Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board which is an important element of the National Security Council system. The NSAB is a multi-disciplinary body comprising persons of eminence from outside the Government with the principal function of providing long- term prognosis and analysis to the National Security Council and recommending solutions and policy options to the issues raised by them.

The seven new members of the reconstituted 23 member board are:

KS Bajpai, IFS (retd.) - chairman, former secretary, MEA, former Ambassador to China and the USA . Currently chairman Delhi Policy Group, an independent think tank.

Ms. Shyamala B Cowsik, IFS (retd.) former High Commisioner to Canada

Tarun Das, chief mentor, Confederation of Indian Industries (CIl)

HK Dua, editor-in-chief, The Tribune.

Dr. Prodipto Ghosh, IAS (retd.) former secretary, ministry of environment & forests, distinguished fellow, TERI

Ms. Sudha Mahalingam, member (distribution), Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board

Vice Admiral (Retd.) KK Nayyar, chairman, National Maritime Foundation.

The other existing members are:

Prof. Alka Acharya, JNU (expert on China)

Prof. N. Balakrishnan, associate director, Indian Institute of Science

Dr. PM Bhargava, former vice-chairman, National Knowledge Commission and founder and former director, CCMB, Hyderabad

Vice Adml (retd.) PS Das, PVSM, UYSM, VSM, former C-in-C, Eastern Naval Command

Prof. Rakesh Datta, professor & head, Department of Defence Studies, Punjab University

AS Dulat, former Secretary (R&AW)

VK Grover, IFS (retd.) former secretary, MEA.

Wasbir Hussain, political analyst and associate fellow, Institute for Conflict Management

Air Chief Mshl (retd.) S Krishnaswami, PVSM,AVSM, VM, former chief of air staff

Dr Rajiv Kumar, director, Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER)

K Raghunath, former Foreign Secretary

KV Rajan, IFS (retd.) former ambassador to Nepal and secretary, MEA.

N Ravi, Editor, The Hindu

Gen. (retd.) VN Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, former Chief of Army Staff

Dr. MR Srinivasan, former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

SP Talukdar, former commissioner, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)