Ravi Sinha to head the country’s external spy agency R&AW

Mr Sinha will succeed Samant Goel, whose extended tenure ends this month end.

The Department of Personnel notification stated that Mr Sinha has been appointed for tenure of two years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Normally, the post of Secretary, R&AW is a fixed tenure post of two years but the present dispensation has set precedents of extending the terms of Director IB and Secretary, R&AW beyond two years.

Even the outgoing chief Mr Goel helmed the post for four years.

Mr Sinha is currently serving as the head of operational division in R&AW for the last seven years where he played a crucial role in introducing and advocating for the use of modern technology in the field of intelligence gathering.

The primary functions of the R&AW is foreign intelligence, undertaking counter terrorism measures and advancing the country’s strategic interests.

An alumnus of Delhi’s prestigious St Stephens’ college, Mr Sinha is known to be an expert in J&K affairs, North East (NE) and naxalism (left wing terrorism) besides counter terrorism.

According to sources in the IPS fraternity, Mr Sinha keeps a low profile and remains focused on his work.

It may be noted that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) is the internal intelligence or spy agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) while the R&AW operates under the administrative wing of the Cabinet Secretariat, which functions under the Prime Minister.

Present IB director Tapan Deka is also a 1988 batch IPS officer of Himachal cadre and was appointed to head the domestic spy agency in July last year.