New Delhi/IBNS: Senior IPS officer Ravi Sinha has been appointed as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

Sinha, a 1988 batch IPS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, who is presently serving as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, will replace Samant Kumar Goel.

Goel will complete his two-year tenure on June 30.

He is taking charge of the position at a crucial time when Sikh extremism and ethnic violence in Manipur are likely to be some of his immediate challenges.

Sinha is currently the special secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat, and is known for his nuanced understanding of sensitive issues such as Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and LWE (Left Wing Extremism).