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{{short description|Indian intelligence agency}}
{{short description|India's domestic intelligence agency}}
 
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox government agency
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name    = '''Intelligence Bureau'''
| agency_name    = Intelligence Bureau
| native_name    = {{lang|hi|आसूचना ब्यूरो}}
| native_name    =  
| logo            =  
| logo            =  
| motto          = जागृतं अहर्निशं {{small|([[Sanskrit]])}}<br>{{transl|sa|ISO|Jāgṛtaṃ Aharniśaṃ}} <small>([[ISO 15919|ISO]])</small><br>{{trans|"Always Alert"}}
| motto          = {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Jāgṛtaṃ Aharniśaṃ}} ([[Sanskrit]])<br />{{Translation|"Always Alert"}}
| seal            = Intelligence Bureau.svg
| seal            = Intelligence Bureau.svg
| seal_size      =
| seal_width      =  
| seal_width      =  
| seal_caption    = [[Insignia]] of Intelligence Bureau
| seal_caption    = Insignia of Intelligence Bureau  
| formed          = {{circa|{{start date|df=yes|1887}}}}
| formed          = {{start date and age|df=yes|1887|12|23}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Formation date 23 December 1887 |url=http://www.allgov.com/india/departments/ministry-of-home-affairs/intelligence-bureau?agencyid=7590 |website=Allgov.com}}</ref>
| headquarters    = [[New Delhi]], [[Delhi]], [[India]]
| headquarters    = [[New Delhi]], [[Delhi]], [[India]]
| employees      = 17,884
| budget          = {{INRConvert|6782.43|c}}<br />{{small|(2026–27)}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Feb 2026 |title=DEMAND NO. 51, Demands for Grants, 2026-2027, MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS |url=https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/doc/eb/sbe51.pdf |access-date=1 Feb 2026 |website=IndiaBudget.gov.in}}</ref>
| budget          = {{INRConvert|3418.32|c|1}}<small>(2023–24)</small><ref>{{Cite news|title=MHA gets Rs 1.96 lakh crores in Budget-2023; focus on women safety, police modernisation|work=The Print|url=https://www.theprint.in/india/mha-gets-rs-1-96-lakh-crores-in-budget-2023-focus-on-women-safety-police-modernisation/1348413/%3famp}}</ref>
| minister1_name  = [[Amit Shah]]
| minister1_name  = [[Amit Shah]]
| minister1_pfo  = [[Minister of Home Affairs (India)|Minister of Home Affairs]]
| minister1_pfo  = [[Minister of Home Affairs (India)|Minister of Home Affairs]]
| chief1_name    = [[Tapan Deka]]
| chief1_name    = [[Tapan Deka]], [[Indian Police Service|IPS]]
| chief1_position = [[Director of the Intelligence Bureau|Director]]
| chief1_position = [[Director of the Intelligence Bureau|Director]]
| chief2_name    =  
| chief2_name    =  
Line 24: Line 24:
| chief3_position =  
| chief3_position =  
| parent_agency  = [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]
| parent_agency  = [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]
| jurisdiction    =  
| jurisdiction    = [[India]]
| website        = {{url|www.mha.gov.in}}
| website        =  
| parent_department =  
| parent_department =  
}}
}}
[[File:Stamp of India - 2013 - Colnect 477802 - Intelligence Bureau.jpeg|thumb|125th Anniversary Postage Stamp (2013)|197x197px]]
[[File:Stamp of India - 2013 - Colnect 477802 - Intelligence Bureau.jpeg|thumb|125th Anniversary Postage Stamp (2013)|197x197px]]


The '''Intelligence Bureau''' ('''IB''') ([[Hindi language|Hindi]]: आसूचना ब्यूरो; [[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]: āsūcanā byūro) is India's [[internal security]] and [[counter-intelligence]] agency under [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]. It was founded in 1887 as ''Central Special Branch'', and is reputed to be the oldest such organization in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/index.html |title=Intelligence Bureau (IB) - India Intelligence Agencies |publisher=Fas.org |date=30 May 2008 |access-date=9 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126051106/http://www.fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/index.html |archive-date=26 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=2015-06-05|title="National Security" for whom?|url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2014/25/web-exclusives/national-security-whom.html|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|language=en|pages=7–8}}</ref>  
The '''Intelligence Bureau''' ('''IB''') is India's [[internal security]] and [[counterintelligence]] agency under the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]. It was founded in 1887 as the '''Central Special Branch'''. The IB is often regarded as the oldest extant intelligence organisation in the world.<ref name="fas.org"/><ref name="epw">{{Cite journal |last=Subramanian |first=K S |date=2015-06-05 |title="National Security" for whom? How the Intelligence Bureau functions. |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2014/25/web-exclusives/national-security-whom.html |journal=[[Economic and Political Weekly]] |language=en |volume=49 |issue=25 |pages=7–8 |url-access=limited}}</ref>


Until 1968, it handled both domestic and foreign intelligence after which [[Research and Analysis Wing]] was formed specifically for foreign intelligence following that IB was primarily assigned the role of domestic intelligence and internal security.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2015-06-05|title="National Security" for whom?|url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2014/25/web-exclusives/national-security-whom.html|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|language=en|pages=7–8}}</ref> [[Tapan Deka]], the current director of the IB, took over from [[Arvind Kumar (civil servant)|Arvind Kumar]] on 24 June 2022.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tapan-deka-is-new-ib-chief-raw-secretary-samant-goel-gets-1-yr-extension-101656065794057.html |title=Tapan Deka is new IB chief, RAW secretary Samant Goel gets 1-yr extension
Until 1968, it handled both domestic and foreign intelligence after which the [[Research and Analysis Wing]] was formed specifically for foreign intelligence; following that, the IB was primarily assigned the role of domestic intelligence and internal security.<ref name="epw"/> [[Tapan Deka]] is the current [[Director of the Intelligence Bureau|director of the IB]], since June 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gupta |first=Shishir |date=2022-06-24 |title=Tapan Deka is new IB chief, RAW secretary Samant Goel gets 1-yr extension |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tapan-deka-is-new-ib-chief-raw-secretary-samant-goel-gets-1-yr-extension-101656065794057.html |access-date=2022-06-24 |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref>
|date=2022-06-24|newspaper=Hindustantimes|access-date=2022-06-24}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
In 1885, Major General [[Charles MacGregor]] was appointed [[Quartermaster General]] for the [[British Indian Army]] at [[Shimla|Simla]] and thereby became responsible for its intelligence activities. The main concern of the time was to monitor Russian troop deployments in Afghanistan so as to avoid an invasion of [[British India]] from the northwest. In 1909, the [[Indian Political Intelligence Office]] was established in England in response to the development of [[India House|Indian revolutionary activities]]. It came to be called Indian Political Intelligence (IPI) in 1921, constituting a surveillance and monitoring agency run jointly by the [[India Office]] and the [[Government of India]] and maintaining close contact with [[Scotland Yard]] and [[MI5]]. After Indian independence in 1947, IPI was renamed as the Intelligence Bureau under the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allgov.com/india/departments/ministry-of-home-affairs/intelligence-bureau?agencyid=7590|title=Intelligence Bureau - AllGov.com}}</ref>


==Responsibilities==
The Intelligence Bureau traces its origin to the Central Special Branch, established on 23 December 1887 by the [[British Raj|British government in India]] to gather intelligence on political unrest, particularly after the formation of the [[Indian National Congress]] in 1885. Its creation followed Secret Dispatch No. 11, dated 25 March 1887, in which [[R. A. Cross]], the [[Secretary of State for India]], sanctioned the proposal by [[Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava|Marquess of Dufferin]], the [[Viceroy of India]], to create a system for the "collection of secret and political intelligence in India".<ref name="Journal">{{cite journal|last1=Reshi|first1=Shabir Ahmad|last2=Dwivedi|first2=Seema|title=Growth & Development of Intelligence Apparatus during British Colonial Era in India|journal=International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention|date=April 2015|volume=4|issue=4|pages=13–19|url=https://www.ijhssi.org/papers/v4(4)/Version-2/C0442012019.pdf|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref>
Shrouded in secrecy, the IB is used to garner intelligence from within India and also execute counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism tasks. The Bureau comprises employees from law enforcement agencies, mostly from the [[Indian Police Service]] (IPS) or the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and the military. However, the [[Director of Intelligence Bureau (India)|Director of Intelligence Bureau]] (DIB) has always been an IPS officer. In addition to domestic intelligence responsibilities, the IB is particularly tasked with intelligence collection in border areas, following the 1951 recommendations of the Himmat Singh Ji Committee (also known as the North and North-East Border Committee), a task entrusted to the military intelligence organisations prior to independence in 1947. All spheres of human activity within India and in the neighborhood are allocated to the charter of duties of the Intelligence Bureau. The IB was also tasked with other external intelligence responsibilities as of 1951 until 1968, when the [[Research and Analysis Wing]] was formed.<ref name="Nehchal Sandhu new IB director">{{cite news | url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nehchal-sandhu-new-ib-director/716221/ | title=Nehchal Sandhu new IB director | work=The Indian Express| date=26 November 2010 | access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref>


==Activities and operations==
Dufferin proposed utilizing the [[Indian Imperial Police]] and [[Indian Political Department|political officers]] in [[princely state]]s for the "collection of intelligence on political, social and religious movements". He recommended the establishment of "special agencies" at both [[Government of India|central]] and [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|provincial]] headquarters, assigning local governments the responsibility of intelligence collection and obliging them to report relevant findings to the central government. The Provincial Special Branches, under local government control, were tasked with sharing intelligence with the Central Special Branch.<ref name="Journal"/>
The Intelligence Bureau reportedly has a lot of successes to its credit, but operations conducted by the IB are rarely declassified. Due to the extreme secrecy surrounding the agency, there is little concrete information available about it or its activities.  The IB was trained by the Soviet [[KGB]] from the 1950s onward until the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Understanding of the shadowy workings of the IB is largely speculative. Many times even members' own family members are unaware of their whereabouts. One known task of the IB is to clear licences to [[amateur radio]] enthusiasts. The IB also passes intelligence between other Indian intelligence agencies and the police. The bureau also grants the necessary security clearances to Indian diplomats and judges before they take the oath. On rare occasions, IB officers interact with the media during a crisis situation. The IB is also rumoured to intercept and open around 6,000 letters daily. It also has an email spying system similar to [[FBI]]'s [[Carnivore (software)|Carnivore]] system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.privacyinternational.org/survey/phr2003/countries/india.htm|title=Republic of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203034615/http://www.privacyinternational.org/survey/phr2003/countries/india.htm|archive-date=3 December 2010}}</ref> The bureau is authorised to conduct wiretapping without a [[Warrant (law)|warrant]].<ref name="The secret world of phone tapping">{{cite news | url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/the-secret-world-of-phone-tapping/1/122693.html | title=The secret world of phone tapping | work=India Today | date=9 December 2010 | access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref>


The IB was initially India's internal and external intelligence agency. Due to lapses on the part of the Intelligence Bureau to predict the [[Sino-Indian War]] of 1962, and later on, intelligence failure in the [[India-Pakistan Wars|India-Pakistan War]] in 1965, it was bifurcated in 1968 and entrusted with the task of internal intelligence only. The external intelligence branch was handed to the newly created [[Research and Analysis Wing]].<ref name="ijic">{{Cite journal|title=Unraveling India's Foreign Intelligence: The Origins and Evolution of the Research and Analysis Wing |last= Shaffer |first=Ryan |year=2015 |volume= 28 |issue=2 |journal= International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence |doi= 10.1080/08850607.2015.992754 |pages=252–289|s2cid= 154372472 }}</ref>
Dufferin modelled the agency after the [[Third Section]] of [[Imperial Russia]]. To reduce expenses, the agency shared the manpower and facilities of the existing [[Thuggee and Dacoity Department]], headquartered at [[Shimla]]. The General Superintendent of the Department was entrusted with the supervision of the Central Special Branch. His proposed annual budget was ₹46,800. Donald McCracken, a police officer from the [[Punjab]] cadre, was appointed as its first head.<ref name="Basu">{{cite book|last1=Basu|first1=Saumitra|title=The History of Forensic Science in India|date=24 August 2021|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=978-1-000-41119-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A7k6EAAAQBAJ|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref> McCracken was the assistant to the General Superintendent, Colonel [[Philip Durham Henderson|P. D. Henderson]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Griffiths|first1=Sir Percival Joseph|author1-link=Percival Griffiths|title=To Guard My People: The History of the Indian Police|date=1971|publisher=[[Ernest Benn Limited]]|isbn=978-0-510-26942-5|page=345|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=URUFAQAAIAAJ|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref> The Provincial Special Branches were attached to the offices of either the [[Inspector General of Police]] or the [[chief secretary (India)|chief secretary]] of the respective provinces.<ref name="Basu"/>


IB operated a [[counterintelligence]] programme to prevent the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] from gathering information about the preparations and activities related to the Indian Nuclear weapons project before the [[Pokhran-II]] nuclear tests.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Spying on the Bomb: American Nuclear Intelligence from Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea|last=Richelson|first=Jeffrey|publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company]]|year=2007|isbn=9780393329827|chapter=Pokhran Surprise|quote=India’s success in preventing U.S. spy satellites from seeing signs of the planned tests days to weeks in advance was matched by its success in preventing acquisition of other types of intelligence. India’s Intelligence Bureau ran an aggressive counterintelligence program, and the CIA, despite a large station in New Delhi, was unable to recruit a single Indian with information about the Vajpayee government’s nuclear plans.}}</ref>
In 1904, based on the recommendations of the Indian Police Commission (1902 – 1903) chaired by [[Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser|Andrew Fraser]], the [[Central Criminal Intelligence Department]]—also known as the Department of Criminal Intelligence (DCI)—was established.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Popplewell|first1=Richard James|title=Intelligence and Imperial Defence: British Intelligence and the Defence of the Indian Empire 1904-1924|date=1995|publisher=[[Frank Cass]]|location=London|isbn=978-1-135-23933-6|pages=42–52|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XHh0DwAAQBAJ|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref> This reorganization led to the abolition of the Thuggee and Dacoity Department and the merger of the Central Special Branch into the DCI. Additionally, [[Criminal Investigation Department (India)|Criminal Investigation Departments]] (CID) were created in the provinces. Initially, Provincial Special Branches were incorporated into the CIDs, headed by a [[Deputy inspector general of police|Deputy Inspector General]] (DIG), but they were later separated as their functions evolved.<ref name="Journal"/>


IB had mixed success in counter-terrorism. It was reported in 2008 that the IB had been successful in busting terror modules. It alerted the police before the [[25 August 2007 Hyderabad bombings|Hyderabad blasts]] and gave repeated warnings of a possible attack on Mumbai through the sea before the [[November 2008 Mumbai attacks]]. On the whole, however, the IB came in for some sharp criticism by the media after the relentless wave of terror attacks in 2008. The government came close to sacking top intelligence officials soon after 26/11 attacks because of serious lapses that led to the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/IB-R-amp-AW-brass-almost-got-the-sack-after-26-11/Article1-890202.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717110748/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/IB-R-amp-AW-brass-almost-got-the-sack-after-26-11/Article1-890202.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 July 2012|title=IB, R&AW brass almost got the sack after 26/11}}</ref> Heavy politics, under-funding and a shortage of field agents were the chief problems facing the agency. The overall strength of the agency is believed to be around 25,000, with 3500-odd field agents operating in the entire country. Of these, many were engaged in ''political intelligence''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/new-ib-chief-has-his-task-cut-out_100128955.html |title=New IB chief has his task cut out - Thaindian News |publisher=Thaindian.com |date=9 December 2008 |access-date=10 August 2012 |archive-date=15 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315213648/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/new-ib-chief-has-his-task-cut-out_100128955.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dayafterindia.com/jan109/national5.html|title=Security cracks and the remedy|archive-date=6 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106032546/http://www.dayafterindia.com/jan109/national5.html|author=Sudha Ramachandran}}</ref>
Section 40(2) of the [[Government of India Act 1919]] stated that "the Intelligence Bureau should keep the Government posted with matters relating to the security of the Indian Empire." Reflecting this directive, the DCI was renamed the Intelligence Bureau in 1920, a year before the Act formally came into force in 1921.<ref name="Basu"/> In the 1920s, the IB's role was reduced to primarily relaying intelligence to the [[Indian Political Intelligence]] (IPI) office in London, which was responsible for analyzing intelligence,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chaya|first1=Dheeraj|title=India's Intelligence Culture and Strategic Surprises: Spying for South Block|date=29 September 2022|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|isbn=978-1-000-72866-8|page=71|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kKN-EAAAQBAJ|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref> and acted as a liaison between the IPI and the Government of India.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Farrington|first1=Anthony J.|title=Indian Political Intelligence (IPI) Files, 1912–1950|url=https://brill.com/display/package/9789004196858?language=en|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|access-date=19 November 2024 |date=September 2000}}</ref> Following the implementation of provincial autonomy under the [[Government of India Act 1935]], the IB began assigning officers designated as Central Intelligence Officers to the provinces starting in 1937.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Silvestri|first1=Michael|title=Policing 'Bengali Terrorism' in India and the World: Imperial Intelligence and Revolutionary Nationalism, 1905-1939|date=8 July 2019|publisher=[[Springer Publishing]]|isbn=978-3-030-18042-3|page=7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zm2hDwAAQBAJ|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref>


Since 2014, IB has undergone many reforms and changes.  
The IB, initially also referred to as the Delhi Intelligence Bureau (DIB), was placed under the Home Department and reported directly to the [[Governor-General of India]]. After India [[Indian Independence Act 1947|gained independence]] in 1947, the IB came under the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]], with T. G. Sanjeevi Pillai becoming its first Indian [[Director of the Intelligence Bureau|director]].<ref name="Dover&Goodman">{{cite book|last1=Dover|first1=Robert|last2=Goodman|first2=Michael S.|last3=Hillebrand|first3=Claudia|title=Routledge Companion to Intelligence Studies|date=5 September 2013|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=978-1-134-48029-6|page=183|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sTCwAAAAQBAJ|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref> Until 1968, the IB was responsible for both internal and external intelligence. However, shortcomings in its external intelligence, particularly in foreseeing Chinese movements before the [[Indo-China War]] of 1962 led to the creation of the [[Research and Analysis Wing]] (R&AW) in 1968, dedicated to external intelligence.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bajoria|first1=Jayshree|title=RAW: India's External Intelligence Agency|url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/raw-indias-external-intelligence-agency|publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]|access-date=19 November 2024|date=7 November 2008}}</ref>
One of the biggest reforms was the cessation of internal-political espionage.
The agency has also boosted up its infrastructure and recruited more agents.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/1800-sashastra-seema-bal-personnel-to-move-to-intelligence-bureau/articleshow/67147881.cms|title=1,800 Sashastra Seema Bal personnel to move to Intelligence Bureau|access-date=18 December 2018|publisher=Economic Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/immigration-rush-intelligence-bureau-to-hire-550-ex-capf-personnel-at-airports/amp_articleshow/61753993.cms|title=Immigration rush: Intelligence Bureau to hire 550 ex-CAPF personnel at airports|access-date=13 July 2018|publisher=EconomicTimes}}</ref> It has been successful in stopping the earlier pattern of frequent terror attacks in India.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.oneindia.com/amphtml/india/40-kilograms-of-explosives-thwarting-a-nightmare-at-pulwama-3096180.html|title=40 kilograms of explosives: Thwarting a nightmare at Pulwama|access-date=29 May 2020|work=OneIndia}}</ref>
The agency has also been successful in counter-intelligence.


==Workings==
==Organisation==
The Group A (Gazetted) officers carry out coordination and higher-level management of the IB. Subsidiary Intelligence Bureaus (SIBs) are headed by officers of the rank of Joint Director or above, but smaller SIBs are also sometimes headed by Deputy Directors. The SIBs have their units at district headquarters headed by Assistant Director (AD) or Deputy Central Intelligence Officers (DCIO). The IB maintains a large number of field units and headquarters (which are under the control of Joint or Deputy Directors). It is through these offices and the intricate process of deputation that a very organic linkage between the state police agencies and the IB is maintained. In addition to these, at the national level the IB has several units (in some cases SIBs) to keep track of issues like terrorism, counter-intelligence, VIP security, threat assessment and sensitive areas (i.e. [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and such). IB officers (like their counterparts in R&AW) get monthly special pays and an extra one-month salary every year, as well as better promotions. IB Officers are either directly recruited or are deputed from
The IB is a constitutional body under the [[Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India|Schedule VII]] of the [[Constitution of India]].<ref name="Journal"/> The [[Union List]] within Schedule VII includes "Central Bureau of Intelligence".<ref>{{cite web |title=Seventh Schedule |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf1/S7.pdf |publisher=[[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] |access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref> IB is also listed in the Schedule of the Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985, which recognizes organisations "established by the central government for purposes of intelligence or counter-intelligence".<ref>{{cite web|title=Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985|url=https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/1811/4/A1985-58.pdf|publisher=Indiacode.nic.in|access-date=19 November 2024|date=6 September 1985}}</ref> The IB functions under the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] and is headed by a [[Director of the Intelligence Bureau]].<ref name="Dover&Goodman"/> According to the Government of India, IB is a civilian organization without police powers.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Explain-Intelligence-Bureaus-legality-HC-tells-Centre/articleshow/12408605.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510183119/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-26/india/31239443_1_ib-r-n-kulkarni-intelligence-bureau | url-status=live | archive-date=10 May 2013 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=Explain Intelligence Bureau's legality, HC tells Centre | date=26 March 2012}}</ref>
[[Central Armed Police Force|CAPF]]s and [[Indian Armed Forces|Armed Forces]].


==Constitutionality==
Though IB operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in practice, the director of the IB is a member of the [[Joint Intelligence Committee (India)|Joint Intelligence Committee]] (JIC) and the Steering Committee. The director has the authority to brief the [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] when necessary. The organization operates at both state and national levels. Most of the intelligence collection is handled by Group C officers, including Security Assistants and Junior Intelligence Officers and Group B officers, such as Assistant Central Intelligence Officers. Higher-level coordination and management are carried out by Group A gazetted officers, such as Deputy Central Intelligence Officers, Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Joint Director, Additional Director, Special Director and the Director. At the state level, IB officers are part of the State Special Bureau and report to a Central Intelligence Officer, who acts as the intelligence advisor to the [[Governor (India)|Governor]]. The IB maintains field units and headquarters, usually under the control of Joint or Deputy Directors.<ref name="fas.org">{{cite web |date=30 May 2008 |title=Intelligence Bureau (IB) |url=https://fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126051106/http://www.fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/index.html |archive-date=26 November 2012 |access-date=9 December 2012 |website=fas.org |publisher=[[Federation of American Scientists]]}}</ref>
IB was created on 23 December 1887, by the British Secretary of State as a sub-sect of the Central Special Branch but there is no act of the Indian parliament nor executive order relating to the functioning of the IB. In 2013, a [[Public interest litigation in India|public interest litigant]] challenged the legality of IB.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-26/india/31239443_1_ib-r-n-kulkarni-intelligence-bureau | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510183119/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-26/india/31239443_1_ib-r-n-kulkarni-intelligence-bureau | url-status=dead | archive-date=10 May 2013 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=Explain Intelligence Bureau's legality, HC tells Centre | date=26 March 2012}}</ref>


 
===Rank structure===
==Ranks and insignia==
{{See also|List of police ranks in India}}
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
! Insignia !! Position in Intelligence Bureau !! Position in State Police
! Insignia !! Position in Intelligence Bureau<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.cgspublicationindia.com/Pdf/Pay%20Commissions/Third%20Pay%20Commission/3rd%20CPC%20(Report,%20Vol%20II,%20Part-1).pdf | title=Report of the third central pay commission 1973 | website=www.cgspublicationindia.com}}</ref> !! Position in Police Service !! Grade/level on pay matrix !! Basic Pay
|-
|-
| [[File:Director IB Insignia.png|40px]] || [[Director of Intelligence Bureau (India)|Director of  Intelligence Bureau]]{{efn|Highest ranking IPS Officer}} || N/A
|[[File:IPS 4 star.png|30px]] || [[Director of Intelligence Bureau]] || ''No equivalent position'' || Apex scale (Pay level 17) || {{INRConvert|225|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Director General of Police.png|40px]] || Special Director || [[Director General of Police]]
| rowspan=2| [[File:IPS_DG+ADG.png|30px]] || Special Director || [[Director general of police]] || HAG+ Scale (pay level 16) || {{INRConvert|205.4|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|224.4|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Director General of Police.png|40px]] || Additional Director || [[Additional Director General of Police]]
| Additional Director || [[Additional director general of police]] || HAG scale (pay level 15) || {{INRConvert|182.2|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|224.1|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Insignia of Inspector General of Police in India- 2013-10-02 16-14.png|40px]] || Joint Director/Advisor || [[Inspector General of Police]]
| [[File:IPS_IG.png|30px]] || Joint Director || [[Inspector general of police]] || Senior administrative grade (pay level 14) || {{INRConvert|144.2|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|218.2|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Deputy Inspector General of Police.png|40px]] || Deputy Director || [[Deputy Inspector General of Police]]
| [[File:IPS_DIG.png|30px]] || Deputy Director || [[Deputy inspector general of police]] || Super time scale (pay level 13A) || {{INRConvert|131.1|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|216.6|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Senior Superintendent of Police.png|40px]] || Additional Deputy Director || [[Superintendent of police (India)|Senior Superintendent of Police]]
|  | [[File:IPS_DIG.png|30px]] || Joint Deputy Director || Deputy inspector general of police{{efn|Joint- Deputy inspector general of police as it is above AD and due to the word Deputy Director in it. The Supreme Court has ruled that a "conscious decision" by a competent authority to equate posts sets their true rank regardless of later pay scale mergers.}} || Selection grade (pay level 13) || {{INRConvert|123.1|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|215.9|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Superintendent of Police.png|40px]] || Joint Deputy Director || [[Superintendent of police (India)|Superintendent of Police]]
| [[File:IPS_SP_(SG).png|30px]] || Assistant Director || [[Superintendent of police (India)|Senior Superintendent of Police]]{{efn|Additional - Deputy Inspector General of Police Designation Equivalence: The 3rd Pay Commission (Vol. II, p.&nbsp;157) explicitly positioned the Assistant Director (IB) above the AIG/SP/Commandant, defining it as an Additional DIG functional tier; Legal Baseline: In State of UP v. Virendra Bahadur Katheria (2024), the Supreme Court ruled that a "conscious decision" by a competent authority to equate posts establishes their true rank regardless of later pay mergers. Uniform Protocol: Following IPS rules, an Senior Scale i.e. AD with 15+ years of service in group A wears the State Emblem and two stars, the definitive insignia of an SSP.}}|| pay level 11/12/13  || {{INRConvert|78.8|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|208.7|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Additional_SP_IPS.png|40px]] || Assistant Director || [[Superintendent of police (India)| Additional Superintendent of Police]]
| [[File:AddlSP.svg|30px]] || Deputy Central Intelligence Officer || [[Additional superintendent of police]] || Senior time scale (pay level 11) || {{INRConvert|67.7|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|208.7|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:DySP_IPS.png|40px]] || Deputy Central Intelligence Officer || [[Deputy Superintendent of police| Deputy Central Intelligence Officer]]
| [[File:Assistant_Superintendent_of_Police.svg|30px]] || Assistant Central Intelligence Officer I || [[Deputy superintendent of police]] ||
Junior time scale (pay level 10)
|| {{INRConvert|56.1|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|132|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
|<!-- Deleted image removed:  [[File:DySP.png|75x75px]] -->|| Assistant Central Intelligence Officer I || [[Deputy superintendent of police|Deputy Superintendent of Police]] (ACP Delhi Police / DANIPS )
| [[File:Inspector.svg|30px]] || Assistant Central Intelligence Officer II || [[Inspector|Inspector of Police]] || Group 'B' Non-gazetted (pay level 7) || {{INRConvert|44.9|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|142.4|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Police Inspector insignia.png|40px]] || Assistant Central Intelligence Officer II || [[Inspector| Inspector of Police]]
| [[File:Sub-Inspector.svg|30px]] || Junior Intelligence Officer I || [[Sub-inspector of police]] || Group 'B' Non-gazetted (pay level 6) || {{INRConvert|35.4|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|112.4|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Police Sub-Inspector.png|40px]] || Junior Intelligence Officer I || [[Sub-Inspector|Sub-Inspector of Police]]
| [[File:Assistant_Sub-Inspector.svg|30px]] || Junior Intelligence Officer II || [[Assistant sub-inspector of police]] || Group 'C' Non-gazetted (pay level 5) || {{INRConvert|29.2|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|92.3|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:Assistant Sub-Inspector.png|40px]] || Junior Intelligence Officer II || [[Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police]]
| [[File:Police_Head_Constable.png|30px]] || Senior Security Assistant || [[Head constable]] || Group 'C' Non-gazetted (pay level 4) || {{INRConvert|25.5|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|81.1|k|lk=on}}
|-
|-
| [[File:No insignia.png|40px]] || Security Assistant || [[Constable]]
| || Security Assistant || [[Constable]] || Group 'C' Non-gazetted (pay level 3) || {{INRConvert|21.7|k|lk=on}}—{{INRConvert|69.1|k|lk=on}}
|}
|}
Besides the above posts, there are various other supporting and office posts in the Bureau as well.


==Media portrayal==
==Responsibilities==
Shrouded in secrecy, the IB is used to garner intelligence from within India and also execute counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism tasks. The Bureau comprises employees from law enforcement agencies, mostly from the [[Indian Police Service]] (IPS) or the [[Indian Revenue Service]] (IRS) and the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. However, the [[Director of Intelligence Bureau (India)|Director of Intelligence Bureau]] (DIB) has always been an IPS officer. In addition to domestic intelligence responsibilities, the IB is particularly tasked with intelligence collection in border areas, following the 1951 recommendations of the Himmat Singh Ji Committee (also known as the North and North-East Border Committee), a task entrusted to the military intelligence organisations before independence in 1947.
 
All spheres of human activity within India and in the neighbourhood are allocated to the charter of duties of the Intelligence Bureau. The IB was also tasked with other external intelligence responsibilities from 1951 until 1968 when the [[Research and Analysis Wing]] was formed.<ref name="Nehchal Sandhu new IB director">{{cite news | url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nehchal-sandhu-new-ib-director/716221/ | title=Nehchal Sandhu new IB director | work=The Indian Express| date=26 November 2010 | access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref>
 
==Activities and operations==
 
Understanding of the shadowy workings of the IB is largely speculative. Many times even bureau members and their family members are unaware of their whereabouts.
 
One known task of the IB is to clear [[licences]] to [[amateur radio]] enthusiasts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Amateur Station Operator Certificate (ASOC) |url=https://eservices.dot.gov.in/amateur-station-operator-certificate-asoc |date=28 May 2025|publisher=Department of Telecommunications Government of India.}}</ref>
 
The IB also passes intelligence between other Indian intelligence agencies and the police. The bureau also grants the necessary security clearances to Indian diplomats and judges before they take the oath. On rare occasions, IB officers interact with the media during a crisis. The IB is also rumoured to intercept and open around 6,000 letters daily. It also has an email spying system similar to the [[FBI]]'s [[Carnivore (software)|Carnivore]] system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.privacyinternational.org/survey/phr2003/countries/india.htm|title=Republic of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203034615/http://www.privacyinternational.org/survey/phr2003/countries/india.htm|archive-date=3 December 2010}}</ref> The bureau is authorised to conduct wiretapping without a [[Warrant (law)|warrant]].<ref name="The secret world of phone tapping">{{cite news | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20101220-the-secret-world-of-phone-tapping-745072-2010-12-08 | title=The secret world of phone tapping | work=India Today | date=9 December 2010 | access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref>


The Intelligence Bureau has been depicted in films such as ''Bad Aur Badnaam'' ([[Hindi]], 1984), ''[[Mukhbiir]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2008), ''Vande Matharam'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]], 2010), ''[[Kahaani]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2012),  ''[[Jism 2]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2012), ''[[Iru Mugan]]'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]], 2016), and ''[[Spyder (film)|Spyder]]'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], 2017).
The IB was initially India's internal and external intelligence agency. Due to lapses on the part of the Intelligence Bureau to predict the [[Sino-Indian War]] of 1962, and later on, intelligence failure in the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965]], it was bifurcated in 1968 and entrusted with the task of internal intelligence only. The external intelligence branch was handed to the newly created the [[Research and Analysis Wing]].<ref name="ijic">{{Cite journal|title=Unraveling India's Foreign Intelligence: The Origins and Evolution of the Research and Analysis Wing |last= Shaffer |first=Ryan |year=2015 |volume= 28 |issue=2 |journal= International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence |doi= 10.1080/08850607.2015.992754 |pages=252–289|s2cid= 154372472 }}</ref>


IB also featured in the Sony TV Series ''[[Yudh (TV series)|Yudh]]'' starring [[Amitabh Bachchan]].
The IB operated a [[counterintelligence]] programme to prevent the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] from gathering information about the preparations and activities related to the Indian nuclear weapons project, before the [[Pokhran-II]] nuclear tests.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Spying on the Bomb: American Nuclear Intelligence from Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea|last=Richelson|first=Jeffrey|publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company]]|year=2007|isbn=9780393329827|chapter=Pokhran Surprise|quote=India's success in preventing U.S. spy satellites from seeing signs of the planned tests days to weeks in advance was matched by its success in preventing acquisition of other types of intelligence. India's Intelligence Bureau ran an aggressive counterintelligence program, and the CIA, despite a large station in New Delhi, was unable to recruit a single Indian with information about the Vajpayee government's nuclear plans.}}</ref>


==See also==
The IB had mixed success in counterterrorism. It was reported in 2008 that the IB had been successful in busting terror modules. It alerted the police before the [[25 August 2007 Hyderabad bombings|Hyderabad blasts]] and gave repeated warnings of a possible attack on Mumbai through the sea before the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]]. On the whole, however, the IB came in for some sharp criticism by the media after the relentless wave of terror attacks in 2008. The government came close to sacking top intelligence officials soon after the 26/11 attacks, because of serious lapses that led to the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/IB-R-amp-AW-brass-almost-got-the-sack-after-26-11/Article1-890202.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717110748/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/IB-R-amp-AW-brass-almost-got-the-sack-after-26-11/Article1-890202.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 July 2012|title=IB, R&AW brass almost got the sack after 26/11}}</ref> Heavy politics, under-funding and a shortage of field agents were the chief problems facing the agency. The overall strength of the agency is believed to be around 25,000, with 3500-odd field agents operating in the entire country. Of these, many were engaged in ''political intelligence''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/new-ib-chief-has-his-task-cut-out_100128955.html |title=New IB chief has his task cut out - Thaindian News |publisher=Thaindian.com |date=9 December 2008 |access-date=10 August 2012 |archive-date=15 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315213648/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/new-ib-chief-has-his-task-cut-out_100128955.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dayafterindia.com/jan109/national5.html|title=Security cracks and the remedy|archive-date=6 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106032546/http://www.dayafterindia.com/jan109/national5.html|author=Sudha Ramachandran}}</ref>
 
Since 2014, the IB has undergone many reforms and changes. One of the biggest reforms was the cessation of internal political espionage. The agency has also boosted its infrastructure and recruited more agents.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 December 2018 |title=1,800 Sashastra Seema Bal personnel to move to Intelligence Bureau |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/1800-sashastra-seema-bal-personnel-to-move-to-intelligence-bureau/articleshow/67147881.cms |access-date=18 December 2018 |publisher=Economic Times |agency=PTI}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=13 July 2018 |title=Immigration rush: Intelligence Bureau to hire 550 ex-CAPF personnel at airports |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/immigration-rush-intelligence-bureau-to-hire-550-ex-capf-personnel-at-airports/articleshow/61753993.cms |access-date=13 July 2018 |publisher=EconomicTimes |agency=PTI}}</ref> It has been successful in stopping the earlier pattern of frequent terror attacks in India.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nanjappa |first=Vicky |date=29 May 2020 |title=40 kilograms of explosives: Thwarting a nightmare at Pulwama |url=https://www.oneindia.com/amphtml/india/40-kilograms-of-explosives-thwarting-a-nightmare-at-pulwama-3096180.html |access-date=29 May 2020 |work=OneIndia}}</ref> The agency has also been successful in counterintelligence.
 
==In Popular Culture==
 
The Intelligence Bureau has been depicted in films such as ''[[Bad Aur Badnam]]'' ([[Hindi]], 1984), ''[[Mukhbiir]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2008), ''[[Vandae Maatharam]]'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]], 2010), ''[[Kahaani]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2012), ''[[Jism 2]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2012), ''[[Iru Mugan]]'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]], 2016), ''[[Spyder (film)|Spyder]]'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], 2017),  ''[[India's Most Wanted (film)|India's Most Wanted]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2019), ''[[IB71]]'', ''[[Dhurandhar]]'' and it's sequel ''[[Dhurandhar: The Revenge]]'' ([[Hindi]], 2026).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/dhurandhar-2-exploring-the-true-stories-behind-the-characters-in-the-hit-film/20260325.htm |title=Dhurandhar 2: Exploring the true stories behind the characters in the hit film |website=Rediff.com |date=25 March 2026 |access-date=28 March 2026}}</ref>


IB also featured in the Sony TV Series ''[[Yudh (TV series)|Yudh]]'', starring [[Amitabh Bachchan]].


==See also==
{{Portal|India}}
* [[List of Indian intelligence agencies]]
* [[List of Indian intelligence agencies]]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
* {{cite web|url = http://www.persmin.nic.in/EmployeesCorner/Acts_Rules/AISRule/IPSRules/IPS(Uniform)Rules(Revised).htm|title = THE INDIAN POLICE SERVICE (UNIFORM) RULES|year = 1954|access-date = 13 September 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090416223152/http://persmin.nic.in/EmployeesCorner/Acts_Rules/AISRule/IPSRules/IPS(Uniform)Rules(Revised).htm|archive-date = 16 April 2009|url-status = dead}}
* {{cite web|url = http://www.persmin.nic.in/EmployeesCorner/Acts_Rules/AISRule/IPSRules/IPS(Uniform)Rules(Revised).htm|title = THE INDIAN POLICE SERVICE (UNIFORM) RULES|year = 1954|access-date = 13 September 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090416223152/http://persmin.nic.in/EmployeesCorner/Acts_Rules/AISRule/IPSRules/IPS(Uniform)Rules(Revised).htm|archive-date = 16 April 2009|url-status = dead}}
* {{cite web|url = https://fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/|title = World Intelligence and Security Agencies|date = December 2006|access-date = 15 November 2015|archive-date = 5 June 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140605051948/http://www.fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/|url-status = dead}}
* {{cite web|url = https://fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/|title = World Intelligence and Security Agencies|date = December 2006|access-date = 15 November 2015|archive-date = 5 June 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140605051948/http://www.fas.org/irp/world/india/ib/|url-status = dead}}
==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}


==References==
==References==
Line 127: Line 135:


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101210104455/http://frontierindia.net/the-intelligence-bureau-india%E2%80%99s-prime-intelligence-agency The Intelligence Bureau: India’s Prime Intelligence Agency] By Maloy Krishna Dhar
* [https://sansad.in/getFile/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/Asintroduced/249%20of%202019%20as.pdf?source=legislation Intelligence services powers and regulations]
*[https://vajiramandravi.com/current-affairs/ib/ Intelligence Bureau]


{{Home Ministry (India)}}
{{Home Ministry (India)}}

Latest revision as of 10:06, 29 March 2026



Intelligence Bureau
Insignia of Intelligence Bureau
Agency overview
Formed23 December 1887; 138 years ago (1887-12-23)[1]
JurisdictionIndia
HeadquartersNew Delhi, Delhi, India
MottoJāgṛtaṃ Aharniśaṃ (Sanskrit)
transl. "Always Alert"
Annual budget₹6,782.43 crore (US$950 million)
(2026–27)[2]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Parent agencyMinistry of Home Affairs
125th Anniversary Postage Stamp (2013)

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is India's internal security and counterintelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was founded in 1887 as the Central Special Branch. The IB is often regarded as the oldest extant intelligence organisation in the world.[3][4]

Until 1968, it handled both domestic and foreign intelligence after which the Research and Analysis Wing was formed specifically for foreign intelligence; following that, the IB was primarily assigned the role of domestic intelligence and internal security.[4] Tapan Deka is the current director of the IB, since June 2022.[5]

History[edit | edit source]

The Intelligence Bureau traces its origin to the Central Special Branch, established on 23 December 1887 by the British government in India to gather intelligence on political unrest, particularly after the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. Its creation followed Secret Dispatch No. 11, dated 25 March 1887, in which R. A. Cross, the Secretary of State for India, sanctioned the proposal by Marquess of Dufferin, the Viceroy of India, to create a system for the "collection of secret and political intelligence in India".[6]

Dufferin proposed utilizing the Indian Imperial Police and political officers in princely states for the "collection of intelligence on political, social and religious movements". He recommended the establishment of "special agencies" at both central and provincial headquarters, assigning local governments the responsibility of intelligence collection and obliging them to report relevant findings to the central government. The Provincial Special Branches, under local government control, were tasked with sharing intelligence with the Central Special Branch.[6]

Dufferin modelled the agency after the Third Section of Imperial Russia. To reduce expenses, the agency shared the manpower and facilities of the existing Thuggee and Dacoity Department, headquartered at Shimla. The General Superintendent of the Department was entrusted with the supervision of the Central Special Branch. His proposed annual budget was ₹46,800. Donald McCracken, a police officer from the Punjab cadre, was appointed as its first head.[7] McCracken was the assistant to the General Superintendent, Colonel P. D. Henderson.[8] The Provincial Special Branches were attached to the offices of either the Inspector General of Police or the chief secretary of the respective provinces.[7]

In 1904, based on the recommendations of the Indian Police Commission (1902 – 1903) chaired by Andrew Fraser, the Central Criminal Intelligence Department—also known as the Department of Criminal Intelligence (DCI)—was established.[9] This reorganization led to the abolition of the Thuggee and Dacoity Department and the merger of the Central Special Branch into the DCI. Additionally, Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) were created in the provinces. Initially, Provincial Special Branches were incorporated into the CIDs, headed by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG), but they were later separated as their functions evolved.[6]

Section 40(2) of the Government of India Act 1919 stated that "the Intelligence Bureau should keep the Government posted with matters relating to the security of the Indian Empire." Reflecting this directive, the DCI was renamed the Intelligence Bureau in 1920, a year before the Act formally came into force in 1921.[7] In the 1920s, the IB's role was reduced to primarily relaying intelligence to the Indian Political Intelligence (IPI) office in London, which was responsible for analyzing intelligence,[10] and acted as a liaison between the IPI and the Government of India.[11] Following the implementation of provincial autonomy under the Government of India Act 1935, the IB began assigning officers designated as Central Intelligence Officers to the provinces starting in 1937.[12]

The IB, initially also referred to as the Delhi Intelligence Bureau (DIB), was placed under the Home Department and reported directly to the Governor-General of India. After India gained independence in 1947, the IB came under the Ministry of Home Affairs, with T. G. Sanjeevi Pillai becoming its first Indian director.[13] Until 1968, the IB was responsible for both internal and external intelligence. However, shortcomings in its external intelligence, particularly in foreseeing Chinese movements before the Indo-China War of 1962 led to the creation of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) in 1968, dedicated to external intelligence.[14]

Organisation[edit | edit source]

The IB is a constitutional body under the Schedule VII of the Constitution of India.[6] The Union List within Schedule VII includes "Central Bureau of Intelligence".[15] IB is also listed in the Schedule of the Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985, which recognizes organisations "established by the central government for purposes of intelligence or counter-intelligence".[16] The IB functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is headed by a Director of the Intelligence Bureau.[13] According to the Government of India, IB is a civilian organization without police powers.[17]

Though IB operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in practice, the director of the IB is a member of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and the Steering Committee. The director has the authority to brief the Prime Minister when necessary. The organization operates at both state and national levels. Most of the intelligence collection is handled by Group C officers, including Security Assistants and Junior Intelligence Officers and Group B officers, such as Assistant Central Intelligence Officers. Higher-level coordination and management are carried out by Group A gazetted officers, such as Deputy Central Intelligence Officers, Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Joint Director, Additional Director, Special Director and the Director. At the state level, IB officers are part of the State Special Bureau and report to a Central Intelligence Officer, who acts as the intelligence advisor to the Governor. The IB maintains field units and headquarters, usually under the control of Joint or Deputy Directors.[3]

Rank structure[edit | edit source]

Insignia Position in Intelligence Bureau[18] Position in Police Service Grade/level on pay matrix Basic Pay
Director of Intelligence Bureau No equivalent position Apex scale (Pay level 17) ₹225,000 (US$3,200)
Special Director Director general of police HAG+ Scale (pay level 16) ₹205,400 (US$2,900)—₹224,400 (US$3,100)
Additional Director Additional director general of police HAG scale (pay level 15) ₹182,200 (US$2,600)—₹224,100 (US$3,100)
Joint Director Inspector general of police Senior administrative grade (pay level 14) ₹144,200 (US$2,000)—₹218,200 (US$3,100)
Deputy Director Deputy inspector general of police Super time scale (pay level 13A) ₹131,100 (US$1,800)—₹216,600 (US$3,000)
Joint Deputy Director Deputy inspector general of police[lower-alpha 1] Selection grade (pay level 13) ₹123,100 (US$1,700)—₹215,900 (US$3,000)
Assistant Director Senior Superintendent of Police[lower-alpha 2] pay level 11/12/13 ₹78,800 (US$1,100)—₹208,700 (US$2,900)
Deputy Central Intelligence Officer Additional superintendent of police Senior time scale (pay level 11) ₹67,700 (US$950)—₹208,700 (US$2,900)
Assistant Central Intelligence Officer I Deputy superintendent of police

Junior time scale (pay level 10)

₹56,100 (US$790)—₹132,000 (US$1,900)
Assistant Central Intelligence Officer II Inspector of Police Group 'B' Non-gazetted (pay level 7) ₹44,900 (US$630)—₹142,400 (US$2,000)
Junior Intelligence Officer I Sub-inspector of police Group 'B' Non-gazetted (pay level 6) ₹35,400 (US$500)—₹112,400 (US$1,600)
Junior Intelligence Officer II Assistant sub-inspector of police Group 'C' Non-gazetted (pay level 5) ₹29,200 (US$410)—₹92,300 (US$1,300)
Senior Security Assistant Head constable Group 'C' Non-gazetted (pay level 4) ₹25,500 (US$360)—₹81,100 (US$1,100)
Security Assistant Constable Group 'C' Non-gazetted (pay level 3) ₹21,700 (US$300)—₹69,100 (US$970)

Responsibilities[edit | edit source]

Shrouded in secrecy, the IB is used to garner intelligence from within India and also execute counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism tasks. The Bureau comprises employees from law enforcement agencies, mostly from the Indian Police Service (IPS) or the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and the Indian Armed Forces. However, the Director of Intelligence Bureau (DIB) has always been an IPS officer. In addition to domestic intelligence responsibilities, the IB is particularly tasked with intelligence collection in border areas, following the 1951 recommendations of the Himmat Singh Ji Committee (also known as the North and North-East Border Committee), a task entrusted to the military intelligence organisations before independence in 1947.

All spheres of human activity within India and in the neighbourhood are allocated to the charter of duties of the Intelligence Bureau. The IB was also tasked with other external intelligence responsibilities from 1951 until 1968 when the Research and Analysis Wing was formed.[19]

Activities and operations[edit | edit source]

Understanding of the shadowy workings of the IB is largely speculative. Many times even bureau members and their family members are unaware of their whereabouts.

One known task of the IB is to clear licences to amateur radio enthusiasts.[20]

The IB also passes intelligence between other Indian intelligence agencies and the police. The bureau also grants the necessary security clearances to Indian diplomats and judges before they take the oath. On rare occasions, IB officers interact with the media during a crisis. The IB is also rumoured to intercept and open around 6,000 letters daily. It also has an email spying system similar to the FBI's Carnivore system.[21] The bureau is authorised to conduct wiretapping without a warrant.[22]

The IB was initially India's internal and external intelligence agency. Due to lapses on the part of the Intelligence Bureau to predict the Sino-Indian War of 1962, and later on, intelligence failure in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, it was bifurcated in 1968 and entrusted with the task of internal intelligence only. The external intelligence branch was handed to the newly created the Research and Analysis Wing.[23]

The IB operated a counterintelligence programme to prevent the CIA from gathering information about the preparations and activities related to the Indian nuclear weapons project, before the Pokhran-II nuclear tests.[24]

The IB had mixed success in counterterrorism. It was reported in 2008 that the IB had been successful in busting terror modules. It alerted the police before the Hyderabad blasts and gave repeated warnings of a possible attack on Mumbai through the sea before the 2008 Mumbai attacks. On the whole, however, the IB came in for some sharp criticism by the media after the relentless wave of terror attacks in 2008. The government came close to sacking top intelligence officials soon after the 26/11 attacks, because of serious lapses that led to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.[25] Heavy politics, under-funding and a shortage of field agents were the chief problems facing the agency. The overall strength of the agency is believed to be around 25,000, with 3500-odd field agents operating in the entire country. Of these, many were engaged in political intelligence.[26][27]

Since 2014, the IB has undergone many reforms and changes. One of the biggest reforms was the cessation of internal political espionage. The agency has also boosted its infrastructure and recruited more agents.[28][29] It has been successful in stopping the earlier pattern of frequent terror attacks in India.[30] The agency has also been successful in counterintelligence.

In Popular Culture[edit | edit source]

The Intelligence Bureau has been depicted in films such as Bad Aur Badnam (Hindi, 1984), Mukhbiir (Hindi, 2008), Vandae Maatharam (Tamil, 2010), Kahaani (Hindi, 2012), Jism 2 (Hindi, 2012), Iru Mugan (Tamil, 2016), Spyder (Tamil, Telugu, 2017), India's Most Wanted (Hindi, 2019), IB71, Dhurandhar and it's sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge (Hindi, 2026).[31]

IB also featured in the Sony TV Series Yudh, starring Amitabh Bachchan.

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Joint- Deputy inspector general of police as it is above AD and due to the word Deputy Director in it. The Supreme Court has ruled that a "conscious decision" by a competent authority to equate posts sets their true rank regardless of later pay scale mergers.
  2. ↑ Additional - Deputy Inspector General of Police Designation Equivalence: The 3rd Pay Commission (Vol. II, p. 157) explicitly positioned the Assistant Director (IB) above the AIG/SP/Commandant, defining it as an Additional DIG functional tier; Legal Baseline: In State of UP v. Virendra Bahadur Katheria (2024), the Supreme Court ruled that a "conscious decision" by a competent authority to equate posts establishes their true rank regardless of later pay mergers. Uniform Protocol: Following IPS rules, an Senior Scale i.e. AD with 15+ years of service in group A wears the State Emblem and two stars, the definitive insignia of an SSP.

Footnotes[edit | edit source]

  • "THE INDIAN POLICE SERVICE (UNIFORM) RULES". 1954. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  • "World Intelligence and Security Agencies". December 2006. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2015.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Formation date 23 December 1887". Allgov.com.
  2. ↑ "DEMAND NO. 51, Demands for Grants, 2026-2027, MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS" (PDF). IndiaBudget.gov.in. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Intelligence Bureau (IB)". fas.org. Federation of American Scientists. 30 May 2008. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Subramanian, K S (5 June 2015). ""National Security" for whom? How the Intelligence Bureau functions". Economic and Political Weekly. 49 (25): 7–8.
  5. ↑ Gupta, Shishir (24 June 2022). "Tapan Deka is new IB chief, RAW secretary Samant Goel gets 1-yr extension". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Reshi, Shabir Ahmad; Dwivedi, Seema (April 2015). "Growth & Development of Intelligence Apparatus during British Colonial Era in India" (PDF). International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention. 4 (4): 13–19. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Basu, Saumitra (24 August 2021). The History of Forensic Science in India. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-41119-5. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  8. ↑ Griffiths, Sir Percival Joseph (1971). To Guard My People: The History of the Indian Police. Ernest Benn Limited. p. 345. ISBN 978-0-510-26942-5. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  9. ↑ Popplewell, Richard James (1995). Intelligence and Imperial Defence: British Intelligence and the Defence of the Indian Empire 1904-1924. London: Frank Cass. pp. 42–52. ISBN 978-1-135-23933-6. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  10. ↑ Chaya, Dheeraj (29 September 2022). India's Intelligence Culture and Strategic Surprises: Spying for South Block. Taylor & Francis. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-000-72866-8. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  11. ↑ Farrington, Anthony J. (September 2000). "Indian Political Intelligence (IPI) Files, 1912–1950". Brill Publishers. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  12. ↑ Silvestri, Michael (8 July 2019). Policing 'Bengali Terrorism' in India and the World: Imperial Intelligence and Revolutionary Nationalism, 1905-1939. Springer Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 978-3-030-18042-3. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Dover, Robert; Goodman, Michael S.; Hillebrand, Claudia (5 September 2013). Routledge Companion to Intelligence Studies. Routledge. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-134-48029-6. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Bajoria, Jayshree (7 November 2008). "RAW: India's External Intelligence Agency". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  15. ↑ "Seventh Schedule" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  16. ↑ "Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985" (PDF). Indiacode.nic.in. 6 September 1985. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  17. ↑ "Explain Intelligence Bureau's legality, HC tells Centre". The Times of India. 26 March 2012. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "Report of the third central pay commission 1973" (PDF). www.cgspublicationindia.com.
  19. ↑ "Nehchal Sandhu new IB director". The Indian Express. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  20. ↑ "Amateur Station Operator Certificate (ASOC)". Department of Telecommunications Government of India. 28 May 2025.
  21. ↑ "Republic of India". Archived from the original on 3 December 2010.
  22. ↑ "The secret world of phone tapping". India Today. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  23. ↑ Shaffer, Ryan (2015). "Unraveling India's Foreign Intelligence: The Origins and Evolution of the Research and Analysis Wing". International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. 28 (2): 252–289. doi:10.1080/08850607.2015.992754. S2CID 154372472.
  24. ↑ Richelson, Jeffrey (2007). "Pokhran Surprise". Spying on the Bomb: American Nuclear Intelligence from Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393329827. India's success in preventing U.S. spy satellites from seeing signs of the planned tests days to weeks in advance was matched by its success in preventing acquisition of other types of intelligence. India's Intelligence Bureau ran an aggressive counterintelligence program, and the CIA, despite a large station in New Delhi, was unable to recruit a single Indian with information about the Vajpayee government's nuclear plans.
  25. ↑ "IB, R&AW brass almost got the sack after 26/11". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  26. ↑ "New IB chief has his task cut out - Thaindian News". Thaindian.com. 9 December 2008. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  27. ↑ Sudha Ramachandran. "Security cracks and the remedy". Archived from the original on 6 January 2010.
  28. ↑ "1,800 Sashastra Seema Bal personnel to move to Intelligence Bureau". Economic Times. PTI. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  29. ↑ "Immigration rush: Intelligence Bureau to hire 550 ex-CAPF personnel at airports". EconomicTimes. PTI. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  30. ↑ Nanjappa, Vicky (29 May 2020). "40 kilograms of explosives: Thwarting a nightmare at Pulwama". OneIndia. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  31. ↑ "Dhurandhar 2: Exploring the true stories behind the characters in the hit film". Rediff.com. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 28 March 2026.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

  • MacGregor, Lady (Ed.). The Life and Opinions of Major-General Sir Charles MacGregor. 2 vols. 1888, Edinburgh
  • MacGregor, General Sir Charles. The Defence of India. Shimla: Government of India Press. 1884.
  • Kulkarni. Sin of National Conscience. 2005.

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Domestic national intelligence agencies

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