Alam, a 1981-batch Tamil Nadu cadre officer, was till now serving as the Inspector General of Rapid Action Force in the national capital.
He has earlier had stints in various paramilitary forces like Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and National Security Guard.
As ADG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, which guards the 3,488 km long Sino-India border, Alam will look after all the major deployments of the ITBP and will also oversee the golden jubilee year events that the force is commemorating this year.