Pune: Union home minister Amit Shah heaped praise on National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, referring to him as the primary architect of India’s contemporary national security and foreign policy framework.
He made the remarks at a ceremony held in Pune, Maharashtra, where Shah conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award upon Doval for his outstanding contributions to India’s national security, intelligence, and strategic policy.
Lauding the synergy between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NSA Doval, the home minister said the latter’s expert advice and strategic foresight were key in shaping firm and actionable decisions for the country, as reported by News18.
Shah also praised the overhaul of India’s defence under PM Modi’s leadership and Doval’s guidance, noting how their collective approach transformed India from a historically reactive stance into a strong, proactive and resilient national defense force capable of quick response.
The home minister also acknowledged Doval’s leadership during critical security and geopolitical situations, including counter-terrorism responses, border standoffs (such as Doklam) and operations across sensitive regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and the northeastern states.
He praised the NSA’s decorated career in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Indian Police Service (IPS), and said that Doval’s lifetime of covert and overt intelligence service stands as an inspirational benchmark for national defense.
NSA Doval is implementing Tilak’s vision of a self-reliant, secure and sovereign India-Swarajya, Shah said.
The 1968-batch retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer is the longest-serving National Security Advisor (NSA). He has been holding the office continuously since May 2014 — when the BJP’s government assumed power at the Centre — with cabinet rank in his consecutive terms.
Doval was present at the high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in the Parliament on July 30 during which PM Modi reviewed the evolving situations in West Asia as well as its implications on India’s energy security, as reported by India Today.
