Brajesh Mishra

Brijesh Mishra
Brajesh Mishra in 2001
1st National Security Adviser of India
In office November 1998 – May 2004
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Post created
Succeeded by	J N Dixit
Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
In office June 1979 – April 1981
Personal details
Born	29 September 1928
Died	28 September 2012 (aged 84) New Delhi
Cause of death	Heart failure
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party (1991–98)
Parents	Dwarka Prasad Mishra
Occupation	Diplomat, politician
Known for	India's first National Security Adviser

Brajesh Chandra Mishra (29 September 1928 – 28 September 2012) was an Indian diplomat and politician, best known for serving as Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's principal secretary and National Security Adviser from 1998 to 2004.

He was born on 29 September 1928 to Dwarka Prasad Mishra, who was a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. His father was considered a staunch politician from the Congress Party and very close to Indira Gandhi though they fell out later.

Brajesh Mishra joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1951. He served as chargé d'affaires in Beijing after the 1962 Sino-Indian War and was India's ambassador to Indonesia. He was also Ambassador and India's permanent representative in Geneva. Mishra's last posting was as India's permanent representative to the United Nations from June 1979 to April 1981.

As Permanent Representative, he voiced India's position on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan at the Sixth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly, but his disagreement with that position was part of the reason why he joined the United Nations in 1981 and served as United Nations Commissioner for Namibia till June 1987.

In April 1991, Mishra joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and became head of its foreign policy cell. He resigned from the party in March 1998 on becoming principal secretary to the Prime Minister. After Brajesh Mishra, the post of principal secretary to the Prime Minister became such a powerful one that it eclipsed the status of cabinet ministers. As Vajpayee's troubleshooter, he was one of the most powerful principal secretaries the PMO had ever seen.