Modi government appoints new RAW and CRPF chiefs

Rajinder Khanna, Special Secretary in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country's external intelligence gathering agency, has been appointed as its new chief. In another appointment by the government, Prakash Mishra was appointed as the head of CRPF, the world's largest paramilitary force with over three lakh personnel. Mishra is presently the Special Secretary (Internal Security) in home ministry.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared Khanna, a 1978 batch R&AW Allied Service (RAS) cadre officer for the post of RAW chief for a period of two years from December 31 after incumbent Alok Joshi retires. Khanna's batchmate Arvind Saxena been shifted as head of Aviation Research Centre (ARC). During his long stint in RAW, Khanna also served in the Northeast besides stints beyond the borders.

Saxena, a 1978 batch RAS cadre, will be the director of ARC which carries out aerial surveillance of the borders using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other aerial machines including MIG and helicopters. ARC also shares the responsibility to transport Special Frontier Force (SFF) commandos with the Indian Air Force. Saxena will hold the charge till August next year.

Mishra, a 1977-batch IPS officer from Odisha cadre, was appointed as the Director General of CRPF, a post lying vacant since Dilip Trivedi retired on November 30.

CRPF is the mainstay for anti-Naxal operations and Mishra has himself spearheaded the battle when he was DGP of Odisha. The about three-lakh strong force is presently facing a number of challenges, especially in the Left-Wing Extremism theatre while three committees have been formed by the government in the recent past to fine-tune the operational efficacy and modernisation of the paramilitary. Mishra is expected to be a good hand in anti-Naxal operations coming from the Odisha cadre, a state that has seen Left Wing violence while also being at the helm o f the state's police force.