Ex-IB chief Ajit Doval appointed national security advisor

Highly decorated police officer and former Intelligence Bureau chief Ajit Doval, considered one of the finest operational brains, was on Friday appointed as the national security advisor.

According to the official order, the appointment of Doval, who retired in January 2005 as IB Chief, takes effect from Friday. His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of the prime minister or till further orders, whichever is earlier, the order said.

The name of Doval had started doing rounds in the power corridors ever since Modi became Prime Minister-designate. Doval had met Modi at Gujarat Bhavan and gave him  a brief on security challenges facing the country.

Having the distinction of being the first police officer who received 'Kirti Chakra', a military honour, Doval will be providing his deep insight about the threats faced by the country from within and from outside.

A 1968-batch Indian Police Service officer, Doval, known one of the best operational brains within intelligence circles, was India's main negotiator with the hijackers of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 taken to Kandahar in 1999.

After a few years in uniform, Doval had worked as an intelligence officer for over 33 years during which he had served in the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

Doval had also done diplomatic assignments in Pakistan and the United Kingdom and later headed the operations wing of the Intelligence Bureau for over a decade, responsible for counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence and counter-insurgency.

After his retirement from service, he was running Delhi-based non-governmental organisation Vivekananda International Foundation, which provided a platform for dialogue and conflict resolutions.

Known for his clear insight into and vision on Indian and global security issues, Doval has spoken extensively at home and abroad on strengthening the Indian security apparatus and forging closer cooperation among security forces globally.

He was the first police officer to have been awarded with the President’s Police Medal for gallantry in just six years of service. This is generally granted after 15 years.

Doval had conducted anti-insurgency operations in Mizoram and brought Mizo insurgent leader Laldenga to the negotiating table by winning over six of his seven commanders. He had clandestinely gone into Burma and China to break the dominance of Mizo insurgent outfit.

In 1989, he had led a team of Intelligence Bureau officials along with the Punjab Police and National Security Guards in Operation Black Thunder to flush out terrorists from the GoldenTemple in Amritsar.

Doval had also successfully planned the rescue of Romanian diplomat Liviu Radu who was abducted by Khalistan Liberation Front in 1991.