Govt revamps panel on national security

An officer familiar with the reconstitution of NSAB said this was done because the tenure of the existing board ended and NSAB members are appointed for a term of two years

The government on Wednesday reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and appointed former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Alok Joshi as its chairman, people familiar with the matter said.

Govt revamps panel on national security

The move comes even as India works towards a targeted military response to the Pakistan-sponsored terror strikes in Pahalgam , Kashmir, last week, the people added.

Other members in the revamped NSAB include former western air commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, former southern army commander Lt Gen A K Singh and Rear Admiral (retd) Monty Khanna. Two retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers , Manmohan Singh and Rajiv Ranjan Verma and a retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, B Venkatesh Verma also have been included in the new board, the people cited above said.

First constituted by the government in 1998, NSAB is a multi-disciplinary body comprising eminent professionals, academics, scientists, administrative experts and retired bureaucrats. Its principal function is to undertake long term analysis and to provide perspectives on national security issues to the National Security Council (NSC) and to recommend measures or solutions and policy options on the issues referred by the NSC to it.

An officer familiar with the reconstitution of the NSAB said this was done because the tenure of the existing board ended. NSAB members are appointed for a term of two years.

“ NSAB will review the national security situation, particularly in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack as well as analyse related issues like continuing cross-border terrorism and give recommendations as to how to deal with such situations,” said one of the people cited above

“The reports, assessments and policy recommendations prepared by the NSAB are sent to the National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval, on a regular basis and then it is fed to the National Security Council (NSC)/Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS),” said a second person, adding that the specifics of NSAB’s work cannot be divulged in the national interest.

The restructuring of NSAB comes in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, all men, 25 of whom were tourists and 24, Hindu, were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

In a high-level security meeting at his residence on Tuesday, Modi reaffirmed India’s resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism and underlined that the armed forces have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the Pahalgam attack.

India is currently weighing military operations to target Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack and tensions have spiraled along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

NSAB never had a fixed number of members, and the government has not shared any other names or order or notification regarding the members.