What is the Cabinet Committee on Security (CSS)? Check Functions, How It Works, Members and Other Key Details

In Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, a group of terrorists shot and killed 26 tourists on April 23, 2025. This tragic incident has prompted the government to take immediate action to improve security measures in the region.

Our Honorary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi canceled his visit to Saudi Arabia to focus on addressing the security issues in Pahalgam. He held a meeting with the Cabinet Security Committee (CSS) on the matter on Wednesday.

You are watching: What is the Cabinet Committee on Security (CSS)? Check Functions, How It Works, Members and Other Key Details

The CCS gathering was held in the first half of the day, and India responded to the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam in Ananth area.

According to current information, a branch of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founded by Hafiz Saeed has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s tragedy.

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What is the Cabinet Security Committee? Members and functions

The Cabinet Security Committee (CCS) is the senior cabinet committee of the Government of India, responsible for discussing, debating and ultimately deciding matters related to national security, defense policy and defense spending. It also oversees senior appointments of national security agencies.

work

The CCS is chaired by the Prime Minister of India and includes the following members:

• Prime Minister of India (Chairman)
• Minister of Defense
• Minister of the Interior
• Minister of Finance
• Minister of Foreign Affairs

In addition, the National Security Advisor, Cabinet Secretary and Defense Minister are regularly attending CCS meetings.

Features and roles

• Decide on issues related to defense, including procurement and expenditure.
• Deal with relevant laws, order and national security issues.
• Discuss international transactions and agreements that affect India’s security.
• Review political issues that may affect national security.
• Evaluate and recommend changes to national security agencies.
• The capital expenditure proposal is considered to exceed Rs. 1 million million related to national defense production and national defense research and development.
• Solve matters related to atomic energy.

importance

The CCS is the highest decision-making body for India’s security and defense affairs, making it one of the most important cabinet committees. It helps to relieve the burden on the entire union cabinet by allowing smaller ministers to make timely decisions on sensitive security issues.

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How does the Cabinet Security Committee work?

• Prime Minister’s leadership committee.
• Core members provide a comprehensive and comprehensive approach to national security decisions.
• The committee may include other experts and officials as needed.
• It is a flexible and adaptable committee that can address changing security challenges.

Why is CCS important?

• It helps reduce the workload of the entire cabinet and improves decision-making efficiency.
• This is a standing committee focused on security affairs, unlike an interim committee composed of specific tasks.
• It is responsible for making key decisions on national security and defense spending.

Why is CC effective?

• It allows for effective and rapid decision-making on critical security issues.
• This is a pragmatic approach to governance and does not require constitutional amendments.
• This is a “cabinet of war” that can act quickly during times of conflict or extreme threats.

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How is CCS different from the National Security Council?

The Cabinet Security Council (CCS) and the National Security Council of India (NSC) differ in their roles, functions and composition:

Cabinet Security Committee (CCS)

CCS is a cabinet-level decision-making body chaired by the Prime Minister, including major ministers such as national defense, interior affairs, finance and foreign affairs.

It is primarily a “sanctions agency” that deals with immediate and critical security issues such as defense procurement, law and order, foreign policy decisions, and appointments related to national security.

CCS makes final decisions on security matters and oversees operations and expenditure aspects, including nuclear doctrine and strategic forces.

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It is limited to political leadership, unless in exceptional circumstances, it does not routinely include officers.

National Security Council (NSC)

The NSC is an executive consulting body responsible for advising the Prime Minister on a wider range of national security and foreign policy issues.

It focuses on long-term strategic planning, policy development and inter-agency coordination in a variety of security areas, including cybersecurity, border infrastructure, counter-terrorism and maritime security.

The NSC has a more flexible structure that allows military service chiefs to be members of its Special Protection Group (SPG), thereby enhancing civil interaction, especially in non-crisis situations.

It is supported by the National Security Advisor (NSA) and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSC), who prepare policy documents and coordinate between agencies.

Unlike CCS, NSC proposes comprehensive government actions on functional safety issues and participates in strategic vision, while CCS handles immediate sanctions.

Difference Summary

aspect	Cabinet Security Committee (CCS)	National Security Council (NSC)
nature	Cabinet committee, decision-making body	Consulting and coordination agencies
Main role	Final decisions on defense procurement, law and order, foreign policy	Long-term strategic planning, policy formulation and coordination
work	See more : India vs Australia Head to Head in Test Cricket; Check Updated Record till 2024 Prime Minister + Main Minister (Defense, Family, Finance, Diplomacy)	NSA Prime Minister, Official, Military Chief (Flexible)
Focus	Instant security issues, spending and appointments	Cross-cutting security issues, inter-agency coordination
Military participation	Limited, mainly political leadership	Including military leaders to enable civil synergy
Support the Secretariat	No formal	National Security Council Secretariat (NSC)

What are the main responsibilities of CCS?

The main responsibilities of the Cabinet Security Committee (CCS) include:

• Formulate national security and defense policies.
• Decide strategic military operations and crisis response.
• Approve major defense acquisitions and spending recommendations.
• Develop policies on terrorism, border disputes, nuclear strategies and other critical security matters.
• Decide for appointments related to national security agencies.
• Supervision of legal and order issues has the impact of national security.
• Review and sanction the capital expenditure proposals related to defence production and defence research and development, especially capital exceeding Rs. 10 million.
• Deal with matters related to atomic energy and strategic forces.

Is the Cabinet Security Committee (CCS) a constitution?

The Cabinet Security Committee (CSS) is constitutional, meaning there is no mention in the Indian Constitution and relieves pressure on the central government by allowing smaller groups of ministers to make decisions on specific matters.

When a new government takes office or reorganizes the cabinet, they will be formed or reorganized.

The Prime Minister created a small group of ministers, called the Cabinet Committee, to help make decisions on specific topics. The Prime Minister selects which ministers in each group and the tasks they will perform.

In addition, each committee usually has 3 to 8 members, usually from the cabinet. Sometimes, non-advisors can also join or invite to a meeting.

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion