Why is it in News?
- Union Government finalising India’s first comprehensive National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy.
- Inputs consolidated by the Ministry of Home Affairs with operational feedback from National Investigation Agency.
- NIA anti-terror conference (26–27 December, New Delhi) to outline policy contours.
Relevance
- GS III – Internal Security
- Terrorism and counter-terrorism strategies
- Role of intelligence agencies (NIA, IB, NSG)
- Border management (India–Nepal open border)
- Terror financing, digital radicalisation, identity fraud
Strategic Context
- India lacked a unified anti-terrordoctrine; counter-terror responses have been:
- Statute-based (UAPA, NIA Act)
- Agency-driven (NIA, IB, NSG)
- Incident-reactive rather than prevention-centric
- Contrast:
- National Policy & Action Plan on LWE (2015) → integrated security-development model.
- Terrorism domain lacked an equivalent pan-India template.
Key Threat Vectors Driving the Policy
Digital Radicalisation (High Priority)
- Shift from physical indoctrination to algorithm-driven online recruitment.
- NIA interrogation after Nov 10 car-borne suicide attack near Red Fort:
- Perpetrators radicalised entirely online.
- Identified risks:
- Encrypted messaging platforms
- Social media micro-targeting
- Foreign-hosted servers beyond Indian jurisdiction
- Institutional gap:
- Very limited number of trained cyber-radicalisation spotters at police-station level.
Foreign-Funded Conversion & Radicalisation Networks
- Intelligence inputs point to:
- Overseas religious centres acting as ideological nodes.
- Suspected linkages with Pakistan’s ISI.
- Pattern:
- Funding → conversion → ideological grooming → terror facilitation.
- Policy likely to integrate:
- Financial intelligence
- Social media monitoring
- NGO & charity oversight (within constitutional limits).
Open Border Exploitation (Nepal Corridor)
- India–Nepal border:
- ~1,750 km
- Visa-free, largely unfenced
- Reported modus operandi:
- Khalistani operatives enter Nepal on foreign passports.
- Discard passports → enter India illegally → move via UP–Bihar corridor to Punjab.
- Policy focus:
- Border intelligence fusion
- Joint surveillance with Nepal
- Technology-enabled profiling (without border closure).
Aadhaar Spoofing & Identity Fraud
- Emerging threat:
- Synthetic identities used for SIM cards, bank accounts, logistics.
- Links to:
- Arms trafficking
- Drug-terror financing nexus
- Requires coordination between:
- UIDAI
- Financial Intelligence Units
- State police cyber cells.
Institutional Architecture Being Integrated
Core Agencies
- National Investigation Agency – federal investigations, terror financing, international linkages.
- National Security Guard – tactical response, hostage rescue, urban counter-terror.
- Intelligence Bureau – threat anticipation, radicalisation tracking.
- State ATS & Special Branches – ground-level intelligence.
Technology Backbone
- National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID):
- Secure access to 20+ databases (immigration, banking, telecom, vehicle, travel).
- Shift from post-event investigation → pre-emptive detection.
Policy Orientation: From Reaction to Prevention
| Old Approach | Proposed Policy Shift |
| Incident-led response | Intelligence-led prevention |
| Central agency dominance | State-centric capacity building |
| Post-attack prosecution | Early detection & disruption |
| Fragmented data | Integrated data grids |
| Elite-unit focus | Police station-level vigilance |
Federal Dimension
- Policy designed as a template, not command-and-control.
- States consulted post-Pahalgam terror attack (April 22).
- Emphasis on:
- Training local police
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Shared best practices across States.
Significance for Internal Security (GS III)
- First attempt at doctrinal clarity in counter-terrorism.
- Acknowledges non-traditional threats: digital ecosystems, identity fraud, ideological financing.
- Balances:
- National security
- Federal autonomy
- Civil liberties (critical for judicial sustainability).
Likely Challenges
- Online radicalisation vs freedom of speech.
- Inter-state coordination asymmetries.
- Capacity gaps at thana level.
- Managing foreign policy sensitivities (Canada, Nepal).
Conclusion
- The proposed policy marks India’s transition from event-driven counter-terrorism to ecosystem-based prevention.
- If implemented effectively, it can become the internal security equivalent of the LWE framework (2015)—but success hinges on State-level absorption, training depth, and tech-human integration.
