India's envoy to Russia Pankaj Saran appointed new Deputy National Security Advisor

New Delhi: India’s envoy to Russia Pankaj Saran has been appointed as the Deputy National Security Advisor, the government said on Tuesday.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Saran’s appointment as the deputy NSA for a period of two years, on deputation basis initially till the date of his superannuation, ie, 30 November, 2018, then on re-employment on contract basis, according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.

The 1982-batch officer of Indian Foreign Service (IFS) was in November 2015 appointed as India’s Ambassador to Russia. He had held various positions in India and abroad including the country’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

He served twice in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) — first as Deputy Secretary/ Director during 1995 and 1999, and then as the Joint Secretary between 2007 and 2012.

Saran also worked as the Counsellor (political and commercial), Embassy of India in Cairo during 1999 and 2002 and as the First Secretary (political) in the country’s mission in Washington between 1992 and 1994.

His wife Preeti Saran is Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. Former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, Ajit Doval is the National Security Adviser. He is assisted by Deputy National Security Advisers. Ex-chief of India’s external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Rajinder Khanna was in January this year also appointed as the Deputy NSA.