Rejig In National Security Advisory Board: Alok Joshi New Chairman; Retired IPS Officers RR Verma & Manmohan Singh Brought In

BREAKING: In a significant move to strengthen the country’s strategic advisory committee, the Union Government has reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) by inducting several high-profile former officials from the armed forces, intelligence, foreign service, and police.

Former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) Alok Joshi has been appointed as the new Chairman of the NSAB.

Among the other six notable new names to the seven-member board are former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, former Southern Army Commander Lt Gen AK Singh, and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna - all representing the senior retired leadership of the armed forces.

The revamped board also brought in two seasoned police veterans - Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh. Both of them retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers.

Completing the panel is B Venkatesh Varma, a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.

Who is NSAB new Chairman Alok Joshi?

Alok Joshi, who headed the Research and Analysis Wing for a long time, is a Haryana cadre IPS officer of the 1976 batch.

Hailing from Lucknow, he graduated from Jawaharlal Nehru University, (JNU), completed his postgraduation in political science and then joined the Indian Police Service (IPS), Haryana cadre in 1976.

Commissioned as a Regular Recruit (RR) in the Haryana Cadre in 1976, he completed a Command Course by West Yorkshire Police Training and Development Centre, UK in his early professional days.

Along Joshi holds a Masters degree in Political Science from Hindu College in Delhi. He had served as R&AW's station chief in Nepal and also handled counter terrorism issues. India's first Drone Application Research Centre and Cyber Security Centre were inaugurated in Dehradun during Joshi's chairmanship in 2018. 

Revamped National Security Advisory Board: Know The Members 

The other members of the reconstituted National Security Advisory Board include - former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, Former Southern Army Commander Lt Gen AK Singh, Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd), Retired IPS officer Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh. Retired IFS officer B Venkatesh also part of the board. 

Role of NSAB

As per the Union Government, the key function of National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) is to undertake long term analysis and to provide perspectives on the national security issues to the National Security Council (NSC) and to recommend measures and solutions and policy options on the issues referred to it by the National Security Council.

PM Modi Holds 2nd CCS Meet at 7 LKM

The rejig was announced after the Cabinet Committee On Security (CCS) meeting convened by PM Modi at his 7 LKM residence concluded this afternoon. The meeting was in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam Terror Attack to discuss security preparedness. 

Along with the CCS meeting, two additional committee meetings including the Cabinet Committee On Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee On Economic Affairs (CCEA) were also convened. 

The last Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting was held April 23 in which the Prime Minister was briefed in detail on the gruesome killing of 25 Indian and 1 Nepalese tourist at the Baisaran valley of Jammu & Kashmir. 

Hard-hitting Outcomes of 1st CCS Meet Chaired by PM Modi after the Pahalgam Terror Attack

After the first CCS meet, the central government announced a series of massive diplomatic counterstrikes holding Pakistan directly accountable for funding and harbouring cross-border terrorism. The hard-hitting 5 Key Measures Announced By MEA After 2.5 Hours of CCS Meet were -  

1. Indus Waters Treaty Suspended 
2. Attari Border Checkpost Closed 
3. Visa Restrictions for Pakistani Nationals 
4. Pakistani Defence Personnel Expelled 
5. India Recalls Its Military Attachés from Islamabad

Revenge Is Coming: PM Modi Gives Free Hand To Armed Forces

Before convening the second CCS meeting, PM Modi on Tuesday chaired a key meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and other the three service chiefs.

As per sources, PM Modi reportedly affirmed that India will deliver a crushing blow to terrorism and declared that the armed forces will have his full confidence and a free hand to decide the timing, targets, and mode of response and this has translated as a chilling warning to those across the border. This aligns with his promise to ‘pursue the terrorists to the ends of the earth’ after the barbaric bloodbath at the Baisaran valley of Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam.