Senior IPS officer Parag Jain has been appointed as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) by the central government. He will take over from Ravi Sinha on July 1 and serve a term of two years. Prior to this appointment, Jain headed the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) and was instrumental in strengthening India’s external intelligence. During ‘Operation Sindoor’, the ARC under his leadership was critical in gathering crucial intelligence on Pakistan’s military activities and terrorist groups.
Parag Jain, an IPS officer from the 1989 batch of the Punjab cadre, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. As the second most senior officer in R&AW, Jain has overseen several high-risk operations and intelligence units. With over 15 years of service in R&AW, he is a key figure in India’s counter-terrorism strategy. His areas of expertise include counter-terrorism operations, internal security in Punjab, tracking Khalistan-linked movements, and surveillance of cross-border migrant networks. His operational experience includes key postings during the Punjab militancy period. In external intelligence, Jain managed the Pakistan desk, including assignments after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and during Operation Balakot. Internationally, he was involved in monitoring militant Sikh separatist networks in Ottawa, Canada, and in Sri Lanka during the 2022 economic and political crisis, which provided valuable insights into regime instability.