The Indian government has appointed senior IPS officer Ravi Sinha as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country’s external intelligence agency. Sinha, a 1988 batch IPS officer known for his expertise in neighboring countries and operations, will succeed Samant Goel, whose four-year tenure concludes on June 30.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of 59-year-old Sinha, hailing from Chhattisgarh, as the Secretary of RAW for a two-year term. Sinha, who has served in RAW for over two decades, currently holds the position of second-in-command and was overseeing the operations wing before his promotion.
Sinha’s appointment comes at a crucial time when Pakistan is experiencing political and economic instability, Sikh extremism is being fueled from abroad, and there are attempts to promote violence in the northeast region of India. With his extensive experience in countries neighboring India, Sinha is expected to play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges and safeguarding the nation’s security interests.
Having previously served in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, and foreign countries, Sinha brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to his new role. His predecessor, Samant Goel, was appointed as the RAW chief in June 2019 and received two one-year extensions in 2021 and June 2022. Goel, known for his expertise in matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, played a crucial role in planning the surgical strike on Pakistan’s Balakot region in February 2019.
The surgical strike was a response to the Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel lost their lives in a suicide bombing orchestrated by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). In retaliation, the Indian Air Force conducted an airstrike on a JeM terrorist training camp in Balakot on February 26, 2019.
IPS officer Ravi Sinha’s appointment as the new RAW chief underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring effective intelligence gathering and countering threats to national security. With his extensive experience and expertise in regional affairs, Sinha is poised to lead RAW in tackling emerging challenges and safeguarding India’s interests on the global stage.
Sources By Agencies
