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What is the full form of RAW?

By Anushree Goswami Last updated : April 20, 2024

RAW is an abbreviation of Research and Analysis Wing. It is a chief foreign intelligence agency of India. This agency was established after the intelligence failures in 1962, Indo-China war and in 1965, Indo-Pak war, which convinced the Government of India to form a specialized, independent agency committed and devoted to foreign intelligence congregation; in the past, both domestic and foreign intelligence had been the scope of concerns of the Intelligence Bureau.

The current Director Chief of RAW is Samant Kumar Goel, who is an Indian Police Service officer of 1984 batch. On 26 June 2019, he was appointed as the Chief of R&AW by putting back Anil Dhasmana, the former chief of R&AW and an IPS officer of 1981 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre.

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_and_Analysis_Wing

RAW Head Office

Head Office of RAW is situated in New Delhi.

RAW History

• The most significant basis behind the formation of RAW was the poor performance of the Intelligence bureau in the wars against China in 1962 and Pakistan in 1965.
  In September 1968, RAW was created under the leadership of Rameshwar Nath Kao. He was the first director of RAW.
• RAW began as a wing of the chief Intelligence Bureau with 250 employees and an annual budget of ₹20 million (US$280,400.00).
• In the early seventies, its annual budget had increased to ₹300 million (US$4.2 million) whereas its employees and workforces numbered quite a few thousand.
• In 1971, Kao had convinced the Government to establish the Aviation Research Centre (ARC).
• In the 1970s and 1990s, the Radio Research Center and Electronics & Tech. Services were supplemented to R&AW.
• In 2004 Government of India supplemented up till now one more signal intelligence agency called the National Technical Facilities Organisation (NTFO), which was in a while renamed as National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).
• The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), under the Cabinet Secretariat, is in charge of bringing together, evaluating and examining intelligence activities between RAW, the Intelligence Bureau and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

RAW Objective

The chief objective of RAW is an assortment of external intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, and covert operations. It is also in charge of acquiring, examining and investigating information about foreign governments, corporations, personnel's to advise Indian policymakers and developing India's overseas strategic interests.

This is the most commanding, authoritative and influential agency of India that keeps monitoring on the activities of other countries largely the neighbors and fight against terrorism. It is also incorporated in the security and protection of nuclear programs in India.