Ajit Doval has been reappointed as the National Security Advisor and Dr. P.K. Mishra as the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister with effect from June 10.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointments.

About the National Security Adviser

• The National Security Advisor (NSA) of India is the senior official on the National Security Council and the principal advisor to the Prime Minister on national security and international affairs. 

• Ajit Doval, the current NSA, holds the rank equivalent to a Union Cabinet Minister. 

• This position carries significant authority, making it one of the most powerful roles in the Indian government. 

• Since its inception in 1998, all NSAs have been from either the Indian Foreign Service or the Indian Police Service, serving at the Prime Minister’s discretion.

Role of the NSA

• Advises the Prime Minister on internal and external threats, as well as strategic opportunities for India.

• Manages strategic and sensitive issues on behalf of the Prime Minister.

• Acts as the Prime Minister’s Special Interlocutor with China and as an envoy to Pakistan and Israel on security matters.

• Coordinates intelligence reports from agencies like RAW, IB, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Defence Intelligence Agency, Military Intelligence and National Investigation Agency (NIA), and presents them to the Prime Minister.

• NSA is assisted by Deputy National Security Advisers.

• NSA leads the policy group, which integrates inter-ministerial inputs to formulate national security policies. This group includes key officials like the NITI Aayog vice chairman, cabinet secretary, the chiefs of the three military services, and the secretaries of the RBI, foreign, home, finance, and defence departments.

National Security Council (NSC):

• The NSC of India, established by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on November 19, 1998, is responsible for advising the Prime Minister’s Office on national security and strategic interests. 

• Before the NSC, these tasks were managed by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Members of the NSC:

• National Security Adviser

• Deputy National Security Advisers

• Ministers of Defence, External Affairs, Home, and Finance

• Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog.

• The Prime Minister can chair NSC meetings, which include other members as necessary. For instance, the Prime Minister chaired a meeting of the NSC after the Pulwama attack to discuss the heightened tensions with Pakistan.

Cabinet Committee on Appointments

• Head of the Committee: Prime Minister

• The Cabinet Committee on Appointments, chaired by the Prime Minister, is responsible for key appointments within the Indian government. 

• This committee oversees the appointments of the three service chiefs (Army, Navy, Air Force), the Director General of Military Operations, and the chiefs of all Air and Army Commands. 

Additionally, it appoints:

• Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency

• Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister

• Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services

• Director General of Ordnance Factories

• Director General of Defence Estates

• Controller General of Defence Accounts

• Director of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

• Solicitor-General

• Governor of the Reserve Bank of India

• Chairman and Members of the Railway Board

• Chief Vigilance Officers in Public Sector Undertakings

• Secretariat posts at or above the rank of Joint Secretary in the central government

• The committee is also responsible for major empanelments and transfers of officers serving on central deputation.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)