NSA Ajit Doval reappointed with Cabinet rank

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has been reappointed to the post with an upgrade: he will now hold the rank of a Cabinet Minister, according to a government order issued on Monday.

The order

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Doval’s reappointment as NSA with effect from the end of May 2019. His term will run alongside that of the Prime Minister, or until further orders, whichever comes first. For the duration of his tenure he will be given Cabinet Minister rank in the Table of Precedence, the short order said.

His role so far

Doval was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first choice for security adviser when he took office in May 2014. He has been seen as a major influence on the government’s security policy, from its handling of Jammu and Kashmir to its dealings with Pakistan and China, and its growing ties with Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The promotion puts him on a par with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The two worked closely on foreign policy during the previous NDA term, when Jaishankar was foreign secretary, helping strengthen relations with the US, resolve the Doklam military standoff with China and launch an ambitious outreach to West Asia.

Background

Doval is a 1968-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre. He became the first police officer to receive the second-highest peacetime gallantry award, for his role in Operation Black Thunder-II, launched in 1988 to flush militants out of the Golden Temple.

Modi had been sworn in for his second term on 30 May 2019, days before the order.

See also: political leaders.

Originally published on 3 June 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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