“Doval and Mishra Reappointed for Third Term as Key Modi Aides”

New Delhi: Ajit Doval and P.K. Mishra were reappointed on Thursday as National Security Adviser and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, respectively, for a fresh five-year term.

Both Doval and Mishra have served in these crucial roles during Modi’s previous two terms in office. With this new appointment, Doval becomes the first NSA to hold the position for three consecutive terms.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the two appointments, effective June 10, 2024, according to the Personnel Ministry. Their terms will be co-terminus with that of the Prime Minister or until further orders, whichever comes first. Both Doval and Mishra will hold the rank of Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence, with terms and conditions of their appointment to be notified separately, the ministry said.

Doval, from the 1968 batch of the Indian Police Service, retired as Intelligence Bureau chief in 2005. He was first appointed as NSA on May 30, 2014, and reappointed for a second term on May 31, 2019. Mishra, a 1972 batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Gujarat cadre, was reappointed as Principal Secretary on May 31, 2019, during Modi’s second term. He previously served as Additional Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) from 2014 to 2019.

Additionally, the ACC approved the reappointment of former IAS officers Amit Khare and Tarun Kapoor as advisers to the PM for two years, effective June 10, 2024. Khare, a 1985 batch retired IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, was appointed as an adviser to Modi in October 2021. Kapoor, a 1987 batch retired IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, was named an adviser in May 2022.