National Security Council of India is a three-tiered organization that oversees political, economic, energy and security issues of strategic concern. The National Security Advisor (NSA) presides over the NSC, and is also the primary advisor to the prime minister.  It was formed in 1998, where all aspects of national security are deliberated upon. The NSC is a three-tier organization consisting of the Strategic Planning Group, the National Security Advisory Board and the Joint Intelligence Committee.

Strategic Planning Group (SPG) – this is the top most decision making body at the bureaucratic level, The SPG is responsible for formulating and implementing India’s strategic policies. Headed by the Cabinet Secretary, the SPG is also assigned to make long term strategies for India’s military doctrine. Its members includes secretaries of all important ministries and departments like Home, Defence, External Affairs, Defence Production, Revenue, Atomic Energy, Space, the heads of R&AW and IB, the Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Chairman CBDT, RBI Governor, Scientific Advisor to RM and Chairman JIC. This Group meets periodically and continuously observes national and international security environment and takes necessary steps to neutralize possible threats.

National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) – the Board consists of members from outside the government, advises it on matters related to national security and development. It does long term analysis and provides perspectives on issues of national security. Its membership includes eminent professionals, academics, scientists, administrative experts and retired bureaucrats. Currently the NSAB has four members.

Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) – this Committee receives intelligence inputs from the IB, R&AW, and the Directorates of Military, Naval and Air Intelligence, respectively. It is the highest intelligence assessment organization, tasked with inter-agency coordination, collection and analysis of intelligence data. Headed by a Chairman (usually an Additional Secretary from the Cabinet Secretariat), the JIC has representatives from MEA, MoD, MHA, IB, R&AW, Dte, MI, Dte. NI, Dte. AI. It sometimes directs the relevant intelligence agencies to conduct certain intelligence gathering tasks, based on the input or demand from the Government. The JIC is an important and effective advisory body to the PM and Cabinet in decision making on matters related to foreign affairs and defence.

NSC comprises the three-tier structure- Strategic Policy Group (SPG), the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and the National Security Council Secretariat. The SPG chaired by the Cabinet Secretary is the principal forum for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of the relevant inputs. The NSAB undertakes long-term analysis and provides perspectives on issues of national security.

The mission of NSC is to –

• Advise the President on national security-related matters,
• Provide supervision and guidance over the NICA and general supervision over the intelligence community, and
• Coordinate the national government efforts in the pursuit of the national security goals and strategic objectives.

Criticisms

The NSC needs secretariat to be effective but the government has provided the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) to double up as the secretariat of the NSC. Finally, for a NSC to be successful, it needs an official who, in consultation with the PM, would coordinate all inputs in the policy making. The first task assigned to the NSAB was to prepare a draft nuclear doctrine. This task was completed when the details of nuclear doctrine were announced in August 1999.

The NSC appears to be reluctantly created and sparingly used by the government. It is not regularly used in decision-making. After it was created, for the first time it met to consider the Kargil crisis on 8 June 1999 almost one month after the crisis broke out. After Kargil many foreign policy crises have occurred, like, the crisis in Fiji Islands where a Prime minister of the Indian origin was dethroned by a military coup or the continued ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka where the Sri Lankan government tried to seek a military solution to the problem. Another occasion when the NSC was convened is to consider post-Kashmir election scenario in J & K after the election in October 2002.