Tapan Kumar Deka, a 1998-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been serving as the IB director. This decision reflects his commendable performance over the past two years in this critical role.
The extension aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strategy, after his historic third term inauguration, to retain all key members of his security team, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Deka has dedicated most of his career to the Intelligence Bureau, serving as an Additional Director before being promoted to Special Director in June last year. His extensive counter-terrorism experience has been crucial in several high-profile operations.
As operations joint director, Deka played a critical role in dismantling the Indian Mujahideen’s terror network within the country and led during major incidents like the 2015–16 Pathankot air base attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Deka has also been deeply involved in addressing terrorism-related cases in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly focusing on targeted killings in the Valley.
Extending Tapan Kumar Deka’s tenure is seen as a strategic move to ensure continuity and stability in India’s intelligence operations amidst ongoing security challenges.