India Revamps National Security Advisory Board After Pahalgam Attack

The Indian government has restructured the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and appointed former RAW chief Alok Joshi as its new chairman. The newly-formed board now includes seven experienced members, all former top officials from various branches of the military, police, and diplomatic services.

Among the new members are former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, ex-Southern Army Commander Lt General AK Singh, and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna. The board also includes two retired Indian Police Service officers, Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh, as well as former Indian diplomat B Venkatesh Varma.

The NSAB serves as an advisory body made up of national security experts outside the government. These members, who often come from military, civil service, academic or scientific backgrounds, provide advice on internal and external security, foreign policy, and economic matters.

This move follows the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali citizen. In response to the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened several high-level meetings at his residence, including the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

During the CCS meeting held on Wednesday, officials reviewed India’s security preparedness. It was highlighted that the attack had cross-border links and came just after successful elections and development efforts in Jammu and Kashmir.

As a part of its response, the government has put the Indus Water Treaty on hold, sending a strong message to Pakistan for supporting terrorism across the border.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi met with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Modi expressed his full confidence in the Indian armed forces and granted them complete freedom to decide how and when to respond to the terror attack.