NEW DELHI: Ravi Sinha, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed as the new chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He will be replacing Samant Kumar Goel and will assume the position on June 30, 2023, for a tenure of two years.
The decision to appoint Sinha as the Secretary of RAW was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Sinha, a member of the 1988 batch of the IPS from the Chhattisgarh cadre, is currently serving as the Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.
With over two decades of experience in the intelligence agency, Sinha has held various positions within RAW and has worked extensively in regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, and abroad.
Ravi Sinha, 1988-batch Chhattisgarh cadre IPS officer, will be the new secretary of Research and Analysis Wing#news #RAW pic.twitter.com/NTG4uxNa44
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) June 19, 2023
The outgoing RAW chief, Samant Kumar Goel, has completed his four-year tenure and will be stepping down from his role. Goel, who was initially appointed as the RAW chief for two years in June 2019, received two extensions, one in 2021 and another in June 2022.
Known for his expertise in matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, Goel played a pivotal role in the planning of the surgical strike in Balakot, Pakistan, in February 2019.
Ravi Sinha, IPS of the 1988 batch appointed as the new RAW chief. He is an outstanding officer and we worked together back in the day. Congratulations, Ravi. My best wishes on your new assignment.
— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) June 19, 2023
The surgical strike was conducted in response to the Pulwama terror attack, where 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed by a suicide bomber from the Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). On February 26, 2019, the Indian Air Force targeted a JeM terrorist training camp in Balakot to avenge the attack.
Ravi Sinha’s appointment as the new RAW chief marks a significant transition in India’s external intelligence operations. With his extensive experience and knowledge in the field, Sinha is expected to lead RAW in its endeavours to safeguard national security and gather crucial intelligence for the country.
Congratulations #RaviSinha on becoming #RAW Chief! https://t.co/fy85kWSAFW
— RK Vij (@ipsvijrk) June 19, 2023
As he assumes his new responsibilities, the focus will be on ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining the agency’s effectiveness in addressing emerging challenges and threats in the region.