National Security Council

National Security Council

Subject :Governance

Context :Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told all ministers and secretaries not to ignore background notes or other communication shared by National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and National Security Advisor (NSA), and to take them seriously, sources said.

Concept :

About National Security Council

• NSC of India is a three-tiered organization that oversees political, economic, energy and security issues of strategic concern.
• The National Security Advisor (NSA) presides over the NSC, and is also the primary advisor to the prime minister. The current National Security Advisor is Ajit Doval.

Formation:

• It was formed in 1998, where all aspects of national security are deliberated upon.

Three tier Structure:

• NSC comprises the three tier structure- Strategic Policy Group (SPG), the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and the National Security Council Secretariat.
• The SPG chaired by the Cabinet Secretary is the principal forum for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of the relevant inputs.
• The NSAB undertakes long-term analysis and provides perspectives on issues of national security.
• The National Security Council Secretariat, which reports to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, has been brought into the government’s Allocation of Business (AOB) rules, thus granting it constitutional recognition and legal authority.
• NSCS acts as the secretariat for the PM-led National Security Council (NSC).

Function:

• It operates within the executive office of the prime minister of India, liaising between the government’s executive branch and the intelligence services, advising leadership on intelligence and security issues.

Members:

• The Ministers of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs and Finance are its members.