Spymaster Ajit Doval reappointed NSA

New Delhi : Spy master Ajit Doval and seasoned bureaucrat P K Mishra were on Thursday re-appointed to the post of National Security Adviser and principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a fresh five-year term. With the fresh appointment, Doval has become the first NSA to be appointed to the key post for three consecutive terms.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the two appointments with effect from June 10, 2024, the Personnel Ministry said. Their appointment "will be co-terminus with the term of the prime minister or until further orders whichever is earlier", it said in identical orders.

Both Doval and Mishra will be assigned the rank of Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence and terms and conditions of their appointment will be notified separately, the ministry said. Doval, who belongs to the 1968 batch of Indian Police Service, retired as Intelligence Bureau chief in 2005. He was appointed as the NSA for the first time on May 30, 2014, and re-appointed for another term on May 31, 2019.

During his first tenure, Doval is believed to have played a pivotal role in the surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Uri terror attack. He has also been widely hailed for his contribution to the national security domain, including his role during the Balakot air strike after the Pulwama terror attack, officials said.