Overview
- An Appointments Committee of the Cabinet order gave Parag Jain, the R&AW chief, additional charge of Secretary (Security) with immediate effect until a regular appointee is named or further orders are issued.
- The Secretary (Security) post, which oversees the Special Protection Group responsible for the Prime Minister’s security, has been vacant since Harinath Mishra retired on July 31.
- Manoj Govil had been holding the role in an interim capacity after R A Chandra Sekhar, earlier selected for the post, returned to his cadre to become Kerala police chief.
- The decision follows a deadly car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort; the Union Cabinet on Wednesday termed the explosion a terrorist incident and called for a swift investigation.
- Jain is a 1989-batch IPS officer who became R&AW chief on July 1 for a two-year term and is credited in media reports with a key role in Operation Sindoor and leadership of the Aviation Research Centre.