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National Security Advisor of India
Flag of India.svg
Emblem of India.svg
Ajit Doval.png
Incumbent
Ajit Doval, KC

since 30 May 2014
National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)
Abbreviation NSA
Member of
  • Defence Planning Committee (Chairperson)
  • Strategic Policy Group (Chairperson)
  • National Security Council (Secretary)
Seat Secretariat Building, New Delhi, India
Appointer Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)
Term length No fixed tenure is imposed on the office but term can be extended.
Inaugural holder Brajesh Mishra, IFS
Formation November 1999; 25 years ago (1999-11)
Deputy
  • Rajinder Khanna, (Additional NSA)
  • T V Ravichandran, IPS
  • Pavan Kapoor, IFS
  • Pankaj Kumar Singh, IPS
Salary 162,500 (US$2,800) (monthly)

The National Security Advisor (NSA; ISO: Rāṣṭrīya Surakṣā Salāhakāra) is the senior official on the National Security Council of India, and the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of India on national security policy and international affairs. In 2019, the term of Ajit Doval the current NSA was extended for another 5-year term, and has been assigned the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister and ranks at the seventh position in the Indian Order of Precedence.

History

Brajesh Mishra, then Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, was appointed as the first National Security Advisor of India. The post was created on 19 November 1998 by then government headed by Atal Bihari Bajpayee. In 2004, a new government headed by Manmohan Singh was formed at the centre. This government separated the office of NSA into foreign headed by former Foreign Secretary J.N. Dixit and internal headed by former Director, IB M.K. Narayanan. After the death of Dixit in 2005, the office was again fused and Narayanan became the full-time NSA. He was then succeeded by former Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon in 2010. In 2014, the Modi-led government appointed former Director, IB Ajit Doval as the NSA.

Role

The post has high vested powers, so the NSA is a highly prominent and powerful office in the Government of India. All NSAs appointed since the inception of the post in 1998 belong to the either Indian Foreign Service or to the Indian Police Service, and serve at the discretion of the Prime Minister of India.

The National Security Advisor (NSA) is tasked with regularly advising the Prime Minister of India on all matters relating to internal and external threats and opportunities to India, and oversees strategic and sensitive issues on behalf of the Prime Minister. The NSA of India also serves as the Prime Minister's Special Interlocutor with China as well as the envoy to Pakistan and Israel on security affairs.

The NSA receives all intelligence (R&AW, IB, NTRO, MI, DIA, NIA) reports and co-ordinates them to present before the Prime Minister. NSA is assisted by the Deputy National Security Advisors (Deputy NSAs). Currently, retired IPS officer Dattatray Padsalgikar, former R&AW chief Rajinder Khanna and retired IFS officer Pankaj Saran serve as Deputy National Security Advisors. The policy group is the main mechanism for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of inputs in forming national security policies. The group members include the NITI Aayog vice chairman, the cabinet secretary, the three military chiefs, the Reserve Bank of India governor, the foreign secretary, home secretary, finance secretary and the defense secretary.

In June, 2019 NSA Ajit Doval was elevated to the rank of Cabinet Minister with a second 5-year term.

List of National Security Advisors

No Name Portrait Term of office Background Prime Minister Additional NSA Deputy NSA(s)
1 Brajesh Mishra, IFS Brajesh Mishra.jpg 19 November 1998 22 May 2004 5 years, 185 days Permanent Representative to UN Principal Secretary Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Post created)
  • Satish Chandra
2 J. N. Dixit, IFS Jnd2.JPG 23 May 2004 3 January 2005 225 days Foreign Secretary Manmohan Singh
  • Vijay Nambiar (2004 - 2006)
3 M. K. Narayanan, IPS Mayankote Kelath Narayanan - Kolkata 2013-01-07 2702 Cropped.JPG 3 January 2005 23 January 2010 5 years, 20 days Director, Intelligence Bureau
  • Leela K Ponappa (May 2007 - October 2009)
  • Shekhar Dutt (27 July 2007 - 2009)
  • Alok Prasad (October 2009 - January 2011)
4 Shivshankar Menon, IFS Msc2011 SZ 004 Menon (cropped).jpg 24 January 2010 26 May 2014 4 years, 143 days Foreign Secretary
  • Vijaya Latha Reddy (March 2011 - March 2013)
  • Nehchal Sandhu (21 March 2013 - 31 July 2014)
5 Ajit Doval, IPS Ajit Kumar Doval.jpg 30 May 2014 Incumbent

(Period Co-terminus with term of Prime Minister)

10 years, 175 days Director, Intelligence Bureau Narendra Modi Rajinder Khanna (2 July 2024 – Incumbent)
  • Arvind Gupta (5 August 2014 - 5 August 2017)
  • Pankaj Saran (29 May 2018 - 31 December 2021)
  • R. N. Ravi (5 October 2018 - 31 July 2019)
  • Rajinder Khanna (2 January 2018 – 2 July 2024)
  • D. Padsalgikar (29 October 2019 – Incumbent)
  • Vikram Misri (1 Jan 2022–14 July 2024)
  • Pankaj Kumar Singh (18 Jan 2023 –Incumbent)
  • T V Ravichandran (2 July 2024 – Incumbent)
  • Pawan Kapoor (2 July 2024 – Incumbent)

See also

  • National Security Council
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