In response to rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, the government has restructured the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and appointed former RAW chief Alok Joshi as its new head. This restructuring follows the deadly attack in the picturesque Baisaran Valley of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which resulted in 26 fatalities.

The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) now consists of six members, among them three with military backgrounds, two IPS officers, and one from the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). The military representatives are former Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General AK Singh, former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna. The IPS officers are retired Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh, while retired IFS officer B Venkatesh Varma completes the board.

The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) was first formed in December 1998 to provide in-depth analysis on national security matters to the National Security Council (NSC). It also suggests solutions, recommendations and policy options on issues referred to it by the NSC. The most recent board, appointed in 2018, was led by PS Raghavan, the former Indian Ambassador to Russia (2014–16). The current reconstitution of the NSAB, with Alok Joshi at the helm, comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following India’s diplomatic actions against Pakistan in response to its alleged role in recent terrorist attacks.

After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at his residence, which finished this afternoon. In addition to the CCS meeting, two other committee sessions, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), were held. Security preparedness in response to the Pahalgam attack was discussed during the second CCS meeting. The CCS had previously met on April 23, where detailed updates on the Pahalgam incident, which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen, were shared.

Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi met with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, and the heads of the three military services. Sources indicated that PM Modi expressed complete trust in the professionalism of the Indian Armed Forces, giving them full freedom to determine how, when, and where to respond to the situation.