In its bid to counter challenges posed by terrorism, Naxalism and serious crimes, the Union Home Ministry has mooted a proposal for creation of separate intelligence cadre by the State Governments to make their covert agencies professional.
In a note to the States, the Ministry said presently there is a common cadre for the executive police in most of the States. The intelligence branch and the recruitment rules are fixed keeping the requirements of executive police and the training is more oriented towards executive policing rather than intelligence. Postings in the intelligence wing of the State police are made as a turnover or as punishment. With a different set of recruitment rules, suitable talent and willing candidates would be attracted for the dedicated intelligence cadre.
In the prevalent police structure, the focused places of posting are on the executive branch. Most officers/staff find the executive being more attractive and spend most of their term in Special Branch/Intelligence Wing attempting to get posted back to the police station/district as a result of which intelligence is a major casualty, according to the Union Home Ministry.
“The proposal to create a separate intelligence cadre was thought up in order to remedy the above-mentioned situation. It was felt that if a separate intelligence cadre is created, it will be possible to conduct separate recruitment for this cadre with different eligibility conditions so as to attract suitable, talented and willing candidates who will join the police as a member of the intelligence cadre. Such officer would be given especially designed training after their recruitment so that they develop the attitude and orientation required for intelligence work,” the ministry said in its note.
These officers would have incentive to hone their skills and tradecraft for intelligence as they will remain in the cadre for the entire service career. The proposal would go a long way towards achieving the objectives of strengthening the State Special Branches and making their working professional, it added.
On its part, the Union Home Ministry is in the process of formulating a pilot project for revitalising the village intelligence network which is expected to bolster HUMINT (Human Intelligence).
The Centre has advised the States to put in place a dedicated intelligence cadre and train them in recruitment of agents in order to sustain efforts to enhance HUMINT (Human Intelligence) coverage.