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Intelligence Bureau (IB) : FAS Intelligence World Agencies India Index Search Join FAS

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is India's domestic intelligence agency, reputedly the oldest in the world. It is difficult to know the full scope of the IB's operations, which are not subject to audit. In addition to domestic intelligence, the IB collects intelligence on border areas and had some external intelligence responsibilities. The IB monitors communications and intercepts mail under the Indian Telegraph Act in cases involving public safety. It intercepts 5,000 international letters per day. The IB also aims to ensure pro-government views are published. The IB provided reports that revealed a growing relationship between the DMK party in Tamil Nadu and the LTTE, leading to the dismissal of the DMK government, though it did not foresee the

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42 views

Intelligence Bureau (IB) : FAS Intelligence World Agencies India Index Search Join FAS

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is India's domestic intelligence agency, reputedly the oldest in the world. It is difficult to know the full scope of the IB's operations, which are not subject to audit. In addition to domestic intelligence, the IB collects intelligence on border areas and had some external intelligence responsibilities. The IB monitors communications and intercepts mail under the Indian Telegraph Act in cases involving public safety. It intercepts 5,000 international letters per day. The IB also aims to ensure pro-government views are published. The IB provided reports that revealed a growing relationship between the DMK party in Tamil Nadu and the LTTE, leading to the dismissal of the DMK government, though it did not foresee the

Uploaded by

Vivek Waghe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FAS | Intelligence | World Agencies | India ||||| Index | Search | Join FAS

Intelligence Bureau (IB)


The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is the Indian government’s domestic intelligence agency, and
reputedly the world's oldest intelligence agency. It is rather difficult to ascertain what the IB
does, since its operations are outside the purview of audit or inquiry. In addition to domestic
intelligence responsibilities, the IB is particularly tasked with intelligence collection in border
areas, following the 1951 recommendations of the Himmatsinhji Committee (also known as
the North and North-East Border Committee), a task entrusted to military intelligence
organizations prior to independence in 1947. The IB was also tasked with other external
intelligence responsibilities as of 1951.

The Indian Telegraph Act authorizes the surveillance of communications, including


monitoring telephone conversations and intercepting personal mail, in case of public
emergency or "in the interest of the public safety or tranquility." These powers have been
used by every state government. It has been reported that as many as 5,000 letters from
abroad are intercepted every day by the Intelligence Bureau under the provisions of the
Indian Post Office Act. Indian courts do not issue warrants or accept wiretaps as evidence,
giving the police little incentive to intercept. Many wiretaps are conducted "informally" by
agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau, and the targets are frequently opposition politicians.
From time to time a few such cases have come to light, been furiously debated in Parliament,
and declared illegal.

The IB has also employed officers, who submit letters and opinion pieces under assumed
names, to ensure that newspapers carry the government’s point of view. The Intelligence
Bureau (IB) procures information which is more often than not related to the security of the
current Government rather than of the nation.

The DMK government led by M. Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu was dismissed in 1990 on
grounds of having encouraged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) movement in
the state. karunanidhi had portrayed the fellow Tamils' cause in Sri Lanka as just and noble.
Imposition of central rule in Tamil Nadu, a political step taken under pressure from the
Congress (I) Party, was taken following a series of reports filed by the Intelligence Bureau
(IB) that reveale the growing informal relationship between the followers of the DMK and
the LTTE. Although the IB had established Karunanidhi's sympathy towards the LTTE, it
was unaware of the group's plan to assasinate Rajiv Gandhi.

Sources and Methods


 Beyond The Vohra Report Inder Malhotra The Hindu, August 05, 1995
 Who decides whose phone is to be tapped? Vir Sanghvi
 Babus We Can't Afford
 Military Intelligence in India: An Analysis BHASHYAM KASTURI : The Indian
Defence Review, 1997
 The Game Of Foxes: J-K Intelligence War Manoj Joshi Times Of India, July 16, 1994

FAS | Intelligence | World Agencies | India ||||| Index | Search | Join FAS

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Maintained by Steven Aftergood

Updated Sunday, May 24, 1998 7:46:48 AM

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