Centre revamps National Security Advisory Board, former RAW chief takes charge

The Union government has reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), appointing former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Alok Joshi as its new head.

The revamped board will comprise seven members, including distinguished retired officers from the armed forces, police, and diplomatic services. The newly inducted members include former Western Air Commander Lieutenant General AK Singh and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, both retired military leaders. Also joining the board are retired Indian Police Service officers Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh, along with B Venkatesh Varma, a retired Indian Foreign Service officer.

This reshuffle comes close on the heels of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians — including one Nepalese national — and left many others injured.

In the wake of the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting at his residence to assess the security situation. Two other key meetings — the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) — were also convened.

This marks the second CCS meeting following the April 23 session, during which the committee was briefed in detail about the Pahalgam incident that resulted in the death of 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali. A formal cabinet briefing on the evolving security landscape has been scheduled for 3 pm today.