Govt Revamps National Security Advisory Board After Pahalgam Attack; Former RAW Chief Alok Joshi Named Chairman

The Union government has reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), appointing former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Alok Joshi as its new chairman. The decision comes in the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, including one Nepalese national.

The newly constituted seven-member board includes several distinguished former officers from the armed forces, civil services, and diplomatic corps. Among them are former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, former Southern Army Commander Lt General AK Singh, and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna. Representing the Indian Police Service are retired officers Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh. Former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer B Venkatesh Varma has also been inducted into the board.

The NSAB functions as a body of eminent national security experts outside of government, comprising retired officials, academics, and members of civil society with expertise in areas such as internal and external security, foreign affairs, defence, science and technology, and economic policy.

The government’s move comes amid heightened security concerns following the Pahalgam attack. On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at his residence, ANI reported. Two additional cabinet committees — the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) — also convened at the Prime Minister’s residence.

Sources said the second CCS meeting reviewed security preparedness following the Pahalgam incident. The CCS, which last met on April 23, had been briefed in detail on the terror strike and its cross-border linkages. Officials noted the timing of the attack, coinciding with peaceful elections in the Union Territory and its ongoing economic development.

In response, the government announced several countermeasures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, as a firm message to Pakistan over its continued support for cross-border terrorism.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi chaired a high-level security review meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs. Sources said the Prime Minister expressed full confidence in the Indian armed forces and granted them complete operational freedom to determine the timing, targets, and mode of India’s response.