence-led operations that systematically dismantled extremist networks.
His strategic acumen culminated in his current pivotal assignment as DG Anti Naxal Operations, where his ironclad resolve and meticulous handling of anti-naxal operations resulted in the complete elimination of Maoists in Odisha as mandated by Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah, meeting the March 31, 2026 deadline. This historic milestone of making Odisha entirely Naxal-free recently earned him high commendation and personal felicitation from the Union Minister Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah.
Beyond tactical warfare, the senior IPS officer is equally celebrated as a visionary institutional reformer. Whether turning the State Transport Corporation into a seamless, cashless, and paperless digital ecosystem, tripling the turnover of the Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation via SAP automation, or raising the bar for criminal investigations as Head of the Crime Branch, Sri Panda has consistently weaponized technology to eliminate corruption and deliver people-first governance.
His administrative precision was similarly evident during his eight-year tenure managing the monumental traffic and security challenges of the Puri Rath Jatra, complemented by his stellar leadership as Commissioner of Police for Bhubaneswar-Cuttack.
Decorated extensively throughout his service with multiple DGP Disks, the Antrik Surakshya Medal, the Police Medal for Meritorious Service, and commendations for the 2015 Nabakalebar festival, Sri Panda stands tall as a beacon of professional excellence. Combining the unyielding grit of a frontline commander with the modern touch of a tech-driven reformer, this tough yet compassionate top cop continues to set the gold standard for policing in India.