List of Indian Intelligence agencies

India has a number of intelligence agencies of which the best known are the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s external intelligence agency and the Intelligence Bureau, the internal intelligence agency.

Research and Analysis Wing

The Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) of the Cabinet secretariat was formed on September 21, 1968 and handles India's external covert intelligence gathering. Although its budget is unknown, some estimates peg it at $160 million.Fact|date=February 2008 It is believed to have about 10,000 agents in its payroll.Fact|date=February 2008 The Chief of R&AW is designated as Secretary (R). The first to hold this post was R. N. Kao of the IB. Subsequent Secretaries have been K. Sankaran Nair, N. Suntook, G. C. Saxena, S. E. Joshi, A. K. Verma, G. S. Bajpai, N. Narasimhan, J. S. Bedi, A. S. Syali, R. Roy, A. K. Dave, A. S. Dulat, V. Sood, and C. D. Sahay. The current Secretary is P. K. Hormis Tharakan.

Intelligence Bureau

The IB was established in 1947 to assume responsibility for India’s domestic security. The IB is shrouded in secrecy and there is little public information concerning its main operations. In work sense IB has done tremendous workFact|date=February 2008 and has many success to its credit.Fact|date=February 2008 It is believed that it is instrumental in breaking and averting many terrorist operations in India.Fact|date=February 2008 IB has worked in cohesion with state police to breakdown terrorist network. It's failures are always highlighted by the Media, but it has been hardly reported, that the IB was succesfull in breaking atleast 600 terror modules & aborted their subersive activities since 1977.Fact|date=February 2008

Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)

This agency was established on 5 March 2002 with the appointment of Lt. General Kamal Davar as the first Director General (DG). The DG reports to the Chief Of Defence Staffs (CDS). It is supposed to be the nodal agency for all defence related intelligence,Fact|date=February 2008 thus distinguishing it from the RAW. This agency also controls the Directorate of Signals Intelligence and the Defence Image Processing and Analysis Centre (DIPAC).Fact|date=February 2008

Joint Cipher Bureau

The Joint Cipher Bureau works closely with the IB and RAW. It is responsible for cryptanalysis and encryption of sensitive data.Fact|date=February 2008 The inter-services Joint Cipher Bureau has primary responsibility for cryptology and SIGINT, providing coordination and direction to the other military service organisations with similar mission.Fact|date=February 2008 Most current equipment providing tactical intelligence is of Russian origin,Fact|date=February 2008 including specialised direction finding and monitoring equipment.

The Joint Cipher Bureau is also responsible for issues relating to public and private key management.Fact|date=February 2008 The cryptographic situation in India is in the early stages of development.Fact|date=February 2008 Cryptographic products are export-controlled licenced items,Fact|date=February 2008 and licences to India are not generally available for products of key length of more than 56 bits.Fact|date=February 2008 The domestic Indian computer industry primarily produces PCs, and PC-compatible cryptographic products have been developed and are being used commercially.Fact|date=February 2008 More robust cryptologic systems are not commercially produced in India, and progress in this field has been slow due to the general unavailability of technology and know-how.Fact|date=February 2008 Customised cryptographic products have been designed and produced by organisations in the defense sector are engaged in the implementation of cryptographic techniques, protocols and the products.Fact|date=February 2008

All India Radio Monitoring Service

The Central Monitoring Service of All India Radio monitors all radio broadcasts in India as well as all foreign radio broadcasts which can be received in India.

Joint Intelligence Committee

The JIC is entrusted with the tasks of coordinating intelligence between all government agencies, civilian and military. Now formed as a part of the third tier of the National Security Council Secretariat, it consists of experts on several issues who analyse intelligence inputs.Fact|date=February 2008

ignals Intelligence Directorate

The Signals Intelligence Directorate is a joint service organisation, manned by personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force. It has a large number of WEUs (Wireless Experimental Units) that carry out the task of monitoring military links of other countries.Fact|date=February 2008

The Central Monitoring Organisation(CMO) is directly under the Ministry of Defence. It has several monitoring companies, located at different locations around the country.Fact|date=February 2008 Their job is to monitor use of radio spectrum by all users, such as Defence, Police, AIR, Railways, PSUs etc.Fact|date=February 2008

Aviation Research Centre

The ARC is the SIGINT (signals intelligence) arm of the RAW.Fact|date=February 2008 It has stations in Chakrata near Dehradun in Uttarakhand, Dum Duma near Tinsukia in Assam, Charbatia near Cuttack in Orissa, Palam Airport in Delhi and at the Farkhor Air Base at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan. It reports to the Director General of Security and RAW.

Directorate of Air Intelligence

The DAI is responsible for air and satellite reconnaissance missions.Fact|date=February 2008

Directorate of Navy Intelligence

This is the Indian Navy’s intelligence arm.Fact|date=February 2008

ee also

References

Further reading

* Military Intelligence in India: An Analysis Bhashyam Kasturi: The Indian Defence Review, 1997
* Cryptography Technology and Policy Directions in the Context of NII Gulshan Rai, R.K.Dubash, and A.K.Chakravarti. Information Technology Group Dept. of Electronics Govt. of India December , 1997

External links