Raw Full Form - Understanding the Research and Analysis Wing

The full form of RAW is the Research and Analysis Wing. This is India's largest foreign intelligence agency, tasked with obtaining sensitive data and intelligence to protect the nation from external dangers. This group strives to steer Indian policymakers on the correct path continuously. 

Knowing about this definition is crucial if you wish to build up your vocabulary and general knowledge (it matters if you’re applying to study abroad or in India). 

Objectives of RAW Agency

Now that you have an idea of the RAW full form, here are some of the objectives of the premier agency:

• Intelligence/information gathering through psychological warfare, espionage, sabotage, subversion, etc. 
• Collaborate with other countries and their intelligence agencies, i.e. CIA, MI6, and more. 
• Track activities which have a direct bearing on the national security of India and its foreign policy formulation. 
• Track military and political developments in neighboring countries that directly affect India’s national security. 
• Covert missions and operations for safeguarding the national interests of the country. 
• Implementing anti-terror operations and neutralizing terror threats to the country. 
• Offer security for the country’s nuclear program and gather intelligence on the operations and organization of insurgency groups in adjacent regions. 

Background History of RAW

Here are some key aspects related to the background history of RAW (Research and Analysis Wing):

• Before the establishment of RAW, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was tasked with gathering intelligence. Sanjeevi Pillai became the IB’s first Indian Director after Independence in 1947. 
• After the Sino-Indian War in 1962, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru called for the creation of a dedicated foreign intelligence outfit. After the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, this call was also echoed by General Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri, the Chief of Army Staff. 
• The RAW was eventually founded in 1968 under the Indira Gandhi administration, based on the blueprint submitted by R.N. Kao, then-deputy director of the IB. Kao became the chief of R&AW (as it was called) when it was established. 
• R&AW initially began as an Intelligence Bureau division with 250 employees, although it now has thousands of personnel on its rolls.

Structure and Organization of RAW (Research and Analysis Wing)

R&AW or RAW is structured in a similar fashion as the CIA. The head is the designated Secretary ® in the Cabinet Secretariat. R&AW directly works under the Prime Minister’s command. The Secretary ® provides administrative reports to the Cabinet Secretary, who reports to the Prime Minister in turn.

There is an Additional Secretary with responsibility for the Office of Special Operations along with Joint Secretaries who supervise multiple desks across different areas/countries/divisions. There are also two Special Joint Secretaries who report to the Additional Secretary, while heading the Electronics and Technical Department, a nodal entity for ETS and RRC. There is also a Special Secretary heading the Aviation Research Center. 

Hence, various regional headquarters are present at the R&AW headquarters in New Delhi, supervised by controlling officers who gather intelligence from deputy field and field officers. This goes through desk/senior field officers to the Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, and so on. 

The Joint Intelligence Committee of the Cabinet Secretariat has responsibility for analyzing and coordinating intelligence activities across the IB, DIA, and R&AW. The Director of the R&AW is a JIC Steering Committee member and authorized to brief the Indian Prime Minister. The JIC’s role has now merged with the National Security Council after it was formed in 1999. 

RAW also has 10 field formations throughout the country or special bureaus. Some of the locations include Jammu, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Shillong, Jodhpur, and Lucknow.

RAW Full Form in Other Languages

Here’s looking at the RAW full form in some other languages:-

RAW Full Form in Hindi

अनुसंधान और विश्लेषण विंग

RAW Full Form in Tamil

ஆராய்ச்சி மற்றும் பகுப்பாய்வு பிரிவு

RAW Full Form in Telugu

శోధన మరియు విశ్లేషణ విభాగం

RAW Full Form in Marathi

संशोधन आणि विश्लेषण विभाग

RAW Full Form in Bengali

গবেষণা ও বিশ্লেষণ বিভাগ