Ajit Doval will be the National Security Adviser (NSA) of India, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said on Thursday.

Doval will be the NSA for the third consecutive time.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Ajit Doval IPS (Retired) as National Security Adviser with effect from 10.06.2024,” the Government notification stated.

“His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of the Prime Minister or on further orders, whichever is earlier,” it further said.

The Government of India further said that during the term of his office, Doval will be assigned the rank of Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has also approved the appointment of Dr PK Mishra, IAS (Retired) as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister with effect from June 10, 2024.

His appointment will also be co-terminus with the term of the Prime Minister or until further orders whichever is earlier.

With their reappointment, the two retired bureaucrats – Doval and Mishra – have become the longest-serving principal advisors to the Prime Minister.

Doval will be handling national security, military affairs and intelligence. He will also oversee strategic and sensitive issues and receive intelligence inputs from all agencies, process them and present his reading of the events to the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Mishra will be taking care of administrative matters as well as appointments in the PMO.

Doval’s tenure as the NSA had ended on June 5, when PM Narendra Modi and his Cabinet demitted office, a day after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results were declared.

Doval is a 1968 batch IPS officer and he brings the unique combination of strategic thinking as well as operational planning to the Prime Minister. He is also considered to be an expert in counter-terrorism and nuclear issues.

Mishra, meanwhile, is a 1972 batch officer. He has been with PM Modi since his retirement as Agriculture Secretary to the Government of India.

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Ajit Doval gets third term as NSA, PK Mishra to remain Principal Secretary to PM Modi