This is the first time a serving military officer has been appointed Military Adviser to the NSCS, which is headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Previous holders of the post were all retired officers

Army Deputy Chief Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, who served as Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) during Operation Sindoor, has been appointed the new Military Adviser (MA) to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

This is the first time a serving military officer has been appointed Military Adviser to the NSCS, which is headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Previous holders of the post were all retired officers.

Lt Gen Ghai, whose military tenure runs until December 2027, is expected to assume charge shortly. His appointment to the NSCS was made earlier this week.

Lt Gen Ghai does not have the seniority or the mandatory residual service required for appointment as an Army Commander. He previously commanded the 15 Corps before serving as DGMO and later as Deputy Chief of the Army Staff.

Commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment, he has commanded an infantry battalion in the western sector, an independent brigade in the Central sector and a division in Arunachal Pradesh.

In the past, another serving officer, Lt Gen MU Nair, was appointed National Cyber Security Coordinator in the NSCS. However, Lt Gen Ghai will be the first serving officer to hold the post of Military Adviser.

Before him, the position was held by Gen NS Raja Subramani, who is now the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He was preceded by Air Marshal Sandeep Singh and, before him, Gen Anil Chauhan, who just retied as CDS.

Lt Gen Vinod Khandare was the first Military Adviser appointed to the NSCS under the Narendra Modi government after the post was revived in 2018.

Earlier, Lt Gen Prakash Menon, who retired in late 2011, was appointed Military Adviser in 2012 and served until 2014. He subsequently served as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the NSCS from March 2015 to 2017, reporting to Doval.