Ajit Kumar Doval is the fifth and current National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Prime Minister of India. A retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Kerala cadre, Doval is renowned for his expertise in intelligence and national security. Born in Uttarakhand in 1945, he was the youngest police officer to receive the Kirti Chakra, a prestigious gallantry award.
Doval played a key role in India’s 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan. He also helped resolve the Doklam stand-off and curbed insurgencies in the Northeast. Starting his police career in 1968, Doval actively tackled insurgency in Mizoram and Punjab. He was one of three negotiators in the 1999 Kandahar hijacking crisis and resolved at least 15 airline hijackings between 1971 and 1999.
Spending seven years undercover in Pakistan, Doval gathered intelligence on militant groups. He also worked at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad for six years. In 1984, Doval provided intelligence for Operation Blue Star to suppress Khalistani militancy. He later convinced militants in Kashmir to become counter-insurgents, facilitating the 1996 elections.
Doval served extensively with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), earning accolades for his work against terrorism and militancy. After retiring in 2009, he founded the Vivekananda International Foundation, a think tank focused on strategic affairs.
In 2014, Doval personally led efforts to rescue 46 Indian nurses trapped in Iraq, flying to Tikrit to coordinate their safe return. He also directed a military operation in Myanmar against Naga militants.
Reappointed as NSA in 2019 with Cabinet rank, Doval remains a pivotal figure in shaping India’s defense and security strategies, earning widespread recognition for his bold and decisive actions in national security.
