National Security Council

National Security Council of India

The National Security Council (NSC) of India is the apex agency looking into the political, economic, energy and strategic security concerns of India. It was established by the Vajpayee government on 19 November 1998, with Brijesh Mishra as the first National Security Advisor. Ministers of Defence, External Affairs, Home, Finance of the Government of India, and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission are members of the NSC. Other members may be invited to attend its monthly meetings, as and when required.

The Strategic Policy Group is the first level of the three tier organization of the National Security Council. It forms the nucleus of the decision making apparatus of the NSC. The Strategic Policy Group undertakes the Strategic Defence Review, a blueprint of short and long term security threats, as well as possible policy options. The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) of the Government of India analyzes intelligence data from the Intelligence Bureau , and the Directorates of Military, Naval and Air Intelligence. The JIC has its own Secretariat that works under the Cabinet Secretariat. The National Security Advisory Board consists of persons of eminence outside the Government with expertise in external security, strategic analysis, foreign affairs, defence, the armed forces, internal security, science and technology and economics. It provides a long-term prognosis and analysis to the NSC, and recommends solutions and addresses policy issues referred to it and was formulated to fill a widely felt vacuum in the country’s defence management.