RAW: India’s External Intelligence Agency

Introduction

The RAW full form is Research and Analysis Wing. Its headquarter is situated in Delhi and was founded in 1968 with the aim of counter Chinese influence on India. with time, the focus of RAW shifted to India’s other rival countries. The Indian intelligence agency{ RAW} and Pakistan intelligence agency {ISI} have done many operations against each other over the past three decades. The dispute of Kashmir gave fuel to this destructive fire. Now, the experts say that Afghanistan is emerging as a new battleground. RAW accused Pakistan of bombing the Indian embassy in Kabul.

History of RAW

Until 1968, Intelligence Bureau {IB} was responsible for the chores which today come under the RAW. Along with the duties of RAW, IB does many more operations which increased the workload on them. As a result, it gave a drastic performance in 1962 when India clashed with China.  This gave a clear thought that there is a need for a separate intelligence agency that will be responsible for external affairs. As a result, India established a separate Institution for these matters named RAW. The main focus of this newly formed intelligence agency is china and Pakistan. 

RAW had played a great role in the areas listed

• Creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
• The growing influence of Indians in Afghanistan.
• It secured the most important India’s nuclear program.

The first leader of RAW was Rameshwar Nath Kao {He also gave the blueprints or maps of this agency when it was demanded}. He retired in 1977. Many officials who work under him gave a reason that how the credit of initial success of RAW goes to MR. Rameshwar Nath Kao. The RAW has also been criticized due to many reasons like lack of communication between RAW and domestic intelligence agencies, weak analytical capabilities, lack of transparency, etc. 

Structure of RAW

RAW started its operation with 250 employees and with a budget of $400,000 as listed by the experts. Till now RAW has expanded its operations and gave employment to thousands of people. The correct number of RAW officials, their identity, and the budget of RAW are kept secret due to security concerns. But the American Federation in 2000, estimated that the Research and analysis wing {RAW} have nearly eight to ten thousand people working under it with a budget of $145 million. Unlike the working of CIA {Central intelligence agency} and Britain’s M16, the Indian agency RAW is directly headed by the prime minister of India. The chief of RAW is the secretary in the cabinet secretariat {which is the branch of prime minister office}. 

1. Raman, A former RAW official listed in a book {The kaoboys of R&AW: Down memory lane} in 2007 that RAW mainly has only two objectives. 

The main objectives of RAW listed in these books are:

• It monitors the economic and military development of rival and India’s neighboring countries which directly affects the security of the nation.
• It seeks the control of the supply of military hardware to Pakistan, especially from European countries like the USA and China. 

From the early days, the Indian intelligence agency has close relations with Israel’s external intelligence agency {MOSSAD}. The main purpose of this close link is to get benefit from Israel’s knowledge of West Asia and North Africa. According to experts, Israel has better counter-terrorism techniques and India can learn them.

Main Objective of RAW

In the present times, the main objectives of RAW are:

1. Managing the political, military, scientific, and economic progress of the directly influencing countries can be a threat to National security.
2. It molds the international public opinion along with influencing the foreign government.
3. RAW is responsible for converting the operation to keep India safe.
4. It is also responsible for Anti-Terror operations and neutralizing terror elements in India.

During the Sino-Indian war 1962, India was on bad terms with Pakistan. RAW had additional responsibilities during this time.

1. To keep an eye on the development of International communism and schism between China and Pakistan. 
2. It too cares that there should not be any supply of military hardware to Pakistan from European countries like America. 

Functions of RAW

The main functions of RAW are:

1. Intelligence collection by the means of espionage, psychological welfare, Subversion, Sabotage, and Assassination.
2. Manages the active collaboration intelligence agencies in different countries.
3. It maintains the contact with FSB of Russia, Afghanistan’s Agency NDS, Israel’s agency MOSSAD, CIA, and MI6.

Relations of RAW with CIA

India’s intelligence relations with the CIA started even before the formation of RAW. After the clash between India and China in 1962, Swami wrote that “a covert organization raised from among Tibetan refugees in India, to executive deep penetration terror operations in China”.

When the CIA fought with ISI for the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s, made RAW a little worried. However, it does not give an impact on the CIA’s assistance from counterterrorism training. 

Ranks of RAW Officials

RAW in Popular Culture

Many films were made to get the working of RAW into the limelight. Both Hollywood and Bollywood played a great role in making the RAW a respectful organization in the eyes of normal citizens. 

The films which portrayed the RAW in a very beautiful and efficient manner are listed-

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. When was RAW formed?
Ans. RAW was formed in 1968 after Indo-China and Indo-Pak war.

Q2. What is the role of office abroad of RAW?
Ans. RAW office abroad have some limited roles like collecting military, economic, scientific, and political intelligence and manages the activities of the organizations working abroad.

Q3. What are the different intelligence agencies working in India?
Ans. The intelligence agencies working in India are:

1. All India Radio Monitoring Services
2. Aviation Research Centre
3. Central Bureau of Investigation
4. Central Economic Intelligence Bureau
5. Combined services Detailed Interrogation Centre (India)
6. Criminal Investigation Department (India)
7. Directorate of Enforcement
8. Department of Criminal intelligence
9. Directorate of Air intelligence
10. Directorate of Military Intelligence
11. Directorate of Neighbour intelligence
12. Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation
13. Defense Intelligence agency
14. Directorate General of GST Intelligence
15. Directorate of Income Tax (Intelligence & criminal investigation)
16. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
17. Economic Intelligence council
18. Indian Political intelligence office
19. Intelligence Bureau
20. Investigation Division of The central board of Direct Taxes
21. Joint Cipher Bureau
22. Narcotics control bureau
23. National Intelligence agency
24. The national technical research organization
25. Radio research center
26. Regional economic intelligence committee 
27. Research and Analysis Wing
28. Serious fraud investigation office
29. Signals intelligence directorate
30. ThuggeeDacoity Department
31. Wildlife crime control bureau