Ex-R&AW Chief Rajinder Khanna Appointed New Additional NSA

The government has recently strengthened the National Security Council (NSC) by making several high-profile appointments. Former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Rajinder Khanna has been promoted to Additional National Security Adviser (NSA). T V Ravichandran and Pavan Kapoor have also been appointed as Deputy NSAs.

Background of Rajinder Khanna

Rajinder Khanna is a 1978-batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre. He served as the R&AW Chief from December 2014 to December 2016. Khanna was appointed deputy NSA in January 2018, where he headed the Technology and Intelligence (T&I) section. Known for his expertise on Pakistan and terrorism, Khanna also led the operations desk in R&AW.

New Deputy NSAs

• T V Ravichandran: A 1990-batch IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu Cadre, currently serving as Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau.
• Pavan Kapoor: Former Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Leadership of the National Security Council

The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with NSA Ajit Doval serving as its secretary. Doval, a 1968-batch IPS officer, has been India’s NSA since 2014 and is a key aide to the Prime Minister, especially on policy matters. Doval has advocated for jointness and interoperability among central armed police forces, similar to the ongoing plans for the defense forces.