JIC chief RN Ravi to be third dy NSA

RN RAVI WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE INTERLOCUTOR FOR NAGALAND, WHERE HE IS WORKING ON A PEACE ACCORD WITH NCSN (IM)

The government on Thursday redesignated RN Ravi as deputy national security advisor (internal affairs) from his earlier assignment as the chief of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). But he will continue to be the centre’s interlocutor for Nagaland. He has been shaping a peace accord with the Naga insurgent group the NSCN (IM).

Ravi will be third deputy to NSA Ajit Doval after former Research and Analysis Wing chief Rajinder Khanna and serving diplomat Pankaj Saran.

Ravi retired as the special director in the domestic intelligence agency, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the NDA government appointed him as the chief of the JIC which is a subsidiary body of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) tasked with assessment of intelligence gathered by various intelligence agencies.

Last year the government made an allocation of ₹333.58 for the NSCS which was almost 10 fold jump from ₹33.17 crore provided to it in 2016-17 budget.

At the moment, India has a three-tier internal security structure which includes a National Security Council, headed by Prime Minister, a Strategic Policy Group and a National Security Advisory Board.

The PM-headed NSC is the apex body and the National Security Advisor works as its secretary.

The Strategic Policy Group is headed by the cabinet secretary and it has the chiefs of the armed forces, the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing as its members. The group is responsible for policy-making and for follow-up action in matters of national security. The advisory board does long term analysis and provides perspective on national security.