Pak Expert Samant Goel Becomes R&AW Head, While Anti-Naxal Veteran Arvind Kumar Takes Over As IB Chief

IPS officer Samant Goel has been appointed as the head of the India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W) and the government has appointed another top police officer, Arvind Kumar, as the director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), reports India Today.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet is responsible for selecting the heads of both the premier intelligence agencies and it is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its chairman.

Both candidates come with extensive experience in covert operations & counter terrorism and the new R&AW chief, Goel was heading operations for the agency and was instrumental in planning the February 2019 Balakot air strikes and also the 2016 surgical strikes. Kumar is a Kashmir expert with good experience in combating Naxal extremism.

Both hold the rank of Director General and Samant Goel is from the Punjab cadre and Arvinnd Kumar is from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

In the intelligence circles Goel is considered a Pakistan expert and Kumar is known for his prowess in tackling red terror and separatism.