New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has appointed former R&AW and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) chief Alok Joshi as the National Security Advisory Board (NSA Board) chairman.
The government has appointed six new members to the 15-member board, with a majority from the defence and security establishments.
The new appointees include former Western Air Commander Air Marshal P.M. Sinha, who retired in December 2024.
He is an experienced fighter pilot, category ‘A’ qualified flying instructor, fighter striker leader, instrument rating instructor and examiner, with more than 4,500 hours of flying experience.
He also comes with rich experience in planning air operations. He has been air assistant to the chief of air staff and assistant chief of air staff operations (offensive) at Air Headquarters.
He also served as the Director General of Air Operations at Air Headquarters.
The other military officer appointed to NSA Board is Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, a submariner who formerly served as an assistant military adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat, headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
His appointment to the NSA Board comes as the government focuses on the submarine-building programme, with a larger goal within the security establishment to increase deterrence and punitive strike capability of underwater ships, too, rather than just of the surface ships.
Another new member is former Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General A.K. Singh, who commanded the South Command of the Indian Army till his retirement in June 2024.
Two other new members are from the world of intelligence—Rajiv Ranjan Verma, a 1990-batch, UP-cadre IPS officer, who formerly served as the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau, and Manmohan Singh, a 1988-batch Bihar-cadre IPS with a rich experience from the Punjab issue.
IFS B. Venkatesh Varma, who served as envoy to Russia, is the sixth new appointee.
Sources said the government has ensured that new appointees recently retired from their departments where they held key positions and took part in the overall decision-making process in their respective spheres.
“There is a reason why the NSA Board tenure is for two years, which is extendable. These new appointments have now been made to give the 15-member board a fresh impetus,” a source said, adding that the revamped NSA Board will be meeting for the first time Thursday.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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