parag-jain-appointed-as-new-raw-chief

1989-batch Punjab cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Parag Jain has been named the next chief of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He will take over from incumbent chief Ravi Sinha, whose term expires on 30 June 2025.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet confirmed the appointment of Jain for a fixed period of two years. He will join the office on 1 July 2025, when India is confronting increased external security challenges and altering geopolitical trends.

Working as the director of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) currently, Jain is the second-highest-ranking officer in RAW, after Ravi Sinha. The ARC is the agency's air intelligence and reconnaissance wing responsible for collecting technological intelligence.

A career intelligence officer, Jain has spent over 20 years at RAW, holding several important strategic roles. He led the agency’s Pakistan desk, which also included playing an integral part in operations surrounding the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. His experience also includes serious engagements in high-stakes gathering of intelligence during periods of high national security concern.

Before joining intelligence, Jain worked in pivotal policing posts in Punjab during the time of insurgency, such as Senior Superintendent of Police and Deputy Inspector General. His initial career was characterised by taking an active role in counter-terror operations at the peak of militancy years in the state of Punjab.

Jain has also worked in Indian missions overseas, with stints in Sri Lanka and Canada. While on these roles, he did monitor the activities of Khalistani terror networks operating overseas, contributing to his extensive experience in addressing transnational threats.

Reputed for his low-key but efficient style of work, Parag Jain's promotion to the helm of R&AW is a testament to the govt's faith in veteran field officers to head India's foreign intelligence machinery in times of heightened regional tensions and international uncertainties.