The
Intelligence Bureau (
IB) (
Devanāgarī: खुफिया विभाग ,
khūphiyā vibhāga) is India's internal
intelligence agency and reputedly the world's oldest intelligence agency. It was recast as the Central Intelligence Bureau in 1947 under the
Ministry of Home Affairs. The reason for the perception may be because, in 1885, Major General Sir
Charles MacGregor was appointed Quartermaster General and head of the Intelligence Department for the British Indian Army at
Simla. The objective then was to monitor Russian troop deployments in Afghanistan, fearing a Russian invasion of
British India through the North-West during the late 19th century.