The Government of India has appointed Parag Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Punjab cadre, as the new Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency. Jain will take charge on June 30, succeeding Ravi Sinha, whose two-year tenure comes to an end.
Parag Jain currently heads the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), a critical intelligence unit under the Cabinet Secretariat. During ‘Operation Sindoor’ earlier this year, the ARC played a significant role in gathering actionable intelligence on Pakistani military activities, aiding the success of India’s strategic military response.
Jain’s career spans key domestic and international assignments. He has served as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Chandigarh and has represented India in diplomatic and intelligence capacities in both Canada and Sri Lanka. His posting in Jammu and Kashmir was marked by active involvement in the central government’s counter-terrorism operations in the Union Territory.
Ravi Sinha, who led R&AW since 2023, is completing his term marked by relatively subdued activity, while Jain’s appointment is being seen as a move to reinforce India’s intelligence capabilities amid evolving regional and global security challenges.
The tenure for Parag Jain as R&AW Secretary will be two years. His appointment comes at a time when India’s external intelligence apparatus is being increasingly relied upon for real-time surveillance, cyber-intelligence, and regional threat assessments.
