Ajit Doval is a concept defined by his current role as the National Security Advisor (NSA) of India, a high-level executive position, and his extensive background as a retired intelligence officer and bureaucrat. He is the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of India on national security policy and international affairs, a role that carries the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister since his second term began in 2019.
The office of the NSA is an institution created on November 19, 1998, by the government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, which necessitated a centralized mechanism for strategic decision-making and coordination. The first NSA was Brajesh Mishra. The NSA's mechanism involves serving as the secretary of the National Security Council (NSC) and heading the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). The NSA receives and coordinates all intelligence reports from agencies like the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to present a unified assessment to the Prime Minister.
Doval, a 1968-batch IPS officer who previously served as the Director of the Intelligence Bureau from 2004 to 2005, was first appointed NSA on May 30, 2014. He is the longest-serving NSA, having been reappointed for a third consecutive term effective June 10, 2024. His tenure is closely connected to India's "offensive defence strategy," and he is credited with playing a key role in the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrike. He also serves as the Prime Minister's Special Interlocutor with China and envoy to Pakistan and Israel on security affairs. A key change in the position is the grant of Cabinet Minister rank to Doval during his second term, a first for an NSA.