Brief Context
Context The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) unveiled India’s inaugural National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, titled ‘PRAHAAR’. About It is this principled approach which informs the Indian policy of zero tolerance’ against terrorism. The counter-terrorism strategy of India, ‘PRAHAAR’, flows from these ideals: Prevention of terror attacks to protect Indian citizens and interests; Read More
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Syllabus: GS2/Governance; GS3/Internal Security
Context
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) unveiled India’s inaugural National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, titled ‘PRAHAAR’.
About
- It is this principled approach which informs the Indian policy of ‘zero tolerance’ against terrorism.
- The counter-terrorism strategy of India, ‘PRAHAAR’, flows from these ideals:
- Prevention of terror attacks to protect Indian citizens and interests;
- Responses, which are swift and proportionate to the threat posed;
- Aggregating internal capacities for achieving synergy in a whole-of-government approach;
- Human rights and ‘Rule of Law’ based processes for mitigation of threats;
- Attenuating the conditions enabling terrorism, including radicalization;
- Aligning and shaping the international efforts to counter terrorism;
- Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach.
Need for such Policy
- Target of Terror Groups: India has been the target of global terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
- Use of Technology: Handlers from across the border frequently use the latest technologies, including use of drones, for facilitating terror-related activities and attacks in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
- Use of Social Media: For propaganda, communication, funding and guiding terror attacks, these terror groups use social media platforms as well as ‘instant messaging applications’.
- Technological advancements like encryption, dark web, crypto wallets etc. have allowed these groups to operate anonymously.
- Threat to access CBRNED: Disrupting terrorist efforts to access and use CBRNED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, Digital) material remains a challenge for Counter Terrorism (CT) agencies.
Major Highlights of the Policy
- Prevention: India follows a pro-active ‘Intelligence-Guided’ approach, in which primacy is accorded to intelligence gathering and its dissemination to executive agencies.
- Operationalization of Multi Agency Centre (MAC) along with the Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI) in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) remain the nodal platform for efficient and real time sharing.
- Response: The local Police is the first responder to any attack, assisted by specialized State and Central anti-terror Forces.
- The vulnerable states have created special CT Forces to respond to attacks.
- The National Security Guard (NSG) is the nodal national Counter-Terror Force under MHA, for assistance to State Forces in responding to major terror attacks.
- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and State Police Agencies conduct CT investigations in India and high prosecution rates of these investigations ensure a deterrent to future terror incidents.
- Aggregating Capacities: There is regular acquisition of latest tools, technology and weaponry, besides training for new skills and tactics for CT Agencies.
- Efforts have been made to further modernize the training modules and infrastructure of the training institutes.
- Human Rights and Rule of Law Based Processes: India adheres to the ‘Rule of Law’, where laws are just, applied evenly and protect fundamental rights.
- India is also a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, besides ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- Attenuating the conditions conducive to Terrorism: Terrorist groups are continuously making efforts to recruit Indian youth.
- Once identified, these youths undergo a graded police response, aimed at comprehensively addressing the problem of radicalization and violent extremism.
- Legal action is initiated against the individual based on their level of radicalization.
- Aligning and Shaping the International Efforts: India has entered into various agreements like Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), Extradition Treaty/Extradition Arrangement (ET/EA), Joint Working Group (JWG) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with foreign partners for information sharing and other legal cooperation.
- Recovery and Resilience through a whole-of-society approach: Public-private partnership has been a key component helping in faster recovery and resilience in case of a terror attack.
- The government engages a team of doctors, psychologists, lawyers and other members of civil society, including NGOs, religious and community leaders, to sensitize and reintegrate the affected community.
Way Forward
- The coordinated multi-agency actions have greatly contributed towards success in Indian counter terrorism efforts.
- However, there remains a scope for further cooperation and collaboration among various agencies for intelligence collection and investigation.
- National actions, coupled with international and regional cooperation, are key elements in addressing trans-national terrorism challenges.
- ‘Prahaar’, aims to criminalize all terrorist acts and deny access to funds, weapons and safe havens to the terrorists, their financiers and supporters.
Source: TH