In April 2025, the Government of India (GoI) reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), appointing Alok Joshi, former Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), as its new Chairman. This strategic move aims to bolster national security advisory mechanisms in light of recent security challenges.
- The decision followed a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India, in response to the Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) terrorist attack.
- Alok Joshi is a 1976-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Haryana cadre. He served as the chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency, from December 30, 2012, to December 31, 2014.
Composition of new NSAB:
The revamped seven-member NSAB comprises distinguished retired officials from India’s military, police, and diplomatic services
i.Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha (Retd.): He is a former officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF), served as the Western Air Commander.
ii.Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh (Retd.): He is a former officer of the Indian Army (IA), held the position of Southern Army Commander.
iii.Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd.): Ex-Indian Navy (IN) officer .He has also served as the Naval Attaché at the Embassy of India in Washington D.C, the United States of America(USA).
iv.Rajiv Ranjan Verma (Retd.): He is a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, served as the Director General (DG) of Police.
v.Manmohan Singh (Retd.): He is a retired IPS officer, served as the Director General of Police (DGP) and is also a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award for his notable contributions to Punjabi literature.
vi.D. Bala Venkatesh Varma (Retd.): He is a retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, formerly served as the Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation.
National Security Advisory Board (NSAB):
i.Established in 1998, the NSAB functions as a key advisory body to the National Security Council (NSC) of India, which is chaired by PM of India.
- Over the years, it has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s security policies, including drafting the country’s nuclear doctrine in 2001.
ii.In 1998, the first board was chaired by the late Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam, a renowned Indian strategic affairs analyst.
iii.The previous board, constituted in 2018, was led by P.S. Raghavan, former Indian Ambassador to Russia
About National Security Council (NSC) India:
i.NSC (India) was established in 1998 by the Government of India (GoI) under the leadership of the then Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It serves as the apex body for managing national security and strategic affairs in India.
ii.Brajesh Mishra was appointed as the first National Security Advisor (NSA) of India.
National Security Advisor(NSA) of India – Ajit Kumar Doval
Headquarters – New Delhi (Delhi)
