New Delhi: Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and expert on neighboring countries Ravi Sinha was on Monday appointed as the new chief of India’s intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Sinha will replace Samant Kumar Goel. His term ends on June 30, 2023. Sinha, a 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, is currently serving as Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.
An order issued by the Personnel Ministry said that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of 59-year-old Sinha as Secretary, RAW, for a tenure of two years. Sinha has been associated with the prestigious intelligence agency for more than two decades. He is currently the second in command in RAW.
He was heading the operations wing of RAW before his elevation. Considered an expert on neighboring countries, Sinha’s appointment comes at a time when Pakistan is going through political and economic turmoil, efforts from some countries to fuel Sikh extremism, and Efforts are being made to promote violence in the Northeast. Sinha has done a lot of work in Jammu and Kashmir, North East, and many countries in the past.
Sinha’s predecessor Goyal was appointed RAW chief in June 2019 for two years. Later, he was given two extensions of one year each in 2021 and June 2022. An expert in matters relating to Jammu and Kashmir, Goyal is believed to have played a key role in planning the February 2019 surgical strikes in Pakistan’s Balakot.
The surgical strike was done to avenge the Pulwama terror attack. 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred in the Pulwama attack. The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). In response to the attack, the Indian Air Force struck a Jaish terrorist training camp in Balakot on February 26, 2019.
