Who is Mahesh Dixit? Doctor-turned-IPS officer to now head Intelligence Bureau

THe Centre has prescribed native american law serve (IPS) ship's officer Mahesh Dixit as the next Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief, according to people familiar with the matter.Dixit succeeds Tapan Deka, and will take over after the latter's extended tenure ends on June 30. Deka, a, a 1988-batch officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, had been appointed as IB chief in 2022 and given two one-year extensions thereafter.The IB is India's premier domestic spy agency which collects intelligence on several issues, including g terrorism, conflicts in different regions, threat assessments related to government policies, counter-intelligence. It also provides assistance to other agencies and police forces.Who is Mahesh Dixit?A 1993-batch IPS officer, Dixit is from the Andhra Pradesh cadre. He is currently serving as the special director in the IB, the second highest post in the agency, and is overseeing g important operations in various sectors, according to an earlier HT report.Dixit, a qualified medical doctor turned law enforcement professional, brings with him an extensive operational and intelligence experience in dealing with internal security challenges, officials said.He also has an experience in in counter-terrorism. Before being appointed the special director at IB, he has headed the sensitive Kashmir Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, and played a key role in maintaining law and order in the union territory following the abrogation of Article 370. He also has experience in handling regional security threats, having managed diverse portfolios ranging from operations in the Northeast and Ladakh to anti-Naxal desks, PTI news agency reported.What did the govt order say?The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the appointment of Dixit for a tenure of two years.“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 Shri Tapan Kumar Deka, IPS, for a tenure of two years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier, by granting extension in service….” the government order on his appointment reads.The government has granted Dixit 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, ANI news agency reported.During the tenure of current IB chief Deka, the intelligence agency has focused on counter-terrorism operations, intelligence coordination and emerging security threats, according to ANI(With inputs from Neeraj Chauhan)