Who is Anish Dayal Singh? Check Education, Career, Awards of New Deputy NSA

Anish Dayal Singh, a retired IPS officer and former CRPF Director General, has been named by the central government as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA). The 60-year-old Singh will answer directly to NSA Ajit Doval in his new position.

Who is Anish Dayal Singh?

Anish Dayal Singh is a Manipur cadre officer who joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1988. He took over as the CRPF's Director General on January 1, 2024. Singh was born in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, in 1964. He trained as a police officer at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad after being chosen for the Indian Police Service in 1988.

Prior to taking command of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), two of India's biggest paramilitary units, Singh worked for almost 30 years in the Intelligence Bureau (IB), developing his skills in internal security and counter-insurgency.

Anish Dayal Singh's Role as Deputy NSA

Singh will be in charge of internal affairs in his new role, which includes fighting left-wing extremism, managing insurgency in the Northeast, and ensuring security in Jammu and Kashmir, according to sources cited by PTI.

Alongside him will be two additional Deputy NSAs, retired IPS officer T.V. Ravichandran and former diplomat Pawan Kapoor, as well as former RAW chief Rajinder Khanna, who will serve as Additional NSA.

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Anish Dayal Singh Career

Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer from the Manipur cadre, led the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) during a pivotal year when the government's fight against Naxalism saw notable advancements from the largest paramilitary force in the world.

Under his command, the CRPF added four new battalions and more than three dozen forward operating bases (FOBs) in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas, bringing the total number of men committed to anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh to over 4,000.

Singh's term also saw the successful holding of the first assembly elections in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as the CRPF was essential to maintaining national security.

Singh started his career in Manipur before moving to a central deputation in the early 2000s, where he served in a number of important positions within the Intelligence Bureau.

Anish Singh Notable Work

Singh managed key deployments for the first Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir following its reorganization and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Singh made a significant change by realigning 130 battalions for the first time in eight years. This was done to increase productivity and give staff members more "family time" by reducing the average distance between battalion headquarters and home centers from 1,200 km to 500 km.

In addition to operations, Singh supported a program that would give retiring members of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) honorary ranks. This was done in an effort to alleviate the stagnation in promotions, since some constables had been waiting for promotions for almost 20 years. This strategy was later accepted by the Union government.

As Deputy NSA, Singh will leverage his extensive background in intelligence, counter-insurgency, and organizational change, according to officials, making him a pivotal player in developing India's internal security strategy.

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