The control over India's top security set-up has become a bone of

contention between three contenders namely, Foreign Minister Jaswant

Singh, Defence Minister George Fernandes and PMO's top mandarin Brajesh

Mishra. It is understood that former Minister of State for Defence and one

time Rajiv Gandhi's close friend Arun Singh has joined MEA as Adviser on

security affairs and is being groomed to become the National Security

Adviser vice Brajesh Mishra. He is also heading one of the four task

forces created by the Ministers' Committee which is going through the

implementation of the recommendations of Subrahmanyam Committee's report

on Kargil (see Analysis) on reorganisation of higher defence management

including manpower planning and military procurement. The other three task

forces are being headed by N N Vohra, G C Saxena and Madhav Godbole. It

may be noted that Subrahmanyam Committee has recommended the bifurcation

of the post of Principal Secretary to PM and National Security Adviser.

There is no doubt that Arun Singh is pre-eminently qualified and suited

for the post of National Security Adviser and would succeed in bringing

about far-reaching changes in the control and co-ordination of security,

intelligence and higher defence organisation.

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