National Security Advisor (India)
| National Security Adviser of India | |
|---|---|
Emblem of India
|
|
| Residence | New Delhi, India |
| Appointer | Prime Minister of India |
| Inaugural holder | Brajesh Mishra |
| Formation | 1998 |
| Deputy | Deputy National Security Advisor |
The National Security Adviser (NSA)is the chief executive of the National Security Council (NSC), and the primary adviser to the Prime Minister of India on national and international security. It is the National Security Adviser to whom intelligence agencies such as the Research and Analysis Wing and Intelligence Bureau report, rather than directly to the prime minister. Due to such vested powers NSA is a prominent and powerful office in the bureaucracy. All the NSAs appointed since the inception of the post belong to the Indian Foreign Service except M K Narayanan and the incumbent, Ajit Doval, who belong to the Indian Police Service.
The National Security Adviser (NSA) is tasked with regularly advising the Prime Minister on all matters relating to internal and external threats to the country, and oversees strategic issues. The NSA of India also serves as the Prime Minister's Special Interlocutor on border issues with China, and frequently accompanies the Prime Minister on Foreign State visits.
The directors of R&AW and IB technically report to the NSA rather than the Prime Minister directly. The NSA receives all intelligence reports and co-ordinates them to present before the Prime Minister. NSA is assisted by a Deputy NSA. Former Indian Foreign Service officer Dr. Arvind Gupta currently serves as deputy National Security Adviser, succeeding Indian Police Service officer Nehchal Sandhu.
Brajesh Mishra was appointed the first National Security Adviser of India. The post was created on 19 November 1998 by the Government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
List of National Security Advisers
| No | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Previous service cadre | Prime Minister | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brajesh Mishra |  |
November 1998 | May 2004 | Indian Foreign Service | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 2 | J N Dixit |  |
May 2004 | January 2005 | Indian Foreign Service | Manmohan Singh |
| 3 | M K Narayanan |  |
January 2005 | January 2010 | Indian Police Service | |
| 4 | Shivshankar Menon[1] | .jpg) |
January 2010 | May 2014 | Indian Foreign Service | |
| 5 | Ajit Doval[2] |  |
May 2014 | Incumbent | Indian Police Service | Narendra Modi |
