Research and Analysis Wing
The external intelligence service of India, founded in 1968
Overview
RAW was established in 1968 after the intelligence failures exposed by the 1962 war with China, operating under the direct control of the Prime Minister. Its coordination with the military during the 1971 Bangladesh war is counted a landmark success. The 1999 Kargil conflict prompted internal reforms after infiltration went undetected. The service operates without a public statutory charter, a long running subject of oversight debate in Indian democracy. It also runs the Aviation Research Centre and special border forces established after earlier wars.
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