The Prime Minister has approved the establishment of the National Security Council today. The structure of the National Security Council envisages a three-tier structure and is essentially based on the report of the Task Force which it had recently submitted to the Prime Minister.  The National Security Council will be headed by the Prime Minister and will have the following membership : Home Minister, Defence Minister, External Affairs Minister, Finance Minister and Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission. Other Ministers will be invited to attend as required.

The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister will be the National Security Advisor and will be the channel for servicing the National Security Council.  The back-up for the above structure will consist of three elements. The Secretariat of the National Security Council will be the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), which will be suitably revamped to meet the demands of its new role. A new Chairman of the JIC will be named shortly.

The Strategic Policy Group will be strengthened and will provide the inter-Ministerial coordination and back-up for the National Security Council. The Strategic Policy Group will consist of Cabinet Secretary, the three Service Chiefs, Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, Defence Secretary, Secretary (Defence Production), Finance Secretary, Secretary (Revenue), RBI Governor, Director (IB), Secretary (R) Cabinet Secretariat, Secretary (DAE), SA to RM, Secretary (Space) and Chairman (JIC). Other invitees will be brought in as required. One of the priority tasks of the Strategic Policy Group will be to undertake the strategic defence review, which is part of the National Agenda for Governance.

The third element will be a National Security Advisory board. This will consist of persons of eminence from outside the Government covering expertise in external security, strategic analysis, foreign affairs, defence, the Armed Forces, internal security, Science & Technology, and economics. The Board will meet at least once a month and more frequently as required. Its principal function will be to provide long-term prognosis and analysis for the National Security Council and recommend solutions and policy options to the issues raised by them. They will also be asked from time to time by the National Security Council to study particular issues. Their names will be announced shortly.