Ravi Sinha of Bihar became the New Chief of RAW

• 20 Jun 2023

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on June 19, 2023, the senior IPS officer from Bhojpur in Bihar and serving as Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat has been appointed as the New Chief of India's intelligence agency 'RAW'.

Key Points:

• It is known that Ravi Sinha studied at St. Stephen's College in Delhi and passed the UPSC examination in 1988. He started serving as an officer of Madhya Pradesh under UPSC and got Chhattisgarh cadre when a separate state was formed in the year 2000.
• 59-year-old Ravi Sinha, popularly known as 'Operation Man', has been associated with this prestigious intelligence agency for a long time. He is currently the 'Second in Command' at RAW. Prior to his promotion, he was heading the operational division of RAW. He is credited with adopting modern technology in gathering reports and information.
• Ravi Sinha is known in the entire espionage community for his professional competence. He has worked in many areas. It is believed that in his new role, he will enter the field with a wealth of experience and knowledge.
• Ravi Sinha is known for his good grasp on developments in Jammu & Kashmir, the Northeast and left-wing extremist regions as well as the neighborhood, where he has worked at different points over time, which enables him to integrate the technical & human intelligence dimensions together to address the challenges of the present times.
• Sinha's appointment comes at a time when Pakistan is going through a period of political and economic turmoil. Attempts are being made by some countries to fuel Sikh extremism and to promote violence in the Northeast.
• It is known that RAW is responsible for gathering foreign intelligence. If developments in a country can have an impact on India, RAW keeps an eye on that. RAW also carries out intelligence operations for the national interest. RAW came into existence during the Indira Gandhi government.