India’s External Intelligence: Secrets of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)

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The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is India’s premier intelligence agency. Like the CIA in the USA premier intelligence agency. Like the CIA in the USA and MI-6 in the UK, it is responsible for external intelligence. However, unlike intelligence agencies in many democratic countries that are subjected to public and parliamentary scrutiny, the activities of RAW remain shrouded in mystery. Though RAW has been written about earlier, most of the authors are of foreign origin, the largest number being from Pakistan. The few Indian who have written about RAW are outsiders, whose knowledge has been gleaned from those who have served in the agency. There is not a single inside account of RAW. The present book is the first account by a person who has served in RAW at a senior level and was able to see its functioning from close quarters. Since he was concerned with signal intelligence rather than human intelligence operations, most of the coverage is devoted to the former. The book brings to light several lacunae in the functioning of the country’s top intelligence agency, the most glaring being the anomalies in procurement of equipment, lack of accountability and our dependence on foreign sources, with the resultant threat to national security. Some of the hitherto untold stories recounted in the book are: 1. How equipment was purchased from foreign companies at prices that were more than ten times the market price by altering technical parameters. 2. How the security of the Prime Minister was almost compromised for a few pieces of silver. 3. The circumstances leading to the death of one of RAW’s brightest officers, Vipin Handa. 4. The stories of moles in the country’s top intelligence agencies, including that of Rabinder Singh. 5. The bitter rivalry between RAW and IB, and its effects. 6. The modus operandi of foreign intelligence agencies in recruiting moles in India. The Indian taxpayer has a right to know how his money is spent, and after reading this book, he will not only be wiser but also angry. The author hopes that the anger gives rise to a public debate and an increase in accountability of our top intelligence agencies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maj. Gen. V.K. Singh

After Pre-commission training at the NDA, Kharakvasla and IMA, Dehradun, Major General V.K. Singh was commissioned into the Corps of Signals on 27th June 1965. He is an alumnus of the Staff College, Wellington; the College of defence Management, secunderabad and the National defence College, Delhi. He has also been an instructor at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering; the Army War College. He raised the signal regiment of the Indian Army's first mechanized division, in 1982. During his career spanning 37 years in the Army, he served in several important appointments, the last being Chief Signal Officer of the Western Army. In November 2000 he joined the cabinet secretariat (Research and Analysis Wing), where her served up to June 2004, when he retied from government service. The present book is based on his experiences during his stint with RAW. His varied interests include adventure sports, military history and journalism. He participated in the Himalayan car Rally thrice, from 1982 to 1984. He is a regular contributor to magazines and journals, and many of his stories and poems were published in the Illustrated Weekly, Filmfare, Femina and Eve's weekly in the seventies and eighties. IN later years he took to professional writing and has authored three books: Through Saga of the crops of Signals (2001), Leadership in the Indian Army-Biographies of twelve Soldiers (2005), History of the Crops of Signals, Volume II (2006).