A week after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed the lives of 25 tourists, and a pony rider, the Indian government has revamped the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Alok Joshi has been made the new chairman.

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Six more members, including former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, former Southern Army Commander Lt General AK Singh, and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna from the military services have also been inducted into the board. The remaining members are Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh, both retired IPS officers and former Indian Foreign Service officer B Venkatesh Varma.

Who is new NSAB chief Alok Joshi?

The former Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Alok Joshi hails from Lucknow and is an IPS officer from the 1976 Haryana cadre and a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) alumnus. In 2005 he served as the as Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau in 2005 and went on to become RAW Special Secretary in 2010. Just two years later, in 2012 he was made the RAW chief.

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The move to revamp NSAB comes after a second Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by PM Modi on Wednesday (April 30).

In a meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, and the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Indian armed forces have “complete operational freedom” in relation to the Pahalgam attack.

All about National Security Advisory Board

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The members of NSAB are a group of eminent national security experts, who are not part of the government. Senior retired officials, civilian as well as military, academicias and distinguished members of civil society having expertise in internal and external security, foreign affairs, defence, science and technology and economic affairs are chosen as the members of the group.