Former CRPF chief Anish Dayal Singh named Deputy National Security Adviser

Former Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Anish Dayal Singh was appointed as Deputy National Security Adviser (Deputy NSA) on Sunday.

In his new role, 60-year-old Singh will report directly to National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval.

His appointment comes alongside other senior officials in the National Security Council Secretariat, including former RAW chief Rajinder Khanna, who serves as Additional NSA, and Deputy NSAs TV Ravichandran and Pawan Kapoor.


A 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Manipur cadre, Singh retired after completing a year-long tenure as CRPF chief, serving from January 1 to December 31, 2024.

According to PTI, Singh will oversee internal security affairs, including matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, Left-Wing Extremism, and insurgency in the Northeast.

During his tenure as CRPF chief, Singh spearheaded several key initiatives. These included the establishment of more than three dozen forward operating bases in Maoist-affected regions, the raising of four new battalions in Left-Wing Extremism areas, and a comprehensive realignment of 130 battalions — the first such restructuring in eight years.

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He also introduced “Samvaad” (dialogue) sessions with company commanders to gather ground-level feedback, and oversaw the CRPF’s role in securing both the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the first Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after its reorganisation as a Union Territory.

Singh is also credited with championing a policy to grant honorary ranks to retiring personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), a long-standing demand that was recently approved by the Union government.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs cleared the proposal, originally moved by Singh, to address stagnation in promotions among CAPF ranks, where some constables have had to wait nearly two decades for their first promotion.

Over his career, Singh has been decorated with several honours, including the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service (2004–2012), the Police Special Duty Medal (twice, including 1997), the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (twice, including 2004), and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2012)