Rajinder Khanna, a former chief of the country's external intelligence agency RAW, was on Tuesday appointed the deputy national security adviser (NSA), PTI reports from New Delhi.
He headed the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) from December 2014 for two years.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the appointment of Khanna as deputy NSA on a re-employment and contractual basis, according to the order issued by the personnel ministry.
Khanna is at present an Officer on Special Duty (Neighbourhood Studies) in the National Security Council Secretariat.
Neighbourhood Studies prepares policy papers related to neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
The National Security Council, headed by the prime minister, is the apex body on all internal and external security-related matters.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is its secretary.