Intelligence officials are, by the nature of the job they do, nameless and faceless. For all the flak that they receive for the so-called ‘intelligence failures’ that are the staple of newspaper and TV headlines after every terror strike, there are countless occasions when lives have been saved, thanks to intrepid sleuths who work behind the scenes. This could, however, be changing. For the first time in its 132-year-old existence, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the country’s internal intelligence agency, is undergoing a facelift— literally. The agency has recognised its officials, both at the Centre and at the states, with a medal of its own. 

The Asadharan Kushalta Padak or medal for extraordinary intelligence gathering has been rightfully awarded to three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and 34 other officials for exceptional counter-terror operations, services in Jammu and Kashmir, cracking down on terror funding and operations against Maoists and militant groups in the North East — in short, virtually the entire gamut of law enforcement in the country. While the system, as it operates, ensures that officers of other security services are recognised for the sacrifices they make in line of duty, intelligence officials who undertake equally risky assignments — often behind the lines and covertly — have missed the cut because their names cannot be made public. 

In December 2012, IB quietly set up a memorial at its south Delhi headquarters for intelligence officers killed on the job. It also marks a definite step forward. Until now, recognition to IB officials was limited to police medals. It invariably meant that a number of deserving cases were left out because police medals winners belonged to all categories, including state and central police forces. Like in the case of RAW, IB’s move for recognition is long overdue.