National Security Council Secretariat
Also called: NSCS · Topic: Union Executive: President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) is the office that supports India's National Security Council. The Council is the body that advises the Prime Minister on national security. The NSCS works under the National Security Adviser (NSA). It gathers inputs from ministries, the armed forces and intelligence agencies, and helps them work together on security matters. The Constitution does not mention it. It is an extra-constitutional body, meaning one set up by a government decision rather than by the Constitution or by a law passed by Parliament. It matters because security problems, such as threats at sea, cut across many ministries, and someone has to coordinate them.
Example
In November 2025 (24–25 Nov), the NSCS hosted the 4th BIMSTEC Expert Group Meeting on Maritime Security Cooperation in New Delhi. The meeting discussed an Action Plan to link the law-enforcement agencies of member countries, and whether joint maritime exercises were possible.
Don't confuse with
- Cabinet Committee on Security: this is a group of ministers (the PM plus the Defence, Home, Finance and External Affairs ministers) that takes decisions on defence and security. The NSCS advises and coordinates, but it does not take Cabinet decisions.
- Cabinet Secretariat: it is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and serves the whole Cabinet and its committees across all subjects. The NSCS works only on national security.