New Delhi: Vikram Misri, a 1989 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA) in the National Security Council Secretariat. He will report to NSA Ajit Doval

Misri earlier served as India's Ambassador to China for nearly three years. He has also served in various capacities at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as well as in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). At present, Rajinder Khanna, Pankaj Saran and Dattatray Padsalgikar are serving as Deputy NSAs.

Misri has also served as Private Secretary to three Prime Ministers – Inder Kumar Gujral in 1997, Dr Manmohan Singh in 2012, and Narendra Modi in 2014.

The National Security Council (NSC) is an executive government agency tasked with advising the PMO on matters of national security and strategic interest. It was established by the former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee on November 19, 1998, with Brajesh Mishra as the first National Security Advisor.

Besides the NSA, Deputy National Security Advisors, Ministers of Defence, External Affairs, Home, Finance, and the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog are members of the National Security Council. /BI/