Tilak Devasher

Bio

Tilak Devasher is the author of four widely acclaimed books on Pakistan: ‘Pakistan: Courting the Abyss’ (December 2016) that was
termed ‘easily the best book on Pakistan’ by a noted Pakistani commentator – Khaled Ahmed; ‘Pakistan: At the Helm’ (July 2018), that a Pakistani reviewer in Dawn termed as ‘a book that any future leader of Pakistan ought to have by their bedside, simply because it is the sum of all that has gone before’; and ‘Pakistan: The Balochistan Conundrum’ (July 2019) that a Pakistani reviewer in Dawn held was ‘far better than the books written on the subject by our own academics and writers.’ His fourth book The Pashtuns: A Contested History has just been published. He has also edited three books for the Vivekananda International
Foundation (VIF) titled ‘Pakistan Insights 2019’, ‘Pakistan Insights 2020’ and ‘Pakistan Insights 2021-22’.

Tilak retired as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India in October 2014. He is Member, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), Consultant, Vivekananda International Foundation, Emeritus Resource Faculty at Rashtriya Raksha University and Distinguished Fellow, United Services Institution of India.

During his professional career Tilak served in J&K, Delhi and abroad. He specialized in security issues, especially pertaining to India’s neighbourhood. Post retirement, he has continued to take a keen interest in such issues with special focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Tilak has taken to writing after superannuation. Apart from his books, he has written articles for a host of newspapers, magazines and think tank journals. He also appears frequently on TV talk shows and on-line platforms.

Tilak did his schooling from Mayo College, Ajmer (1965-1970) and his under-graduation and post-graduation in History from St Stephen’s College, Delhi (1971-76).