The tenures of three high profile offices — the Union Home Secretary; Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB); and Secretary, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) — are ending in the next few months, with suspense over whether the present incumbents will continue at the posts or new faces will replace them. Since Independence, none of these offices have been occupied by a woman.
All three officers were granted a year’s extension in office in 2021 and belong to the 1984 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS).
On May 28, 2021, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) granted a one-year extension in service to IB Director Arvinda Kumar and R&AW Secretary Samant Kumar Goel.
