TheDirectorate of Military Intelligence (M.I.) is theIntelligence arm of theIndian Army.[2]The primary mission ofmilitary intelligence is to provide timely, relevant, accurate, and synchronized intelligence support to tactical, operational and strategic-level needs of the army.
It also conductscounter-intelligence activities to detect, identify and neutralize adversarial intelligence threats inside the Indian Army.[3]
Approximately 3,700 military personnel are assigned to intelligence duties. These personnel are trained at Military Intelligence Training School and Depot (MINTSD),Pune.[4]
The operational geographical mandate of the organization is set to 50 km from the border.[2]
The agency was set up in 1941 as part of the erstwhileBritish Indian Army to generate field intelligence for the army, in theSecond World War. After India'sindependence, the Directorate of Military Intelligence (M.I.) was initially tasked with generating only tactical or field intelligence in allcountries bordering India.
In 1978, the directorate was involved in theSamba spy scandal, wherein it was later found that the directorate had falsely implicated threeIndian Army officers as Pakistani spies.[5][6]
In early 1957, 2 M.I. officers had infiltrated into Chinese territory and carried out areconnaissance operation. It was due to this operation, that Indian government got first-hand evidence that China had illegally built a road inAksai Chin. The personnel had joined a group of yak grazers in disguise and gathered the first-hand evidence.[7]
M.I. was also active inMyanmar, which nurtured insurgent groups. In 1998, a M.I. operative impersonated aKhalistani terrorist and infiltrated a gun-running Myanmar insurgent group. He led them into a death trap in theAndaman islands.[8]Operation Leech, as the operation was called, marked the start of the outreach of the Indian Army to theBurmese junta in the 1990s. It also aimed to offset the expanding footprint of China on the eastern border of India.[2][8]
Since 2005, M.I. is also involved in hundreds of cross-border counter terrorism strikes across LOC, into Pakistan. Most notable being2016 Surgical strike.[10]
Military Intelligence Training School & Depot, Pune
Military Intelligence Training School & Depot (MINTSD) at Pune trains intelligence professionals of Indian Army,Navy,Air Force,Paramilitary forces,civil intelligence agencies and friendly foreign countries. It started modestly inKarachi on 20 January 1941. MINTSD moved throughMurree in July 1947 and, after thepartition of India, toMhow in November 1947 and finally to its present location in Pune in September 1952.[11][12]
It offers the following courses under theSavitribai Phule Pune University - Diplomas in Combat Intelligence and Security, Management of Intelligence and Security Teams, Management of Intelligence and Security Teams, Security, Security and Intelligence Tradecraft; P.G. Diploma in Combat Intelligence Analysis and Management, Intelligence Tradecraft and Practice, Satellite and Aerial Imagery Interpretation and Security with Specialization in Counter Intelligence.[13]
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India
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