RAW and IB chiefs draw equal basic pay, but allowances differ
Both intelligence chiefs get the same apex-scale basic salary, but RAW's foreign service and secrecy allowances push its head's take-home pay higher
The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) are both seen as playing a vital role in national security. RAW gathers secret information abroad, while the IB keeps watch on security and covert activity within the country. The chief's post at both organisations is considered extremely sensitive and carries heavy responsibility. Interestingly, there is a technical difference in the salaries of the two posts.
If anyone thinks the RAW chief is paid more than the IB chief, or the other way round, that is incorrect. Under the rules, the basic salary of the RAW chief and the IB director is exactly equal. Under the 7th Pay Commission, the government has placed both top posts in the apex scale, or Pay Level 17/18. Under this scale, both officers get a fixed basic salary of Rs 2,25,000 a month, the same pay scale as India's Cabinet Secretary or officers of secretary rank in the government.
Even though the basic pay is equal at Rs 2.25 lakh, the total take-home salary of the two differs slightly. This is because of the way the two organisations function and the allowances they receive.
RAW's main job is to gather secret information outside the country, so RAW officers and its chief specifically get a Foreign Service Allowance and a secrecy allowance. When these allowances, dearness allowance and other benefits are added, the RAW chief's total monthly salary reaches Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.
The IB, on the other hand, mainly handles internal security and anti-terror operations within the country. The IB director gets a 20 percent Special Security Allowance along with basic salary, dearness allowance and other government benefits. Since the IB's work is mainly within the country, it does not include foreign allowances of the kind RAW gets.
The IB is counted among the oldest intelligence agencies in the world. In British times, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau was paid Rs 3,500 a month, which fell to Rs 2,500 after independence. Even so, it was the only police officer post in the country to be given the apex pay scale. Later, the chiefs of the BSF and the CRPF were also given the same status. In terms of pay, then, the RAW and IB chiefs are nearly on par.
