Rameshwar Nath Kao
| Rameshwarnath Kao | |
|---|---|
| First Director of R&AW | |
|
In office 1968–1977 |
|
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | K. Sankaran Nair |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
10 May 1918 Benares, British India |
| Died | 20 January 2002 (aged 83) New Delhi |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Spymaster |
Rameshwarnath Kao (10 May 1918 – 20 January 2002) was a spymaster and the first chief of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) from its founding in 1969 to 1977. Kao was one of India's foremost intelligence officers, and helped build R&AW. He held the position of Secretary (Research) in the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India, which has been held by all R&AW directors since. He had also, during the course of his long career, served as the personal security chief to Prime Minister Nehru and as security adviser to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He also founded the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) and the Joint Intelligence Committee. An intensely private man, Kao was rarely seen in public post-retirement, and was photographed only twice throughout his life.
Kao was born in the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on 10 May 1918 to a Kashmiri Pandit family who immigrated from Srinagar district. He was brought up by his uncle Pandit Trilokinath Kao. Encouraged to pursue education, he had his early schooling in the city of Baroda, in the Bombay Presidency. Here he did his matriculation in 1932 and intermediate in 1934. In 1936, he attained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lucknow University. He then chose to pursue a master's degree in English Literature at Allahabad University. He completed his Master of Arts degree some time before 1940.
Rameshwarnath Kao was also known as Ramji amongst his friends and colleagues. A fiercely private man, Kao was rarely seen in public. He knew too much to make a public statement or write a book. Some attribute this to a life devoted to adventure and espionage which made it very difficult for him to mingle publicly. He was a recluse leading a heavily guarded life in his New Delhi bungalow, very rarely giving interviews. From 1989 onwards, Kao dedicated his time largely to the task of restoring the dignity and honour of the Kashmiri Pandits. He interacted with various political leaders and the Indian government to see that the Kashmir problem was not forgotten. He died in 2002 at age 84.
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