Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai Appointed Military Adviser to NSCS, First Serving Officer in Role
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai has been appointed as Military Adviser to India's National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), becoming the first serving military officer to hold the position since it was revived in 2018. He succeeds General N.S. Raja Subramani, who recently became Chief of Defence Staff, and still has service remaining until December 2027. The appointment is seen as a significant structural shift, bringing active operational and strategic military experience directly into India's highest national security decision-making framework.
Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai, currently serving as Deputy Chief of the Indian Army, was appointed Military Adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) earlier this week and is expected to assume charge shortly. The appointment breaks with established practice, as all previous holders of the post — including Lt. Gen. N.S. Raja Subramani, Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, and General Anil Chauhan — had retired from active service before taking the role. Lt. Gen. Ghai rose to national prominence as Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, when India conducted precision strikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) in June 2025, overseeing long-term operational planning, intelligence, and emerging warfare capabilities. Commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment in 1989, he brings over 36 years of experience spanning counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, high-altitude deployments, and command of the XV Corps (Chinar Corps) in Srinagar. His appointment comes as India advances theatre command reforms and military integration, and is expected to strengthen the interface between active military planning and national security policy under National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
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Neither source specifies whether Lt. Gen. Ghai's appointment required any formal amendment to the terms of the Military Adviser post, or how his dual status as a serving officer will interact with the chain of command and the authority of the Chief of Defence Staff.
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