Ajit Doval, a 1968 batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre, took on the role of NSA on May 30, 2014
June 3 marked the retirement of National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, prompting the appointment committee of the cabinet to start the process of finding his replacement. According to ETV Bharat, Doval informed caretaker Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his decision to step down from the position.
Doval’s departure has sparked a significant issue for the government regarding who will step into the role of NSA. Sources suggest that former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director and current Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Alok Joshi are among the names being considered.
Doval completed a decade in the NSA role on June 3, serving under Prime Minister Modi. Throughout his tenure, Doval held the rank of Cabinet Minister.
Role Of The NSA
The NSA acts as the chief advisor to the Prime Minister on national security and international affairs. This role involves providing regular advice on internal and external threats and opportunities to India. The NSA also oversees strategic and sensitive issues on behalf of the government, receiving intelligence from agencies like RAW, IB, NTRO, MI, DIA, and NIA, and presenting these findings to the Prime Minister.
Background Of NSA Post
Since its creation on November 19, 1998, the position of NSA has been held by individuals from either the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) or the Indian Police Service (IPS). The NSA serves at the discretion of the Prime Minister. The first NSA, Brajesh Mishra, was appointed by then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mishra was followed by JN Dixit, MK Narayanan, and Shivshankar Menon. When Prime Minister Modi took office in 2014, he appointed Doval as the NSA.
Ajit Doval’s Tenure
Ajit Doval, a 1968 batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre, took on the role of NSA on May 30, 2014. One of his early achievements was facilitating the return of 46 Indian nurses trapped in Tikrit, Iraq, after Mosul was captured by ISIL.
Before becoming NSA, Doval was the director of IB. Notably, in 1988, he infiltrated the Golden Temple posing as an ISI agent during Operation Black Thunder, providing crucial information that helped the National Security Guards (NSG) free the temple from Khalistani separatists.
Doval also led the negotiating team to Kandahar following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in 1999. During his tenure as NSA, he was instrumental in the planning and execution of the 2016 surgical strike on Pakistan and the 2019 Balakot airstrike.
As the government moves forward with the search for Doval’s successor, the decision will be closely watched, given the importance of the NSA in advising the Prime Minister on critical national security issues.
