What do you think?
Rate this book
India External Intelligence Secrets Of Research And Analysis Wing
The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is India s premier intelligence agency. Like the CIA in the USA premier intelligence agency. Like the CIA in the USA and MI-6 in the UK it is responsible for external intelligence. However unlike intelligence agencies in many democratic countries that are subjected to public and parliamentary scrutiny the activities of RAW remain shrouded in mystery. Though RAW has been written about earlier most of the authors are of foreign origin the largest number being from Pakistan. The few Indian who have written about RAW are outsiders whose knowledge has been gleaned from those who have served in the agency. There is not a single inside account of RAW.
The present book is the first account by a person who has served in RAW at a senior level and was able to see its functioning from close quarters. Since he was concerned with signal intelligence rather than human intelligence operations most of the coverage is devoted to the former. The book brings to light several lacunae in the functioning of the country s top intelligence agency the most glaring being the anomalies in procurement of equipment lack of accountability and our dependence on foreign sources with the resultant threat to national security. Some of the hitherto untold stories recounted in the book are: 1. How equipment was purchased from foreign companies at prices that were more than ten times the market price by altering technical parameters. 2. How the security of the Prime Minister was almost compromised for a few pieces of silver. 3. The circumstances leading to the death of one of RAW s brightest officers Vipin Handa. 4. The stories of moles in the country s top intelligence agencies including that of Rabinder Singh. 5. The bitter rivalry between RAW and IB and its effects. 6. The modus operandi of foreign intelligence agencies in recruiting moles in India.
The Indian taxpayer has a right to know how his money is spent and after reading this book he will not only be wiser but also angry. The author hopes that the anger gives rise to a public debate and an increase in accountability of our top intelligence agencies.
The present book is the first account by a person who has served in RAW at a senior level and was able to see its functioning from close quarters. Since he was concerned with signal intelligence rather than human intelligence operations most of the coverage is devoted to the former. The book brings to light several lacunae in the functioning of the country s top intelligence agency the most glaring being the anomalies in procurement of equipment lack of accountability and our dependence on foreign sources with the resultant threat to national security. Some of the hitherto untold stories recounted in the book are: 1. How equipment was purchased from foreign companies at prices that were more than ten times the market price by altering technical parameters. 2. How the security of the Prime Minister was almost compromised for a few pieces of silver. 3. The circumstances leading to the death of one of RAW s brightest officers Vipin Handa. 4. The stories of moles in the country s top intelligence agencies including that of Rabinder Singh. 5. The bitter rivalry between RAW and IB and its effects. 6. The modus operandi of foreign intelligence agencies in recruiting moles in India.
The Indian taxpayer has a right to know how his money is spent and after reading this book he will not only be wiser but also angry. The author hopes that the anger gives rise to a public debate and an increase in accountability of our top intelligence agencies.
Unknown Binding
First published July 30, 2007
45 people are currently reading
681 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 2, 2020
India’s External Intelligence: Secrets of Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) by V.K Singh.
When you go through the title of the book, YOU, if an Indian, become concerned, that what “secrets” are being mentioned in the book? In the preface, the author tells that he just wants the taxpayers to know how their money is being spent. But, you get a huge concern that a book with such title would be read more, of course by non-taxpayers (ahem, I am telling about our dear neighbors and not our poor fellow country mates) but less by the taxpayers. But, you still get a relief somewhere at the back of your mind that the book is written by Major General V. K Singh and he is last person who would let any secrets out, which would be of any use to the aforementioned, non-taxpayers.
The book is written in a Journal form with citing and could be understood thoroughly only if you are an avid newspaper reader. You are definitely going to love V. K. Singh as a writer and would have much more respect for him in your heart. The book is just not only limited to RAW but also gives you a view of other associated Government bodies. The author extremely would like to get the RAW expenses audited, which you will also feel justified by the time you reach the end of the book. He would also want to throw light on the inside activities from the point of view of an Insider. Anyway, this books servers the purpose which author wants to convey from the book. Worth a read!!
When you go through the title of the book, YOU, if an Indian, become concerned, that what “secrets” are being mentioned in the book? In the preface, the author tells that he just wants the taxpayers to know how their money is being spent. But, you get a huge concern that a book with such title would be read more, of course by non-taxpayers (ahem, I am telling about our dear neighbors and not our poor fellow country mates) but less by the taxpayers. But, you still get a relief somewhere at the back of your mind that the book is written by Major General V. K Singh and he is last person who would let any secrets out, which would be of any use to the aforementioned, non-taxpayers.
The book is written in a Journal form with citing and could be understood thoroughly only if you are an avid newspaper reader. You are definitely going to love V. K. Singh as a writer and would have much more respect for him in your heart. The book is just not only limited to RAW but also gives you a view of other associated Government bodies. The author extremely would like to get the RAW expenses audited, which you will also feel justified by the time you reach the end of the book. He would also want to throw light on the inside activities from the point of view of an Insider. Anyway, this books servers the purpose which author wants to convey from the book. Worth a read!!
March 2, 2019
The first time I heard about RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) was during my engineering college days, mostly during a quiz competition if my memory serves me right. Like most, I too had a romanticized view of intelligence agencies and espionage, mostly because of our exposure to Ian Fleming novels, James Bond and espionage movies. This view continued for long until a few years ago when I read 'Spycatcher' by James Wright, a former MI5 officer. The moles within, inter-agency rivalry, bureaucratic shackles, political interference, were all laid bare by Wirght in that book. I naturally searched more about our own RAW, MI, IB and all I got were newspaper reports which mostly talked about the intelligence failures leading to 1962 debacle, Kargil war, Samba Spy ring, Rabinder Singh case and likewise. It was then I wondered how does our intelligence apparatus really work and who are the people to run it on a daily basis.
These doubts remained as almost nothing is freely available about RAW and hardly anyone writes about RAW even in newspapers except circumstantially. I felt that I knew more about how CIA or MI6 works, given the extent to which they have been written about in books, articles and monologues. That is not the case with RAW. RAW is out of purview of the media (for right reasons), is not accountable to the parliament/cabinet and not even under the scrutiny of the CAG. While this absolute autonomy has its positives, there are lot of negatives too.
With no one looking into the workings or RAW or monitoring its officers and activities from outside, lot many lacunae have crept into its system which has made it less effective. For example, its so top heavy that it pulls down the entire institution with its weight. This is detrimental during times when quick decisions have to be taken. The people within do not want to correct the fault-lines as the present system works for their individual benefits. The success stories of RAW is more due to the individual brilliance of few officers and men (agents) and less due to the system itself. The above is the gist of the book 'India's External Intelligence - Secrets of RAW' by Maj. Gen. VK Singh.
Maj. Gen. VK Singh, a former army officer who served in the army for 35 years was deputed to the RAW as Joint Secretary, Technical Division with responsibility of Signal Intelligence (SIGINT). His tenure in RAW gave him the first hand experience of its working, its strengths and weaknesses. Given his rich experience in the Army Signal Core, he was the best judge to point out the lacunae in RAW's apparatus and suggest ways to rectify. However, as he found out during his tenure, the top-heavy organization had become a victim of its own red-tape. Since the system was working to suit their individual benefits, the officers in prominent position showed least interest to rectify the system.
Some of the examples of corruption he quotes generates great amount of loathing in us. The case of an officer siphoning off funds to his 'source' in Europe which later turned out to be his own daughter who was pursuing her post-graduate studies in a top European university, shows how few used RAW's autonomy to their own benefits. The author also quotes numerous examples of corruption in buying much needed equipment, wherein top officials favor a particular company for promised kick-backs. Such cases ought to be known by the parliament and public and the cases cited by the author actually jeopardize the nations security.
Hence Maj. Gen VK Singh, in his work has strongly advocated bringing RAW under the ambit of the parliament and making it accountable, both in terms of accounts and activities. Accounts of RAW are not even audited by CAG despite several cases of corruption and illegal usage of funds by its officers and staff members have been recorded. In the garb of maintaining secrecy and autonomy, several of its officers are involved in illegal activities and are susceptible to 'honey traps' and other enticement by foreign agencies. Yet, RAW activities are not monitored by anyone. Here the author advocates setting up of a supervisor committee on the lines of USA's Senate Select Committee on Intelligence or UK's Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, which not only keep a tab on the activities of RAW but also enables it to work in coherence with other intelligence agencies.
A primary fault-line with our intelligence agencies is the inter-agency rivalry and ill-will. The disastrous effect of this is clearly explained by Maj Gen VK Singh through several instances where the deciphering of received data was delayed as one agency refused to share information with another agency. The bizarre instance where different agencies had their own separate antenna at the same place monitoring the same lines, expecting same intelligence only to avoid passing of info to each other is unforgettable.
The author takes the trouble of explaining his role, working of each divisions within RAW, roles of responsibilities of officers in the organization in detail. At many places in the book, he also highlights the positives and negatives of several officers and staff members. While at times it gets cumbersome to read, it is important to know such details if one needs to know the faults within RAW.
The book has more to it. The chapters on history of RAW, Rabinder Singh episode and intelligence mechanism in India are must reads for anyone interested in espionage and intelligence gathering. Each chapter has an aim and narrates a specific episode or instance in which he was involved. These chapters provide in-depth view of the working of the organization.
Let me state that the book is not designed to give a negative or despondent view of our premier intelligence agency nor that seems to be the aim of the author Maj Gen VK Singh. This work is a much needed mirror to the organization which is mandated to protect the citizens of the country. With the genuine faults highlighted, if & when corrected will only enhance the organization's reputation and accomplish its stated goal of citizen security.
The book is NOT a romanticized novel of the Ian Fleming or James Bond mold with stories of agents involved in filmy or heroic acts. Hence the book is certainly not a 'easy' read but surely an important read for anyone interested to know how exactly RAW works and how to correct its negatives.
There are many officers and agents in RAW who risk their lives so that we live in peace. Such hundreds of unnamed, faceless officers and agents are our nation's real heroes. Their sacrifice will surely be worthwhile if the fault-lines within the organization brought out by Maj Gen VK Singh are heeded and duly amended.
These doubts remained as almost nothing is freely available about RAW and hardly anyone writes about RAW even in newspapers except circumstantially. I felt that I knew more about how CIA or MI6 works, given the extent to which they have been written about in books, articles and monologues. That is not the case with RAW. RAW is out of purview of the media (for right reasons), is not accountable to the parliament/cabinet and not even under the scrutiny of the CAG. While this absolute autonomy has its positives, there are lot of negatives too.
With no one looking into the workings or RAW or monitoring its officers and activities from outside, lot many lacunae have crept into its system which has made it less effective. For example, its so top heavy that it pulls down the entire institution with its weight. This is detrimental during times when quick decisions have to be taken. The people within do not want to correct the fault-lines as the present system works for their individual benefits. The success stories of RAW is more due to the individual brilliance of few officers and men (agents) and less due to the system itself. The above is the gist of the book 'India's External Intelligence - Secrets of RAW' by Maj. Gen. VK Singh.
Maj. Gen. VK Singh, a former army officer who served in the army for 35 years was deputed to the RAW as Joint Secretary, Technical Division with responsibility of Signal Intelligence (SIGINT). His tenure in RAW gave him the first hand experience of its working, its strengths and weaknesses. Given his rich experience in the Army Signal Core, he was the best judge to point out the lacunae in RAW's apparatus and suggest ways to rectify. However, as he found out during his tenure, the top-heavy organization had become a victim of its own red-tape. Since the system was working to suit their individual benefits, the officers in prominent position showed least interest to rectify the system.
Some of the examples of corruption he quotes generates great amount of loathing in us. The case of an officer siphoning off funds to his 'source' in Europe which later turned out to be his own daughter who was pursuing her post-graduate studies in a top European university, shows how few used RAW's autonomy to their own benefits. The author also quotes numerous examples of corruption in buying much needed equipment, wherein top officials favor a particular company for promised kick-backs. Such cases ought to be known by the parliament and public and the cases cited by the author actually jeopardize the nations security.
Hence Maj. Gen VK Singh, in his work has strongly advocated bringing RAW under the ambit of the parliament and making it accountable, both in terms of accounts and activities. Accounts of RAW are not even audited by CAG despite several cases of corruption and illegal usage of funds by its officers and staff members have been recorded. In the garb of maintaining secrecy and autonomy, several of its officers are involved in illegal activities and are susceptible to 'honey traps' and other enticement by foreign agencies. Yet, RAW activities are not monitored by anyone. Here the author advocates setting up of a supervisor committee on the lines of USA's Senate Select Committee on Intelligence or UK's Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, which not only keep a tab on the activities of RAW but also enables it to work in coherence with other intelligence agencies.
A primary fault-line with our intelligence agencies is the inter-agency rivalry and ill-will. The disastrous effect of this is clearly explained by Maj Gen VK Singh through several instances where the deciphering of received data was delayed as one agency refused to share information with another agency. The bizarre instance where different agencies had their own separate antenna at the same place monitoring the same lines, expecting same intelligence only to avoid passing of info to each other is unforgettable.
The author takes the trouble of explaining his role, working of each divisions within RAW, roles of responsibilities of officers in the organization in detail. At many places in the book, he also highlights the positives and negatives of several officers and staff members. While at times it gets cumbersome to read, it is important to know such details if one needs to know the faults within RAW.
The book has more to it. The chapters on history of RAW, Rabinder Singh episode and intelligence mechanism in India are must reads for anyone interested in espionage and intelligence gathering. Each chapter has an aim and narrates a specific episode or instance in which he was involved. These chapters provide in-depth view of the working of the organization.
Let me state that the book is not designed to give a negative or despondent view of our premier intelligence agency nor that seems to be the aim of the author Maj Gen VK Singh. This work is a much needed mirror to the organization which is mandated to protect the citizens of the country. With the genuine faults highlighted, if & when corrected will only enhance the organization's reputation and accomplish its stated goal of citizen security.
The book is NOT a romanticized novel of the Ian Fleming or James Bond mold with stories of agents involved in filmy or heroic acts. Hence the book is certainly not a 'easy' read but surely an important read for anyone interested to know how exactly RAW works and how to correct its negatives.
There are many officers and agents in RAW who risk their lives so that we live in peace. Such hundreds of unnamed, faceless officers and agents are our nation's real heroes. Their sacrifice will surely be worthwhile if the fault-lines within the organization brought out by Maj Gen VK Singh are heeded and duly amended.
November 2, 2015
The book is a pretty good read. Its shocking to know certain facts about the R&AW. VK Singh talks about the administrative shortcomings of the R&AW and also highlights the fact that R&AW does not come under the govt.'s purview due to which lot of money is being plundered by the officials in it. He also says that the R&AW although has smart officials, there are many who are misusing their position to the extent of funding their personal trips from the money set aside for espionage.
And to actually think that IB and R&AW are sworn enemies.. No wonder our intelligence is not as good as it can be!
Almost a must read for an Indian.. you might feel like you are being robbed by the govt. in the end though.. So.. Good luck! :D
And to actually think that IB and R&AW are sworn enemies.. No wonder our intelligence is not as good as it can be!
Almost a must read for an Indian.. you might feel like you are being robbed by the govt. in the end though.. So.. Good luck! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2013
This book has a lot of information about the bureaucracy in the RAW division and some interesting insights into what is wrong in the division. But mostly it comes across as an long rant by the author about his time at RAW and his battles with the administration.
October 27, 2020
A good insight into the actual working of the organisation.
People who expect spy stories and james bond type figures will be disappointed.
At times the book goes into too much detail on the posts and designations of people, some might find this boring but it is important for understanding the hierarchy, people who get them will find it useful.
People who expect spy stories and james bond type figures will be disappointed.
At times the book goes into too much detail on the posts and designations of people, some might find this boring but it is important for understanding the hierarchy, people who get them will find it useful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2018
Book kaise read krte h yr khul hi ni rha
Want to read
September 13, 2020.
July 1, 2022
I have need a book review ppt on this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2020
It's a decent read on the operational and administrative aspects of raw.Maj general VK Singh has done a decent job in highlighting the issues within raw and it's rivalry with other Indian agencies dealing with espionage but it's regular comparison with the army is a little questionable.Overall it's a good book to get insights about the processes within raw and how it's still controversially under the purview of OSA act,1923.
Loved it!
Loved it!
March 1, 2017
Too monotonous with names and ranks that you can't keep track of. Not much of a take away.
March 10, 2023
I bought this book in excitement to know something about RAW. But its a big disappointment. I struggled to complete it. It does not talk anything secret or anything thats related to RAW's strategies or operations etc. What it talks about what people expect such as the defemce canteen facility, foreign trips to earn more money etc. Really an avoidable book. Does not add anything to your knowledge on the real subject.
Read
November 22, 2015Reading is a good friend.
Want to read
November 12, 2017gud
Read
July 27, 2018Good book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews