New Delhi: Counter-terrorism expert Tapan Kumar Deka was on Tuesday given an additional one-year term till June 2026 as the chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the second such extension for him.
This comes amid the evolving security situation in the wake of India’s strike on May 7 on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in retaliation against last month’s Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Deka (62), a 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, was in June 2022 appointed as the IB chief for two years. His term was extended by one year in June last year.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Deka’s extension as the Director, Intelligence Bureau, for a period of one year beyond June 30, 2025, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.
His extension is “in relaxation of the provisions of FR 56 (d) and Rule 16 (1A) of All India Services (Death cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958”, said the order that comes over a month ahead of completion of his extended term.
The rules allow the central government to extend in “public interest” the services of the chiefs of IB and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and others, beyond the superannuation age of 60 years.
Known as a crisis manager in the power corridors and intelligence fraternity, Deka is considered an expert in ‘operations’ especially in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the Northeast region of the country.
He served as the head of the operations wing of the IB for over two decades before finally taking over the reins of the agency. Deka was also in charge of the counter-assaults during the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008.
Adept in handling terrorism and Islamic radicalisation related cases, Deka had also led the operations against the terror group Indian Mujahideen, which was behind a series of subversive activities across the country in the 2000s.
He was also deputed in his home state Assam to handle the volatile situation that arose following large-scale violence after the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019.
Deka has been the go-to man for the government on the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir as he has vast experience in handling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Union Territory.
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Mr. Deka’s failure led to the Pahalgam attack. Internal security is IB’s responsibility. The IB failed to provide specific inputs to the armed forces.
This is the hallmark of Modi administration – people who mess up get to keep their job, at times they are even promoted.
An example of this policy is Ashwini Vaishnaw. Mr. Vaishnaw has been a spectacular failure as Railway Minister. No other railway minister presided over so many train accidents and stampedes and other mishaps. But he keeps getting promoted.