The Story of RAW and India's Intelligence Agencies

Incident Related to the Home Minister

• An RSS man can become a Home Minister but couldn't get a job in RAW.
• Reason: To become a spy, one had to sign that they and their family were not associated with RSS or communists.

Indira Gandhi and Emergency

• Accusation of democracy's murder.
• Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency.
• Importance and struggle of Intelligence Agencies.

Establishment and Early History of RAW

• Establishment of RAW: September 21, 1968.
• The Thuggee and Dacoity Department during British rule eventually became RAW.
• 1954: China's map and the 1962 war.
• 1965 India-Pakistan war and the failure of IB.
• Meeting between Indira Gandhi and RN Kao, blueprint of RAW.
• The head of RAW would report directly to the PM.

Structure and Operation of RAW

• Recruitment of foreigners and agent placements.
• Names were kept secret, only designation as Secretary and Under Secretary.
• Monitoring stations and signal intelligence.
• Problems with IB and Ministry of External Affairs.

RAW's Operation in Pakistan

• First agent: Kashmir Bedi (Code Name: Mohammad Ibrahim).
• Placement for information collection in Pakistan.
• Discovery of Pakistan receiving weapons from the USA.
• Focus on East Pakistan (Bangladesh).

Air Space Block Plan

• Hashim Qureshi's plane hijack plan.
• Plane hijacking and blocking Pakistan's air space.
• Plan to liberate 36 terrorists from prison.

Morarji Desai and RAW

• Morarji Desai's reservations about RAW.
• Efforts to obtain information on the nuclear program.
• Conversations with Zia-ul-Haq and the exposure of RAW agents.

Operation Meghdoot and Siachen

• Operation Meghdoot on the Siachen Glacier.
• Information on Pakistani activities by Indian agents.

Kargil War and RAW's Failures

• RAW's inability in the Kargil war.
• Ignoring intelligence inputs in September 1998.
• New security structure: National Security Council (NSC).

Current Security Structure

• Three-level model of NSC.
• Coordination and structure of intelligence.
• Critical role of NSA (National Security Advisor).

Conclusion

• The story of RAW highlights the importance of India's security and intelligence agencies.