Ajit Doval has been reappointed as the National Security Advisor, and PK Mishra as the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, effective from June 10, according to a government announcement today. Their appointments will last as long as Narendra Modi is Prime Minister or until further notice.
Both Doval and PK Mishra will hold the rank of cabinet ministers during their tenure. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet also approved the reappointment of Amit Khare and Tarun Kapoor as advisors to the Prime Minister’s Office for two years, starting June 10, with the rank and scale of Secretary to the Government of India.
These reappointments highlight the Prime Minister’s confidence in these officials, particularly Doval and Mishra, who have served in these crucial roles for many years. Doval, a former Intelligence Bureau director, has been the National Security Advisor since 2014. A 1968-batch IPS officer from the Kerala cadre, Doval was the first policeman to receive the Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award.
As head of the national security establishment, overseeing all anti-terror and intelligence agencies, Doval is one of the country’s most influential officials. PK Mishra, a 1972-batch IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre with a PhD in Economics/Development Studies from the University of Sussex, became the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister in 2019, succeeding Nripendra Misra. Prior to this, he served as the Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
