Centre Appoints Mahesh Dixit as New IB Director
The Central Government has appointed senior IPS officer Mahesh Dixit as the next Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), handing one of India’s most crucial internal security responsibilities to the veteran intelligence officer.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Dixit’s appointment on Thursday. He will succeed outgoing Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka.
According to the official order, Dixit has been appointed for a tenure of two years from the date he assumes charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The government order stated, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mahesh Dixit, IPS (AP:93), Special Director, Intelligence Bureau as Director, Intelligence Bureau vice Tapan Kumar Deka, IPS (HP:88), for a tenure of two years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier, by granting extension in service under the provisions of FR 56(d) and Rule 16 (1A) of All India Services (Death cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.”
Who Is Mahesh Dixit?
Mahesh Dixit is a 1993-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre and has spent a significant part of his career serving in the Intelligence Bureau.
Before being elevated as IB Director, he was serving as the agency’s Special Director and is regarded as one of its most experienced officers in intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism and internal security.
Key Role in Jammu & Kashmir
One of the most significant assignments of Dixit’s career was heading the Intelligence Bureau’s Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Srinagar.
During his tenure, he supervised intelligence operations across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and played a key role in monitoring the security situation following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Officials also credit him with handling several sensitive national security assignments involving Pakistan-backed infiltration, radicalisation networks and Left-Wing Extremism.
What Does the Intelligence Bureau Do?
The Intelligence Bureau is India’s premier internal intelligence agency and functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The agency is responsible for gathering and analysing domestic intelligence, monitoring internal security threats, conducting counter-intelligence operations and supporting counter-terrorism efforts across the country. It also works closely with central and state security agencies to safeguard national security.
With decades of intelligence experience and a strong background in handling high-risk security operations, Mahesh Dixit will now lead the country’s oldest intelligence agency at a time when India continues to face evolving internal and cross-border security challenges.
