After Pahalgam terror attack, govt revamps National Security Advisory Board; Ex-RAW chief Alok Joshi to lead

The Union government has revamped the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). Alok Joshi, a former Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been appointed as the head of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). Six more members have also been inducted into the board.

The members include Former Western Air Commander Air Marshal P.M. Sinha, former Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General A.K. Singh, and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, all retired military officers. Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh are the two retired members of the Indian Police Service. B Venkatesh Varma is a retired IFS officer in the seven-member board.

This decision comes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, including one Nepalese national, and injured many.


In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence concluded this afternoon.

Along with the CCS meeting, two additional committee meetings--the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)--were convened at the Prime Minister's residence. A cabinet briefing is scheduled for 3:00 PM today.

The second CCS meeting discussed security preparedness in the wake of the Pahalgam incident.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) last met on April 23 and was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed.

In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

The government then announced a series of measures, including holding the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, in a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi chaired a meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs.

The sources said PM Modi expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the Indian Armed Forces. PM Modi stated that the Indian Armed Forces have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India's response.