List of CBI Directors: India's premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. It is India's officially designated single point of contact for liaison with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
| Motto | Industry, Impartiality, Integrity |
| Jurisdiction | Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions |
| Headquarters | CGO Complex, near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi |
| Annual Budget | Rs. 802.19 crore |
| Director | Praveen Sood |
| Division | Anti-Corruption Division, the Special Crimes Division, the Economic Offences Division, the Policy and International Police Cooperation Division, the Administration Division, the Directorate of Prosecution Division and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory Division |
List of CBI Directors of India (1963- 2023)
The CBI developed a reputation as India's top investigative organisation with the capabilities to handle complex cases, and it was asked to help with the investigation of crimes like murder, kidnapping, and terrorism. On the basis of petitions submitted by affected parties, the Supreme Court and a number of the nation's High Courts also started entrusting the CBI with conducting similar inquiries.
| S.No. | Name of CBI Directors | Duration | |
| From | To | ||
| 1. | D. P. Kohli | 1 April 1963 | 31 May 1968 |
| 2. | F. V. Arul | 31 May 1968 | 6 May 1971 |
| 3. | D. Sen | 6 May 1971 | 29 March 1977 |
| 4. | S. N. Mathur | 29 March 1977 | 2 May 1977 |
| 5. | C. V. Narasimhan | 2 May 1977 | 25 November 1977 |
| 6. | John Lobo | 25 November 1977 | 30 June 1979 |
| 7. | R. D. Singh | 30 June 1979 | 24 January 1980 |
| 8. | J. S. Bajwa | 24 January 1980 | 28 February 1985 |
| 9. | M. G. Katre | 28 February 1985 | 31 October 1989 |
| 10. | Dr. A. P. Mukherjee | 31 October 1989 | 11 January 1990 |
| 11. | R. Sekhar | 11 January 1990 | 14 February 1990 |
| 12. | Vijay Karan | 14 February 1990 | 1 June 1992 |
| 13. | S. K. Datta | 1 June 1992 | 31 July 1993 |
| 14. | K. V. R. Rao | 31 July 1993 | 31 July 1996 |
| 15. | Joginder Singh | 31 July 1996 | 30 June 1997 |
| 16. | R. C. Sharma | 30 June 1997 | 31 January 1998 |
| 17. | D. R. Karthikeyan (acting) | 31 January 1998 | 31 March 1998 |
| 18. | Dr. T. N. Mishra (acting) | 31 March 1998 | 4 January 1999 |
| 19. | Dr. R. K. Raghavan | 4 January 1999 | 30 April 2001 |
| 20. | P. C. Sharma | 30 April 2001 | 6 December 2003 |
| 21. | U. S. Misra | 6 December 2003 | 6 December 2005 |
| 22. | Vijay Shanker Tiwari | 12 December 2005 | 31 July 2008 |
| 23. | Ashwani Kumar | 2 August 2008 | 30 November 2010 |
| 24. | A. P. Singh | 30 November 2010 | 30 November 2012 |
| 25. | Ranjit Sinha | 3 December 2012 | 2 December 2014 |
| 26. | Anil Sinha | 3 December 2014 | 2 December 2016 |
| 27. | Rakesh Asthana (Special Director) | 2 December 2016 | 1 February 2017 |
| 28. | Alok Kumar Verma | 1 February 2017 | 10 January 2019 |
| 29. | M. Nageshwar Rao (interim) | 24 October 2018 | 4 February 2019 |
| 30. | Rishi Kumar Shukla | 4 February 2019 | 3 February 2021 |
| 31. | Praveen Sinha (interim) | 3 February 2021 | 25 May 2021 |
| 32. | Subodh Kumar Jaiswal | 25 May 2021 | 25 May 2023 |
| 33. | Praveen Sood | 25 May 2023 | Present |
Formation of CBI
In 1941, during World War II, a Special Police Establishment (SPE) was constituted in the Department of War of British India to enquire into allegations of bribery and corruption in war-related procurements.
In 1963, it was established by the Government of India upon the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption (1962–1964) with a view to investigating serious crimes related to the Defence of India, corruption in high places, serious fraud, cheating and embezzlement and social crime, particularly of hoarding, black-marketing and profiteering in essential commodities, having all-India and inter-state ramifications.
Supervision Over CBI
In matters related to the offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the superintendence of CBI lies with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and in other matters, with the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) under the aegis of the Ministry of Personnel, Pension and Grievances.
Legal Powers of CBI
CBI derives its legal powers to investigate crime from the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.
Director of CBI
The CBI is headed by a Director and is appointed by a three-member panel. The panel comprises of:
1- Prime Minister (Chairperson)
2- Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha)
3- CJI or Supreme Court Judge recommended by the Chief Justice
It is to be noted that in case there's no recognized Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, then the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha would be a member of the panel.