In a recent development, Ravi Sinha, an IPS officer from the 1988 Chhattisgarh cadre, has been appointed as the next chief of India's external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Sinha will succeed Samant Goel, the current RAW chief, who will complete his tenure on June 30.
Samant Goel, who took over as RAW chief in 2019, received two one-year extensions in 2021 and 2022. His tenure of over three years makes him only the third RAW chief to have served for such a duration.
Ravi Sinha, who is currently serving as the Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. His appointment as Secretary, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for a tenure of two years.
Known for his notable contributions, Sinha has previously served in various capacities in Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast India, and regions affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), predominantly active in Central India. His extensive experience includes overseeing RAW's operational division during his seven-year stint as Special Secretary.
Established in 1968 to address the growing need for a dedicated agency focusing on external intelligence, RAW is India's primary external intelligence agency. The agency operates under the formal designation of Secretary-R within the Cabinet Secretariat and reports to the Prime Minister of India through the Cabinet Secretariat.
Unlike intelligence agencies in foreign countries such as the United States, Indian intelligence agencies, including RAW, lack parliamentary oversight and maintain a high level of secrecy. The chiefs of these agencies, like Ravi Sinha, maintain a low public profile, with limited information available about them, except for notable figures like RAW founder RN Kao, Vikram Sood, and AS Dulat.
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