INDIA'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD: ADVISING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 08 NEW DELHI 005135 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/B E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR IN SUBJECT: INDIA'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD: ADVISING THE ADVISORS Classified By: A/PolCouns Jon Dorschner for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The National Security Advisory Board -- populated by civilians, but supported by the GOI National Security Council Secretariat -- is a little-discussed institution designed to provide creative long-term assessments to the National Security Advisor, and through him to the Cabinet and PM. Indian analysts have been quick to note structural issues which they say impede the strategic thinking process among the NSAB membership, and have lamented that much of India's internal strategic thinking occurs not within the walls of government, but on the pages of the daily newspaper's editorial section. This report includes biographic notes of the current NSAB members. End Summary. A "Who's Who" Eminent Persons -------------- ¶2. (U) The NSAB is a civilian body that provides inputs into national security decision-making. Its membership is a "Who's Who" of retired bureaucrats, diplomats, senior military officers and security officials, as well as journalists, scientists, economists, and other eminent persons. The NSAB lacks its own offices, staff, etc., and relies on the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS, see Septel) for logistical support. ¶3. (C) Current NSAB member Narendra Singh Sisodia -- who was also the NSCS's first Additional Secretary -- told PolOff the NSAB meets as often as 4-6 times per month for 1-2 days,at the direction of the Convenor. Most meetings are open to the full membership, but attendance is not required; some members reside outside Delhi, which makes full meetings a rarity. The agenda is typically devoted to a single topic. The Convenor may arrange briefings by government officials or outside experts if he so desires; these are usually unclassified, but NSAB members do receive security clearances and are cautioned not to discuss Board proceedings, which probably contributes to the dearth of NSAB media coverage (beyond publication of a lightly annotated roster when a new Board Designed for "Out-of-the-Tiffin" Thinking -------------- ¶4. (C) Some NSAB meetings are specifically designated for only a subset of the full membership, and the NSAB Convenor sometimes creates sub-groups to consider and critique specific topics. For example, Joshi told us the current NSAB has made recommendations on New Delhi's policies on Kashmir, Bangladesh, and hostage situations, among others. According to Sisodia, although the NSA can task the NSAB to produce papers on specific topics, most of its production is self-initiated. ¶5. (C) The typical NSAB product is a paper outlining policy options and likely consequences that is forwarded to the NSA, which can then choose to send it up to the Cabinet-level NSC or the Cabinet Committee on Security (the top decision-making body on national security issues). The NSAB's mandate is to be holistic, forward-leaning, strategic vice tactical -- to provide (as Joshi once quipped) "out-of-the-tiffin" thinking. As such, Sisodia said it is discouraged from responding to the "news of the day." NEW DELHI 00005135 002 OF 008 Nuclear, Indo-Pak Origins -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The first NSAB was formed in December 1998 to consider a nuclear doctrine for India, including command and control. The first two NSABs included several members of the Kargil Core Group, which was tasked to correct perceived errors in Indian strategic thinking that eventually led to the 1999 Kargil War, the first war between a nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. Structure Impedes Developing Strategic Vision -------------- ¶7. (C) Hardline nationalist commentator Bharat Karnad, a member of the first NSAB, criticized the GOI's decision-making institutions for preventing the government from developing a "true" strategic vision. Karnad reflected that many commentators in India provide what he dismissed as "casual strategic analysis" -- spot commentary on strategic topics -- but few provide "real analysis" on critical issues or "develop bodies of consistent work." He lamented that much of India's national security debate unfolds not within the environment of the NSC, NSCS, and NSAB, but through newspaper editorials. Karnad lambasted the way Indian bureaucrats are hired, trained, and promoted; the preference for generalists over specialists and shifting bureaucrats sufficiently often to prevent them from accumulating depth of experience "stunted India's strategic thinking." ¶8. (C) Not surprisingly, Karnad applauded the first NSAB (of which he was a member),describing it as "stocked with strategic thinkers." He also called the first NSAB "aggressive" and said it refused to back down to politicians or bureaucrats, which he added caused some discomfort in government circles. To avoid such discomfort in subsequent NSABs, Karnad continued, they were filled with former bureaucrats "who are safer for the government." However, he concluded, safe bureaucrats do not help develop India's strategic vision. ¶9. (C) Prominent security commentator Rear Admiral (ret.) Raja Menon said that one impediment to making the NSAB operate smoothly is the absence of a dedicated staff. He contended that few Indian civilian officials appreciate the importance of a professional staff, and that initiatives to create them are often killed by turf-conscious bureaucrats. (NOTE: This emphasis on possessing a qualified staff is an attitude common to senior Indian military officers. End Note.) Current NSAB: Biographic Notes -------------- ¶10. (U) NSAB V was convened July 2004 and has 21 members. (NOTE: * denotes members of more than one NSAB. End Note.) ¶11. (SBU) Ambassador Hamid Ansari, Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer who served as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia prior to retirement. A Muslim, he was also India's envoy to the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, and Iran. NEW DELHI 00005135 003 OF 008 Ansari was a member of former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh's "Kitchen Cabinet" and he participated in the Pugwash Workshop on South Asian Security, in Geneva in 2002. Ansari was Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University from 2000-02. ¶12. (U) Air Marshal Prithvi Singh "Big Ben" Brar, former Vice Air Chief, was commissioned in the Indian Air Force (IAF) on December 15, 1960 as fighter pilot and retired after 40 years of service. Brar also served as Air Officer Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command. He was a founding member of the Tactics Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) and he was the first commander of the "Thunderbolts" Indian Air Force aerobatics team when he held the rank of Wing Commander. ¶13. (U) Former Border Security Force Director-General EN Rammohan was an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. He was also Advisor to the Governor of Manipur. He published a book of essays, "Insurgent Frontiers: Essays from the Troubled Northeast," which roundly criticized the political leadership of that region. ¶14. (SBU) Lady Sri Ram College (New Delhi) Principal Meenakshi Gopinath also founded the Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace (WISCOMP) NGO, which seeks to promote the leadership of South Asian women in the fields of security and regional cooperation. She participates in Indo-Pak Track II initiatives, including the Neemrana Peace Initiative, Dostaana-e-Kashmir, and the Pakistan-India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy. Gopinath authored several books, including "Pakistan in Transition." Her interests include issues of human rights and gender rights, conflict resolution, and Buddhist philosophy. Gopinath is on the Board of Directors of the Coexistence Initiative, New York and a member of the International Research Committee of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Sri Lanka. ¶15. (U) Former Vice Navy Chief Vice Admiral PJ Jacob is a Christian from South India. He was involved in India's efforts to broker a peace deal in Sri Lanka. ¶16. (U) VK Jain was a Special Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. ¶17. (SBU) Dr. Manoj K. Joshi, Editor (Views),"Hindustan Times," held the same position with "The Times of India" from 1999-2004, and was Defense Editor of the political newsweekly, "India Today." Joshi writes on defense and international issues. He began his journalism career in 1984 as a correspondent with "The Hindu," and was the Washington correspondent for "The Times of India" and the "Financial Express" (1995-96). Prior to his journalist career, Joshi was an Academic Associate in History at the American Studies Research Center, Hyderabad. He earned a PhD from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 1980 for his thesis entitled "Antebellum: A Black History of America." Joshi has written several books including "New Perspectives on America and South Asia," "Combating Terrorism in Punjab: Indian Democracy in Crisis," and "The Lost Rebellion - Kashmir in the Nineties." ¶18. (U) Ashok Khosla is the President of Development Alternatives, a New Delhi group he founded in 1983. Its goals are the promotion of sustainable development, poverty NEW DELHI 00005135 004 OF 008 eradication, and environmental regeneration. Khosla also chairs Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA) and Decentralized Energy Systems India Ltd. He is a managing trustee of People First, and secretary general of the People's Commission on Environment and Development. At the United Nations' Environmental Programme headquarters in Nairobi from 1976-82, Khosla designed and established INFOTERRA, the International Referral System for Sources of United Nations Environmental Information; this global network now disseminates information in 110 countries. Dr. Khosla received his BA (Hons) and MA (Natural Sciences) from Cambridge University, UK, and his PhD (Experimental Physics) from Harvard. From 1963-71 he was a Resident Tutor in Harvard; from 1972-76 he was a Director in the Office of Environmental Planning and Coordination in the Ministry of Science and Technology. ¶19. (SBU) Ambassador Satinder K. Lambah, Special Envoy to Pakistan, was Convener of the National Security Advisory Board before he became Special Envoy (July 2004 - August 2005). He capped a long and distinguished diplomatic career as Ambassador in Moscow (1998-2001). Before that, Lambah served as Ambassador in Bonn (1995-98) and High Commissioner in Islamabad (1992-95). He also was Ambassador to Hungary (1986-89) and Consul General in San Francisco (1989-92). Lambah served as Joint Secretary (Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan) in the MEA (1982-86) after a tour as Deputy Chief of Mission in Islamabad (1978-82). His junior level diplomatic assignments were in Moscow, Dhaka and Rome. Born to a Hindu family from Peshawar, Lambah holds a master's degree in History. He and his wife Nilima have a son and a daughter. ¶20. (U) A defense scientist with 36 years of R&D experience in electronics and lasers, Dr. Amitav Mallik's* major work was in high power laser technology, international cooperation in high-technology areas, strategic and security analysis, and technology planning and coordination. Mallik was the first Advisor on Defense Technology accredited to the Indian Embassy in Washington (1988-94). He has authored over 50 technical papers and produced over 100 classified documents on technology and strategy issues for the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Ministry of Defense (MOD). ¶21. (U) Lt. Gen. Shamsher Singh Mehta is an alumnus of the National Defense Academy and was commissioned in the Armored Corps in 1962. His operational appointments include General Officer Commanding (GOC) of an armored division, General Staff Officer of the Military Operations Directorate at Army HQ, and GOC of a strike corps. He capped his career as GOC in Charge (GOC-in-C) of Western Command, on the India-Pakistan border. Prior to this, he was GOC-in-C of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) and he was Additional Director General (Military Operations) at Army headquarters. ¶22. (U) Professor Om Prakash Mishra earned his M.Phil (1986) and MA (1984) from the JNU School of International Studies. He graduated from North Bengal University. Mishra teaches at the Jadavpur University in West Bengal and campaigned -- unsuccessfully - as the Congress party nominee in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from the Jadavpur Constituency, and in the 2006 state assembly elections. He is close to Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Mishra has edited a number of NEW DELHI 00005135 005 OF 008 books on security issues. Mishra was born March 7, 1961. His research projects have included forced migration and security in South Asia. ¶23. (U) Rodham Narasimha*, Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore, was a Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology (1995-97) and the Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore). ¶24. (U) Former Intelligence Bureau Director Dinesh C. Pathak authored the book "Intelligence, A Security Weapon." ¶25. (SBU) "Indian Express" Strategic Affairs Editor Dr. C. Raja Mohan* is one of India's foremost foreign policy strategists. Prior to "Indian Express," he taught at JNU's School of International Studies and was the Strategic Affairs Editor for "The Hindu." Mohan is an alumnus of the Institute for Defense Studies & Analyses, the MoD's think-tank. He is very well connected in the MEA bureaucracy, and knows most major policy-makers in India and the United States. Mohan has an MS in Nuclear Physics and a PhD in Political Science. His wife, Nirmala George, is a correspondent for the Associated Press. ¶26. (U) BKR Rao* is a former member of the Indian Police Service. He retired from the IPS as Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat. Rao also worked in the Ministries of External Affairs and Home as well as in Indian intelligence agencies, where he focused on terrorism issues. ¶27. (U) KS Rao was formerly the Chief Secretary of Sikkim, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) position. ¶28. (SBU) Ambassador MK Rasgotra* was named NSAB Convenor in August 2005 when Ambassador Lambah was tipped to be the PM's Special Envoy to Pakistan. He had served as Foreign Secretary (senior-most career diplomat) from 1982-85. Before SIPDIS that, Rasgotra was Ambassador to Nepal, Netherlands and France, and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He also served as Deputy Chief of Mission in the Indian Embassy in Washington (1969-72). Rasgotra is also associated with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and is close to its Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi. He was a Visiting Professor at JNU and a Regent's Professor at the University of California. Rasgotra comes from a Punjabi Hindu family and was born in what is now Pakistani Punjab. ¶29. (U) Former Planning Commission Secretary Naresh C Saxena is a retired IAS officer. His last posting was Secretary of Rural Development. Saxena published a number of papers, many of which are listed at www.planningcommission.nic.in. Born on July 26, 1942, he earned a PhD in Agro-Forestry in India at Oxford and worked primarily in that field. From 1983-85 he worked on rural development issues in Afghanistan, and from 1962-64 he was Lecturer at the University of Allahabad. ¶30. (U) Dr. SK Sharma, who is currently Dean of University Instruction at Punjab University, is the President of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers. The Founder-Director of the Energy Research Centre at Punjab University, Sharma helped convert Chandigarh into a city with the highest per capita alternative energy use in the Asia-Pacific. He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Florida, and is an active contributor to programs on energy conservation. NEW DELHI 00005135 006 OF 008 Sharma's research includes thermal energy storage, indoor air quality, energy conservation and energy management. According to the National Council for Agricultural Research, the research conducted by the Energy Research Centre in improving cooking stoves saves 7 million tons of wood per year. ¶31. (SBU) Institute for Defense Studies & Analyses Director (since September 2005) Narendra Singh Sisodia retired from the IAS in 2004 as Secretary (Financial Sector) in the Ministry of Finance. Before that, he was Defense Production Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, Additional Secretary at SIPDIS the National Security Council Secretariat, and Joint Secretary, at MoD. Sisodia also held key portfolios in the SIPDIS Finance Ministry and the Cabinet Secretariat. He is considered close to Prime Minister Singh and Defense Minister Mukherjee. Born on January 13, 1945, into a Rajasthani Rajput family, Sisodia holds an MA in Public Policy and a Harvard MBA. He also holds an M. Phil in economics and management. Sisodia joined the IAS in 1968 in the Rajasthan cadre. Five Generations of NSAB: Rosters -------------- ¶32. (U) Since its formation in December 1998, five NSABs have been constituted (NOTE: * denotes members of more than one NSAB. End Note.) ¶33. (U) NSAB I (Dec 1998-April 2000, 28 members): -- Dr. Sanjay Baru, economist, PMO spokesman* -- Dr. Brahma Chellaney, non-proliferation/strategic affairs expert -- JN Dixit, former Foreign Secretary, former NSA -- Muchkund Dubey, former Foreign Secretary -- Mohammad Fazal, Retired civil servant, Goa Governor -- KPS Gill, former Chief of Punjab Police -- Sanjoy Hazarika, Fellow at Centre for Policy Research (CPR),expert on Northeast -- Major General Afsir Karim, counterterrorism expert, Editor "Akrosh" ("The Wrath")* -- Bharat Karnad, Defense/non-proliferation expert -- Ved Marwah, internal security expert, former Governor Manipur -- Air Chief Marshal SK Mehra, former Air Chief* -- Jagat Mehta, former Foreign Secretary * -- Rakesh Mohan, economist* -- Dr. Rodham Narasimha, Banglore-based space scientist* -- N Narasimhan, former GOI Official, living in Chennai* -- MK Narayanan, NSA, former IB Chief* -- Dr. C Raja Mohan, Strategic Affairs Editor, "Indian Express"* -- Dr. Raja Ramanna, nuclear scientist -- UR Rao, space scientist* -- Ambassador MK Rasgotra, Convenor NSAB V* -- Gen. SF Rodrigues, former Army Chief* -- Admiral VS Shekhawat, former Navy Chief* -- Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, Director/Centre for Air Power Studies, former Director IDSA* -- K Subrahmanyam, Strategic commentator, Convenor NSAB I & II* -- BG Verghese, Research Professor at CPR* -- NN Vohra, former Home Secretary, GOI interlocutor on J&K* NEW DELHI 00005135 007 OF 008 -- KM Warikoo, JNU professor, Afghanistan/Central Asia expert* -- Matin Zuberi, JNU professor, non-proliferation expert* ¶34. (U) NSAB II (April 2000 - December 2001, 20 members): -- Kalyan Banerjee, Pune-based bio-technologist* -- Dr. Sanjay Baru, economist, PMO spokesman* -- Major General Afsir Karim, counterterrorism expert, Editor "Akrosh" ("The Wrath")* -- Air Chief Marshal SK Mehra, former Air Chief* -- Jagat Mehta, former Foreign Secretary * -- Rakesh Mohan, economist* -- Dr. Rodham Narasimha, Banglore-based space scientist* -- MK Narayanan, NSA, former IB Chief* -- K. Raghunath, former Foreign Secretary -- B Raman, former RAW official* -- UR Rao, space scientist* -- Gen. SF Rodrigues, former Army Chief* -- Admiral VS Shekhawat, former Navy Chief* -- Jagadish Shettigar, Convenor BJP Economic Cell* -- Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, Director/Centre for Air Power Studies, former Director IDSA* -- K Subrahmanyam, strategic commentator, Convenor NSAB I & II* -- BG Verghese, Research Professor, CPR -- NN Vohra, former Home Secretary, GOI interlocutor on J&K* -- KM Warikoo, JNU professor, Afghanistan/Central Asia expert* -- Matin Zuberi, JNU professor, non-proliferation expert* ¶35. (U) NSAB III (December 2001-January 2003, 15 members): -- RK Ahuja, former Special Secretary for Home Affairs* -- Kalyan Banerjee, Pune-based bio-technologist* -- Arun Bhagat, former IB Chief* -- ST Deware, former Secretary for Economic Relations, MEA* -- Nikhil Kumar, former Special Secretary for Home Affairs* -- Gen VP Malik, former Army Chief* -- Amitabh Mattoo, JNU disarmament professor* -- Vice Admiral KK Nayyar, former Vice Navy Chief* -- Air Marshal Vinod Patney, former Vice Air Chief * -- B Raman, former RAW official* -- Ambassador CV Ranganathan, Convenor NSAB III & IV* -- Dr. K Santhanam, former Director IDSA, former DRDO scientist -- Jagadish Shettigar, Convenor BJP Economic Cell* -- Dr. MR Srinivasan, nuclear/space physicist* -- Dr. Charan Wadhva, economist, Director CPR* ¶36. (U) NSAB IV (January 2003-July 2004, 15 members): -- RK Ahuja, former Special Secretary for Home Affairs* -- Arun Bhagat, former IB Chief* -- ST Deware, former Secretary for Economic Relations, MEA* -- Nikhil Kumar, former Special Secretary for Home Affairs* -- Gen VP Malik, former Army Chief * -- Dr. Amitav Mallik, defense scientist* -- Amitabh Mattoo, JNU disarmament professor* -- Vice Admiral KK Nayyar, former Vice Navy Chief* -- Air Marshal Vinod Patney, former Vice Air Chief* -- Ambassador CV Ranganathan, Convenor NSAB III & IV* -- BKR Rao, former police officer, counterterrorism expert* -- Dr. MR Srinivasan, nuclear/space physicist* NEW DELHI 00005135 008 OF 008 -- Dr. Leena Srivastava, Director Tata Energy Research Institute -- Dr. Charan Wadhva, economist, Director CPR* -- K. M. Warikoo, JNU professor, Afghanistan/Central Asia expert* ¶37. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: (http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/) PYATT