Salary of a RAW Agent

The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is the foreign intelligence agency of India, and its headquarters is located in New Delhi. And a RAW Agent's salary, on average, is between INR 0.8-1.3 lakhs per month during their employment. The agency's chief function is to consolidate foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, counsel Indian policymakers, counter-proliferation, and help the country's foreign strategic interests progress. 

RAW Agent Salary

A RAW agent works across borders or within the boundaries in some operations. To become one, you must clear all the Civil Service examination stages. Only the top candidates are allowed to write the RAW exam. Applicants must also have a 20-year of experience working with the government.

Due to this extensive history and experience requirement, the salary of a RAW agent tends to be between INR 80,000 per month to 1.3 Lakhs per month. The RAW agent salary per annum ranges from INR 9.60 Lakhs to INR 15.60 Lakhs.

Some other benefits apart from a RAW agent's salary are:

• RAW agents or officials get two months of extra pay per financial year.
• They get a special security allowance, which could be above their gross income; basic pay, and dearness allowance.
• RAW employees posted overseas missions get particular DA as well as foreign service allowance.
• Raw Agents get hardship allowance for those postings, which have been categorized as hardship postings by the department.
• RAW officials get themselves assigned to either the United States, Singapore, or a European country to ensure good university education for their kids.

Who Is a RAW Agent?

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) was used to leverage external intelligence, even though they are accountable for India's internal intelligence. This was constant until 1968; the changes occurred after India's disappointing performance during the border war with China in 1962.

The failures and the following surrender we faced during that war made a unanimous vote for a separate external intelligence agency. Thus, RAW was established with the intent to focus mainly on China and Pakistan. However, the organization has adopted additional responsibilities related to foreign intelligence over the years, significantly increasing India's hold of power abroad.

RAW alleges that it has contributed to several foreign policy successes:

• The formation of Bangladesh in 1971.
• India's mounting influence in Afghanistan.
• The northeast state of Sikkim's succession to India in 1975.
• The protection of India's nuclear programme.
• The triumph of African liberation movements during the Cold War.

Purpose of a RAW Agent

'Espionage' is known as the performance of spying or using spies, usually by governments, to obtain political and military information by Indian agents. Their principle is to assemble information about another country's activities, defend citizens against clandestine and covert operations from other countries and internal sources, their military operations, and the prevention of potential political scrutiny despite the severe consequences they may wedge as a spy.

RAW Agent Qualifications

A RAW Agent must know everything related to the country from the working process, neighbours, enemies, friends, etc.

Here are some basic qualifications required to become a RAW agent:

Educational Qualification

Aspirants should complete their graduation from any reputed organization or any institutes in the case of RAW. Willing candidates must possess good education from a reputed University and clutch on one foreign language to become a RAW.

Age Limit

Candidates should be less than 56 years with at least 20 years of service in any government body.

Other Basic Criterion

RAW agents must be Indian citizens, and they must not hold any history of violence, crime, or abuse, both self and external.

Getting IB and RAW

In order to get into IB and RAW, some processes must be followed. The first is a written exam, which is then followed by an interview.

Here are some of those exams:

• Combined Graduate Preliminary Exam (CGPE)
• Group A Civil Services Exam conducted under the Central Staffing Scheme

If one is applying to IB, then one must do well in CGPE. On the other hand, if enrolling for RAW, candidates must score well in the Civil Services exam phases.

Qualities of a RAW Agent

The salary of a RAW agent, the benefits and perks provided to them are justification for the characteristics they carry.

Qualities required in a RAW agent include the following.

• Logical and radical thinking is a must.
• The ability to work for long hours should be maintained.
• The ability to travel for longer distances should be part of their comfort.
• The ability to make quick decisions should not be a problem.
• Physical fitness is a must to contribute to physical activities as a RAW agent.
• Applicants must be ready to work in any adverse situation.
• Ability to have keen observation.
• Applicants should be mentally agile and intuitive.
• Applicants should be a master of disguise.
• Applicants must be highly secretive.

RAW Agent Recruitment

RAW always looks for applicants who served in the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) or other government bodies. Applicants are recruited straight from universities and colleges as well if need be. After verifying their background, field officers are also generally recruited from the Army, the Navy, or the Air Force.

Many people are recruited as RAW agent specialists in specific fields like economists, linguists, and financial experts. Clearing all the Civil Services exam phases can also aid in getting the RAW Agent's job. RAW conducts a test known as RAW Allied Service to consider better candidates. Sanjeev Tripathi, the former Director of RAW, is from the RAS cadre himself.

Even though it's a subset to IB, RAW recruits IB employees; usually, this happens if the IB employee is willing to return to their state cadre and switch over from IB to RAW. Doing so will get them in touch with many officials dealing with intelligence for clearance purposes.

Famous RAW Agents of India

Mohanlal Bhaskar was the most popular RAW agent sent to Pakistan as 'Mohammad Aslam' to extract information about their nuclear program. Bhaskar's cover was blown when one of his colleagues betrayed him to Pakistani intelligence, but his works honoured him.

Below are the list of other famous RAW agents of India:

Ravindra Kaushik

He entered Pakistan with a different moniker, 'Nabi Ahmed Shakir,' in 1975. Once he destroyed all his Indian documents, he registered himself as a student at Karachi University for LLB. After graduation, he applied to the Pakistani army for a role as a commissioned officer and was briefly endorsed for a major position. He fathered a son with a local girl whilst providing classified information to the Indian army between 1979-1983. This brought him the moniker of 'Black Tiger' due to his extreme covert skills.

Kashmir Singh

As 'Mohammad Ibrahim,' he was tasked to gather information regarding the local army units close to the borders of Pakistan and submit photographs of their strategic locations. Soon after, he was arrested, chained, and locked away in solitary confinement for interrogation. Even so, he never gave any information on Indian intelligence to his captors.

Ajit Doval

The 'James Bond' of India, he was an IPS officer of Kerala cadre and adopted the moniker of a Pakistani Muslim whilst spending 7 years in Pakistan. His services earned him India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, called the Kirti Chakra. He is currently working as a national security advisor.

Saraswathi Rajamani

She was a member of the Indian National Army in 1942, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. During her membership in the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, she masqueraded as a boy to obtain critical information on the British troops, along with her colleagues.

Sehmat Khan

She was an Indian-Kashmiri undercover agent who took part in covert operations in 1971, specifically during the Indo-Pak war. She was initially drafted to be a facilitator for Indian intelligence, but she took a step further and collected critical information on Pakistani intelligence. This proved fruitful, as her intervention helped prevent Pakistan's plan to sink the INS Viraat, the Indian Navy's Centaur-class aircraft carrier. After her return, she settled with her family, and her son joined the Indian army.