Early life
R. N. Manickam was born on 3 July 1919 in Rishiyur in Tamil Nadu to a Tamil Mudaliar family. In 1936, he attained a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honours) in Economics from St. Joseph's College, Trichy. 

Career
R. N. Manickam joined the Indian Police Services in _____after passing a competitive examination.

During his long and distinguished career in the Indian Police Services (IPS), he had been a Diplomat and First Secretary in the Indian Embassy in Washington; Director of Security in the Ministry of External Affairs and Deputy Director, Intelligence Bureau; Inspector General of Tamil Nadu Police. He had also served as the personal security chief to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and had been a senior police officer in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). 

As Principal Director, he headed the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), the aviation and technical wing of India's external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Cabinet Secretariat. 

Personal Life
R. N. Manickam was fondly known as Jimmy amongst his friends and colleagues. He and his wife Kokila had five children- sons Raj, Vasanth, Jai Kumar and daughters Premalatha and Chitralekha.

He was a former President of the elite Madras Gymkhana Club. 

His great loves were his work, family, golf and whisky. 

Death
R. N. Manickam died at the age of 96, on 11 September 2015, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from the effects of Parkinson's Disease. Tributes came in from friends, well-wishers, senior officers and former staff of the Indian Police, business magnates and strangers who had heard of him through the media.  

Honours
On his demise, R. N. Manickam was honoured with a police funeral by the Tamil Nadu Police that he had once commanded and a Three-Volley Salute fired by a rifle party of 20 policemen of the Tamil Nadu Police Honour Guard. His ashes were dispersed in the sea facing his former office - the Police Headquarters, Marina Beach, Chennai.  

Legacy
R. N. Manickam is remembered in the Indian Intelligence community, for his  role in developing ARC as an efficient and formidable intelligence force. He was well regarded by his superiors, colleagues and his juniors. 

Memoir
R. N. Manickam published a memoir, Security, Espionage and Counter Intelligence based on important assignments spanning his career of over 36 years. His memoir presents insights into the secretive and powerful world of intelligence services. It is written in his forthright, principled manner as a seasoned bureaucrat combining wit and modesty in narrating his experiences and accomplishments.