Maj Gen. Pasricha (1983-1986)

Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, AVSM, VrC, VM, IAF (Retd.) (1986-87)

Air Commodore (Retd) Jasjit Singh is a former Director of Operations of the IAF. He is one of the leading analysts of Indian military and strategic thought. He has published extensively and is the author and editor of more than two dozen books on strategic and security issues of South Asia, including - Air Power in Modern Warfare; Nonprovocative Defence; Nuclear India; Kargil 1999: Pakistan's Fourth War for Kashmir; and India's Defence Spending: Assessing Future Needs. Dr Jasjit Singh is also a visiting lecturer at defence and war colleges in India and abroad. He was member of the International Commission for a new Asia, consultant to the Standing Committee of Defence of the Parliament; Adviser and Member of National Security Advisory Board. Currently he is the Director of the New Delhi based Centre for Air Power Studies.

Mrs Mitra Vashisht (1988-1990)

Shri A.K. Banerjee (1990-1992)

Dipankar Banerjee (1992-96)

Dipankar Banerjee is a retired Major General of the Indian Army and an eminent defence, foreign policy, and strategic studies expert based in India. He is presently the Founding Director of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, India’s leading independent defence policy, foreign policy and strategic studies think tank based in Indian capital New Delhi.

From May 1999 to July 2002 he was the director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He held visiting fellowships at the United States Institute of Peace and The Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, United States. He has been a consultant to the United Nations on the Conventional Arms Register and was an international adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross during 2000-2004.

Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar (1996-1998, 1999-2006)

Commodore Uday Bhaskar is counted among the leading defence analysts of India and has contributed over 50 research articles/papers to professional journals and books published in India and abroad. His articles have appeared in “US Naval Institute Proceedings”, “Studies in Conflict and Terrorism” and the “Bulletin of Atomic Scientists” and in books published by the US Naval War College and the Royal Navy Defence Studies amongst others. He has worked on nuclear proliferation, India-US relations and maritime issues and is currently working on Comprehensive Security in the Post Cold War period. He recently edited “Indo- German Dialouge: Quest for International Peace and Security”.

He is a regular contributor to many leading national dailies and has also been published in newspaper abroad both in USA and Japan. He is on the panel of experts for security and foreign policy issues with Indian radio and television. During the Gulf War of 1991 Commodore Bhaskar was one of the four defence analysts in India invited to write a daily column for a leading national newspaper.

He is a guest lecturer at the National Defence College, New Delhi and the Defence Services staff college, Wellington. He also lectured in school, colleges and universities, both in India, France and USA. The latter include the Olin Institute, Havard; Columbia University; University of Chicago; Georgia Technology Institute; University of Georgia; Naval Post-graduate School, Monterrey; the Old Dominion University, Norfolk and Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs. He participated in seminars abroad including the India-US Strategic Symposia held with the INSS/National Defence University.

Cmde Bhaskar is the founder-editor of Quarterdeck and is on the editorial board of the Journal for Indian Ocean Studies. Life member of United Service Institution and member of the Advisory Council of the India International Centre.

Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak (1999-2000)

Amb. Virendra Gupta (2006-07)

Virendra Gupta is a serving career diplomat from the Indian Foreign Service and has served abroad in Indian Missions in Nepal., Nigeria, Israel and Egypt, in various capacities. He has also served in Indian Mission to the United Nations, where he served as Rapporteur of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid. He has also been Deputy Secretary (UN) and Director (Disarmament) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. He has been India’s High Commissioner to Tanzania and Trinidad and Tobago. After completing his tenure with IDSA he was appointed Additional Secretary, Investment and Technology Promotion and Energy Security in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Dr. Thomas Mathew (2007-10)

Dr. Thomas Mathew is an officer of the 1983 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). After graduating in Political Science (Honours), he did his Masters in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Thereafter, he did his M. Phil. in Strategic Studies from the School of International Studies (SIS), and completed his Ph.D. on US Foreign Policy from JNU.

Dr. Mathew has held important positions both in the State (province) and Central (Federal) Governments. He was the District Magistrate/ Collector and Mayor of Cochin. In Cochin, he is credited with starting several innovative projects under public-private partnership, including a project involving the integrated development of the outlying islands of the province at an estimated cost of around US $400 million, without Government assistance.

In the Federal Government, Dr. Mathew has held important positions in the Ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Industries and Defence, amongst others. In the Ministry of Defence, he was the Joint Secretary in charge of Capital acquisitions for the Navy, Coast Guard and Systems for the three Services and the Coast Guard.

Dr. Mathew was also a member of the task force that formulated the Defence Acquisition Procedure (2006) of the country. He has represented the country for several high-level security-related meetings and conferences. He is also an alumnus of National Defence College, Delhi, where he was awarded the Gold Medal for the best thesis.

Brig. Rumel Dahiya, SM (Retd.) (2010-2016)

Brig Rumel Dahiya, SM (Retd) is an Indian Army veteran with extensive command and staff experience spanning 32 years, including in counter-insurgency operations. He previously served as a Defence Attache to Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, and with the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan. He also served with Military Operations Directorate of the Indian Army and Net Assessment Directorate at Integrated Defence Staff. Brig. Dahiya is a graduate of the National Defence College and Defence Services Staff College. He was awarded the Sword of Honour and Gold Medal at the Indian Military Academy at his commissioning.