M A I N   N E W S

Ex-IB chief Ajit Doval is new National Security Adviser
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30
Ajit Doval, former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, was today appointed as the National Security Adviser, the second important position filled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra.

Doval (69) retired from the IB in 2005 and is only the second officer from the Indian Police Service to occupy the position. This 1968-Kerala cadre officer succeeds Shiv Shankar Menon, who was the third IFS officer after Brajesh Mishra and JN Dixit to be the NSA.

West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan, who too was a former IB chief, became the NSA in UPA-1 after Dixit died in harness. The appointment takes effect from today, the day the order was issued, and will be co-terminus with the term of the PM or till further orders, whichever is earlier, an official notification said.

Acknowledged as an operational man, Doval has the rare distinction of being awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award. He has been associated with intelligence operations in the N-E, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir beside diplomatic assignments in the United Kingdom and Pakistan. He led a team of the IB when the Punjab police conducted Operation Black Thunder inside the Golden Temple in 1989. Doval was also known to be in the negotiating team during the infamous Kandahar IC-184 hijack. During the last decade, he was heading the Vivekananda International Foundation, a think-tank and organising events on issues associated with security and strategic affairs. Doval's name as being the front-runner surfaced after he briefed Modi, on the challenges in security, days before he took oath as the Prime Minster.

The new NSA is credited with a view that total transformation of intelligence is an integral part of the national security. Six years ago, speaking on the subject, he observed that Indian intelligence needs to start looking at the world purely from the futuristic scenario advocating that working backwards the country would have to retain what is useable and useful and discard deadweight.

Like the Prime Minister, the new NSA is said to be in the favour of the best person for the job. In the article, Doval observed: “Reforming the existing set up probably is not the answer to achieve the above objectives and many more which have not been dealt with in view of their sensitivity. It will require a total transformation. We need to identify our intelligence needs, prioritise them according to national needs and plan a model structure to achieve the laid down objective – one at a time. We should hunt for the best Indian – professional, patriotic and committed - available for the job not bothered by service, seniority or bureaucratic considerations.”

An operational man

• Doval (69) is the second officer from the IPS to occupy the position
• Acknowledged as an operational man, Doval has the rare distinction of being awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second highest gallantry honour.
• He has been associated with intelligence operations in the North-East, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir