Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 26: The Centre on Thursday appointed senior IPS officer Mahesh Dixit as the new Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), India's premier internal intelligence agency.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the appointment of the 1993-batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre for a tenure of two years. He will succeed Tapan Kumar Deka as the IB chief.

An official order stated that Dixit, who is currently serving as Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau, will hold the post for two years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. His appointment includes an extension in service under the relevant provisions of the Fundamental Rules and the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.

A seasoned intelligence officer, Dixit has spent several years handling key assignments related to internal security and counter-terrorism. He is considered one of the Intelligence Bureau's most experienced officers.

He earlier headed the Intelligence Bureau's Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Srinagar, where he supervised intelligence operations across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. He played an important role in monitoring the security situation following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Over the course of his career, Dixit has been involved in tackling Pakistan-backed infiltration networks, monitoring radicalisation activities and addressing threats posed by Left-Wing Extremism.

The Intelligence Bureau, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is India's principal internal intelligence agency. It is responsible for gathering and analysing domestic intelligence and plays a key role in counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism and maintaining internal security in coordination with central and state agencies.