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Ex-R&AW chief Alok Joshi to head revamped National Security Advisory Board
The government has reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), appointing former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Alok Joshi as its new chairman, according to news agency ANI.
The revamped seven-member board includes a mix of former senior officials from the armed forces, police, and diplomatic services. Among the new members are retired military officers Air Marshal PM Sinha (former Western Air Commander), Lt Gen AK Singh (former Southern Army Commander), and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna.
From the Indian Police Service, Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh have been inducted in the board. It also includes B Venkatesh Varma, a retired Indian Foreign Service officer.
The NSAB is a body of eminent experts outside the government, including retired officials, academics, and specialists from civil society. The main function of the NSAB is to provide long-term analysis, and policy recommendations on national security issues to the National Security Council, which is headed by the Prime Minister.
CCS meeting at PM's residence
In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam that left 26 dead and several others injured, a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence on Wednesday.
In addition to the CCS, meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also took place at the Prime Minister's residence. A formal cabinet briefing is expected at 3:00 pm.
This was the second CCS meeting convened in light of the attack, focusing on assessing and enhancing national security measures. The CCS had previously met on April 23 to receive a detailed assessment of the attack.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi held a separate meeting with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, the heads of the three armed forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and NSA Ajit Doval.
(With agency inputs)
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