Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)

Cabinet Committee on Security Latest News

Noting the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) announced a series of extraordinary retaliatory measures against Pakistan.

About Cabinet Committee on Security

• The CCS, headed by the PM, is responsible for important discussions and decisions on defence policy, expenditure, and matters related to national security.
• It is also the apex body when it comes to the appointments of the officials in the national security bodies.
• History:
  • A committee comparable to the current CCS structure was first formed in independent India in 1947 by then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • Formed against the background of a newly independent nation facing national security challenges, the committee was constituted with the primary aim of assessing and addressing the political, economic, and military situations in India's border areas.
  • The first emergency meeting of this committee was reportedly called during the Indo-Pak War of 1947–48. 
  • It was reportedly chaired by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, with Home Minister Sardar Patel and Defence Minister Baldev Singh as its members.
  • It was after the 1999 Kargil War that the committee evolved to adopt the present formal structure of the CCS and became a high-powered committee for defence and national security.
  • Over time, the CCS has evolved into the apex decision-making body concerning internal and external security matters of the Government of India.
• Composition:
  • With the Prime Minister as its chairperson, the committee typically comprises the Home Minister, Defence Minister, Finance Minister, and External Affairs Minister as members. 
  • The National Security Advisor (NSA) acts as secretary-level coordinator on matters within its purview.
  • While the defence minister is a permanent invitee to the panel, other members may be included as per requirements. 
  • The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for maintaining records of all the meetings and proceedings of the CCS.
  • The CCS concerns itself with all matters related to defence, foreign affairs, intelligence, nuclear issues, space policy, and major appointments related to national security.

What are Cabinet Committees?

• Cabinet Committees are extra-constitutional, meaning they are not mentioned in the Indian Constitution.
• They are partly designed to reduce the burden on the Union Cabinet by allowing smaller groups of ministers to make decisions on specific policy areas.
• They are constituted or reconstituted when a new government takes over or the Cabinet undergoes a reshuffle.
• How are Cabinet Committees formed?
  • The prime minister sets up the cabinet committees with selected members of the Cabinet and assigns specific functions to them. 
  • The prime minister may change the numbers of committees, and modify the functions assigned to them.
  • The membership of each committee can vary from three to eight. 
  • Usually, only Cabinet ministers are members of these committees. However, it is not unheard of for non-Cabinet ministers to be members or special invitees to committees.
• There are a total of 8 cabinet committees:
  • Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
  • Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
  • Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth.
  • Cabinet Committee on Security.
  • Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
  • Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development.
  • Cabinet Committee on Accommodation.
  • Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
• All committees except the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs are headed by the PM.

Cabinet Committee on Security FAQs

Q1. Who heads the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)?

Ans. Prime Minister

Q2. Who acts as the secretary-level coordinator for Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) matters?

Ans. National Security Advisor (NSA)

Q3. Which body maintains the records of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meetings and proceedings?

Ans. Cabinet Secretariat

Source: IE