After much criticism over the poor functioning of the Intelligence wing in Karnataka, the State government is in the process of setting up a special intelligence cadre. But instead of recruiting operatives from the police force, they are selecting college graduates.
The police have selected 41 graduates, who after a final round of interview scheduled later this month, will undergo regular police training for about a year.
Once they reach the rank of sub-inspectors, they will be trained to collect Intelligence and thwart criminal activities and acts of terrorism, said a senior officer. They will also be trained exclusively in infiltration. “Since cyber crime is also an emerging area, they will be trained in collecting cyber Intelligence,” a senior police officer said. They will report to the ADGP (Intelligence).
Officials hope that this move will give a boost to the State’s Intelligence wing, where members are recruited from different police wings on deputation. “In the Intelligence wing, police personnel work out of compulsion or on punishment and are often keen to return to their parent department, which they feel commands more respect,” said a retired police officer who worked in the Intelligence wing.
The wing had also come under severe criticism from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who pointed out that merely collecting media reports is not Intelligence.
Officials claim that the new cadre will not face the same problems as they will be trained extensively. “They will be provided with latest technology. The quality of the Intelligence officers will also be good as the recruitment process is transparent,” said the officer. However, there are concerns about how this yet to be named cadre will work parallel with the existing set-up of State Intelligence and the internal security division. Several police officers are concerned about whether it will lead to more confusion than benefits.
Retired police officers feel that in recent times, the existing Intelligence team has also been doing a good job by coordinating with Central Intelligence agencies such as the IB and RAW. “It is good to have a dedicated team. But creating it parallel to the existing State Intelligence and Internal Security Division will only lead to confusion and do more harm than good,” pointed out a retired police officer.
Gopal B. Hosur, former State Intelligence Chief, said: “Direct recruitment of Intelligence officers has been a long standing demand to strengthen Intelligence in the State. This is one of the first small steps towards that.”
