Spl IB Director Mahesh Dixit appointed new IB chief, succeeds Tapan Deka

New Delhi : The Centre on Thursday appointed Special Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Mahesh Dixit as the next Director of India’s premier internal intelligence agency.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the appointment of Dixit, currently the second in command in the IB, for a period of two years.Dixit, a 1993-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, is currently serving as Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau. He will take over from incumbent IB Director Tapan Kumar Deka, a 1988-batch IPS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre. Tapan Deka’s second extended term as Intelligence Bureau Director is set to conclude on June 30.As per an official order issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Dixit has been appointed as Director of the Intelligence Bureau for a tenure of two years from the date he assumes charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The government has granted him an extension in service under the provisions of Fundamental Rule (FR) 56(d) and Rule 16(1A) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, to enable him to serve in the top intelligence position.”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,” reads the order.Dixit is a seasoned intelligence officer with extensive experience in counter-terrorism, internal security and intelligence operations. Before being posted as Special Director at the IB headquarters in New Delhi, he headed the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Jammu and Kashmir, one of the agency’s most crucial operational assignments given the region’s security challenges.Last year, he was moved from Jammu and Kashmir to the Intelligence Bureau headquarters and elevated as the agency’s second-in-command, a move widely seen as positioning him for higher responsibilities within the organisation.Outgoing Director Tapan Deka has led the agency since July 2022. During his tenure, the IB strengthened its focus on counter-terrorism operations, intelligence coordination and emerging security threats. Deka had received successive two service extensions from the government, reflecting the importance attached to continuity in the country’s intelligence apparatus.With Dixit’s appointment, the government has entrusted an experienced intelligence hand with the responsibility of heading the country’s oldest and most important internal intelligence agency.