The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW or R&AW) is an external intelligence agency of the Republic of India. It was formed in September 1968 under the helmsman-ship of its first Director, R. N. Kao. Its creation was necessitated by the poor performance of the Intelligence Bureau (IB, which then handled both internal and external intelligence) in the wars against China (1962) and the Pakistan (1965) convinced the government that a specialized, independent agency was required for competent external intelligence gathering.
The primary function of the RAW is collection of external intelligence and counter-terrorism. In addition, it is responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons, to advise Indian policymakers. It has been said that RAW is the "effective instrument of India's national power". RAW is also involved in the security of India's nuclear programme. The working of the RAW is not answerable to the Parliament of India but directly to the Prime Minister of India.
Headquartered in New Delhi, RAW's current director is Sanjeev Tripathi, a 1973-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre Indian Police Service officer who later shifted to the RAW Allied Service (RAS) cadre.
The Prime Minister-headed Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has cleared the name of Alok Joshi as head of the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW). Mr Joshi, who will take over from Sanjeev Tripathi as RAW chief, has vast experience in internal and external intelligence gathering.
Read more about Research And Analysis Wing: Objectives, Organization, Secretaries, Designations, Recruitment, Training, Functions and Methods, Major Operations, Controversies, Counter Terrorism, Defections & Spy Scandals, In Popular Culture
Famous quotes containing the words research and, research, analysis and/or wing:
“To be sure, nothing is more important to the integrity of the universities ... than a rigorously enforced divorce from war- oriented research and all connected enterprises.”
—Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)
“Our science has become terrible, our research dangerous, our findings deadly. We physicists have to make peace with reality. Reality is not as strong as we are. We will ruin reality.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
“Ask anyone committed to Marxist analysis how many angels on the head of a pin, and you will be asked in return to never mind the angels, tell me who controls the production of pins.”
—Joan Didion (b. 1934)
“But he her fears to cease
Sent down the meek-eyed Peace;
She, crowned with olive green, came softly sliding
Down through the turning sphere,
His ready harbinger,
With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing,
And waving wide her myrtle wand,
She strikes a universal peace through sea and land.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)