Directorate of Military Intelligence (India)

Last updated

Directorate of Military Intelligence Corps
Directorate of Military Intelligence Corps Logo (India).svg
Active1941 – present
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
BranchFlag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army
Type Military intelligence
Size3,700
HeadquartersSena Bhawan, New Delhi
Motto(s)Always Alert
Engagements World War II
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-China War of 1962
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)
Kargil War
2016 Indian Line of Control strike
Commanders
Director General Military IntelligenceLt Gen. R S Raman [1]
Colonel of
the Regiment		Lt Gen R S Raman
Insignia
Formation sign Directorate of Military Intelligence Corps Insignia (India).svg

The Directorate of Military Intelligence (M.I.) is the Intelligence arm of the Indian Army. [2] The primary mission of military intelligence is to provide timely, relevant, accurate, and synchronized intelligence support to tactical, operational and strategic-level needs of the army.

Contents

It also conducts counter-intelligence activities to detect, identify and neutralize adversarial intelligence threats inside Indian Army. [3]

Organisation

Approximately 3,700 military personnel are assigned to intelligence duties. These personnel are trained at Military Intelligence Training School and Depot (MINTSD), Pune. [4]

The operational geographical mandate of the organization is set to 50 km from the border. [2]

History

The agency was set up in 1941 as part of the erstwhile British Indian Army to generate field intelligence for the army, in the Second World War. After Independence, M.I. was initially tasked with generating only tactical or field intelligence in all countries bordering India.

In 1978, the directorate was involved in the Samba spy scandal, wherein it was later found that the directorate had falsely implicated three Indian Army officers as Pakistani spies. [5] [6]

Operations

In early 1957, 2 M.I. officers had infiltrated into Chinese territory and carried out a Reconnaissance operation. It was due to this operation, that Indian government got first-hand evidence that China had illegally built a road in Aksai Chin. The personnel had joined a group of yak grazers in disguise and gathered the first-hand evidence. [7]

In late 1990s, M.I. officers were also deployed in Tajikistan and later into Afghanistan, in support of the Ahmad Shah Massoud–led Northern Alliance that overthrew the Taliban in 2001 with the aid of the US-led coalition forces in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the subsequent War in Afghanistan. [2]

M.I. was also active in Myanmar, which nurtured insurgent groups. In 1998, a M.I. operative impersonated a Khalistani terrorist and infiltrated a gun-running Myanmar insurgent group. He led them into a death trap in the Andaman islands. [8] Operation Leech, as the operation was called, marked the start of the outreach of the Indian Army to the Burmese junta in the 1990s. It also aimed to offset the expanding footprint of China on the eastern border of India. [2] [8]

M.I. has carried out operations in Bangladesh too because of safe sanctuaries provided to insurgent groups like the United Liberation Front of Assam (U.L.F.A.), the United National Liberation Front of Manipur (U.N.L.F.) and the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation. [9] Within months of the Hasina government taking over in 2009, the entire leadership of the U.L.F.A. and the U.N.L.F. was handed over to Indian authorities. [2]

In January 2012, the M.I. warned Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, about a coup brewing in the Bangladeshi Army which was ultimately foiled. [2]

Since 2005, M.I. is also involved in hundreds of cross-border counter terrorism strikes across LOC, into Pakistan. Most notable being 2016 Surgical strike. [10]

Military Intelligence Training School & Depot

Military Intelligence Training School & Depot, Pune MINTSD.jpg
Military Intelligence Training School & Depot, Pune

Military Intelligence Training School & Depot (MINTSD) at Pune trains intelligence professionals of Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Para Military Forces, Civil Intelligence Agencies and Friendly Foreign Countries. It started modestly in Karachi on 20 January 1941. MINTSD moved through Murree in July 1947 and after partition to Mhow in November 1947 and finally to its present location in Pune in September 1952. [11] [12]

It offers the following courses under the Savitribai Phule Pune University - Diplomas in Combat Intelligence and Security, Management of Intelligence and Security Teams, Management of Intelligence and Security Teams, Security, Security and Intelligence Tradecraft; P.G. Diploma in Combat Intelligence Analysis and Management, Intelligence Tradecraft and Practice, Satellite and Aerial Imagery Interpretation and Security with Specialization in Counter Intelligence. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Armed Forces are the military forces of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. They consist of the three uniformed military services: the Bangladesh Army, the Bangladesh Navy and the Bangladesh Air Force. The Armed Forces are under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Defence of the Government of Bangladesh, and are directly administered by the Armed Forces Division of the Prime Minister's Office. The President of Bangladesh serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh has the third-largest defence budget in South Asia, The Bangladeshi military is the 37th strongest in the world and the third most powerful military force in South Asia. Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Coast Guard are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. during peacetime, but during wartime they fall under the command of Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy respectively.

India has several Special Forces (SF) units, with the various branches of the Indian Armed Forces having their own separate special forces units. The Para SF of the Indian Army, MARCOS of the Indian Navy and the Garud Commando Force of the Indian Air Force. There are other special forces which are not controlled by the military, but operate under civilian organisations, such as the National Security Guard under the Home Ministry and the Special Group under the Research and Analysis Wing, the external intelligence agency of India. Small groups from the military SF units are deputed in the Armed Forces Special Operations Division, a unified command and control structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Liberation Front of Asom</span> Rebel organisation operating in state of Assam, India

The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is an armed militant organisation operating in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle in the Assam conflict. The Government of India banned the organisation in 1990 citing it as a terrorist organisation, while the United States Department of State lists it under "other groups of concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Security Force</span> Indian Border police deployed near Bangladesh and Pakistan

The Border Security Force (BSF) is the Border Service branch of the Central Armed Police Force of India. It is a paramilitary force responsible for guarding the border, particularly India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is under the command of the Ministry of Home Affairs and was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 to ensure the security of India’s borders and for related matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Northeast India</span> Ongoing separatist militancy in Northeast India

The Insurgency in Northeast India involves multiple separatist militant groups operating in some of India's northeastern states, which are connected to the rest of India by the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of land as narrow as 14.29 miles (23.00 km) wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United National Liberation Front</span> Militant organization that aims for a sovereign Manipur

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), also known as the United National Liberation Front of Manipur, is a separatist insurgent group active in the state of Manipur in Northeast India which aims at establishing a sovereign and socialist Manipur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Guard Bangladesh</span> Border security agency of Bangladesh

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is a paramilitary force responsible for the border security of Bangladesh. The BGB is entrusted with the responsibility to defend the 4,427 kilometres (2,751 mi) border of Bangladesh with India and Myanmar. It was formerly known as the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Directorate General of Forces Intelligence</span> Defence intelligence section of the Bangladesh Armed Forces

The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, commonly known by its acronym DGFI, is the defense intelligence agency of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, tasked with collection, collation and evaluation of strategic and topographic information, primarily through human intelligence (HUMINT). As one of the principal members of the Bangladesh intelligence community, the DGFI reports to the Director-General under the executive authority of the head of government, the Prime Minister, and is primarily focused on providing intelligence for the Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Bangladesh, and the Armed Forces of Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Frontier Force</span> Special covert unit of Indian armed forces

The Special Frontier Force (SFF) is a paramilitary Indian special forces unit composed primarily of Tibetan refugees and Gurkhas in India. It was established after the Sino-Indian War of 1962 to primarily conduct covert operations behind the Chinese lines in case of another war with China. Later it increased in size and scope of operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military history of Bangladesh</span> Overview of the process of militarization in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's military history is intertwined with the history of a larger region, including present-day India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. The country was historically part of Bengal – a major power in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

The India–Bangladesh Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace was a 25-year treaty that was signed on 19 March 1972 forging close bilateral relations between India and the newly established state of Bangladesh. The treaty was also known as the Indira–Mujib Treaty, after the signatories of the treaty the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army of Manipur</span> Militant organization

The People's Liberation Army of Manipur, often shortened to the People's Liberation Army, is a militant group fighting for the creation of an independent and socialist Manipur, a state in northeastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assam separatist movements</span> Separatist movements in Assam, India

Assam separatist movements refers to a series of multiple insurgent and separatist movements that had been operated in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. The conflict started in the 1970s following tension between the native indigenous Assamese people and the Indian government over alleged neglect, political, social, cultural, economic issues and increased levels of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 12,000 United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants and 18,000 others.

Secession in India typically refers to state secession, which is the withdrawal of one or more states from the Republic of India. Whereas, some have wanted a separate state, union territory or an autonomous administrative division within India. Many separatist movements exist with thousands of members, however, some have low local support and high voter participation in democratic elections. However, at the same time, demanding separate statehood within under the administration of Indian union from an existing state can lead to criminal charges under secession law in India. India is described as an ‘Union of States’ in Article 1 of the Indian constitution I.e "Indestructible nation of destructible states" by its father of constitution Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar where a state or Union territory of India cannot secede from India by any means and the Central Government has more powers than the respective state governments and can forcefully change the names and boundaries of the states without their permission at any time when needed for self interest and for the maintenance of integrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation All Clear</span> Military operation conducted by Royal Bhutan Army forces against Assam separatist insurgent groups

Operation All Clear was a military operation conducted by Royal Bhutan Army forces against Assam separatist insurgent groups in the southern regions of Bhutan between 15 December 2003 and 3 January 2004. It was the first operation ever conducted by the Royal Bhutan Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Manipur</span> Ongoing armed conflict between India and multiple separatist rebel groups

The Insurgency in Manipur is an ongoing armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups, taking place in the state of Manipur. The Insurgency in Manipur is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India; it displays elements of a national liberation war as well as an ethnic conflict.

Operation Golden Bird was an Indian-Myanmar military operation conducted by the Indian Army in April–May 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Group (India)</span> Confidential special forces unit of India

The Special Group (SG) is the special forces unit of the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s foreign intelligence agency. It is responsible for covert and paramilitary operations and is known as 4 Vikas, 22 SF and 22 SG. Its responsibilities include conducting operations with which the Government of India may not wish to be overtly associated.

<i>Operation X</i> (book) 2019 non-fiction book

Operation X: The Untold Story of India's Covert Naval War in East Pakistan is a book co-authored by M.N.R. Samant and Sandeep Unnithan. It is the first known documentation of Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Intelligence's Operation X, which was undertaken in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Involvement of Northeast Indian insurgents in the Myanmar conflict</span>

Throughout the long-running separatist insurgencies in Northeast India, dozens of India-based insurgent groups have been involved in the neighboring conflict in Myanmar, both sheltering in Myanmar from the counterinsurgent Assam Rifles and participating in the conflict itself. Outside of several Indian-led operations, including Operation Golden Bird in 1995, Operation Hot Pursuit in 2015, or Operation Sunrise I and II in 2019, areas in which these insurgent groups are active have scarcely experienced fighting. Amid the escalation of civil war in Myanmar from 2021, several sources claim that the majority of Indian ethnic armed organisations (IEAOs) are allied, or have some level of understanding, with the ruling military junta of Myanmar, who allows them to maintain bases inside mountainous areas of northern Myanmar, typically in return for the IEAOs attacking anti-junta resistance groups.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/Jun/10/indian-army-gets-new-dgs-of-intelligence-information-warfare-and-strategic-planning-2583731.html
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Unnithan, Sandeep (28 January 2012). "The Secret Secret Service". India Today . Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Unnithan, Sandeep (6 February 2012). "How Indian Army's Military Intelligence Directorate works". India Today. Living Media India Limited. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "Military intelligence training school completes 75 years". Times Of India. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "The Samba Case, the Indian army's darkest chapter". Reddif. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  6. ↑ Chawla, Prabhu (1 February 2014). "Samba spy case takes dramatic turn as officers challenge dismissal order in HC". India Today. Living Media India Limited. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "Jawaharlal Nehru ignored intelligence report of Chinese road in Indian territory in 1957: Book". Times Of India. 14 September 2020.
  8. 1 2 Goel, Kritika. "Operation Leech: What Was This Military Op & What Went Down?". The Quint. Quintillion Media Pvt Ltd. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  9. ↑ Swami, Praveen (26 December 2011). "India's secret war in Bangladesh". The Hindu. The Hindu Group. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  10. ↑ Negi, Manjeet Singh. "Surgical strikes in PoK: How Indian para commandos killed 50 terrorists, hit 7 camps". India Today. Living Media India Limited. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "75 glorious years of Military Intelligence Training School And Depot (MINTSD)". 20 January 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Military Intelligence Training School And Depot-Indian Army Postal Cover". 20 January 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Colleges, Research Centers and University Department Details" . Retrieved 29 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.