Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 23: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday launched India’s first comprehensive National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, titled ‘PRAHAAR’, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms.
The policy establishes a structured national framework to address evolving threats, including cross-border terrorism, drone attacks, cyber-enabled activities, and organised terror networks. It underscores India’s long-standing experience in counter-terrorism and firmly rejects attempts to link terrorism to any religion, ethnicity, nationality, or civilisation.
Core Principles and Approach
‘PRAHAAR’ — meaning “strike” — is built around seven pillars:
1. Prevention of terrorist attacks
2. Swift and proportionate response
3. Capacity-building for security and intelligence agencies
4. Human rights-compliant operations
5. Addressing conditions conducive to radicalisation
6. Strengthening international cooperation
7. Promoting societal resilience and recovery
The policy emphasises a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, supporting victims while rejecting any justification for acts of terror. It advocates a multi-layered strategy focused on prevention, rapid response, inter-agency coordination, and adherence to the rule of law.
Threat Assessment and Emerging Challenges
The document highlights persistent and emerging security threats, including:
• Cross-border terrorism and sleeper cells of groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS
• Exploitation of drones and digital platforms for recruitment, propaganda, and coordination
• Convergence between terror networks and organised crime
• Potential access to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive, and cyber capabilities
• Cyber intrusions by non-state actors and hostile entities
Implementation Mechanisms
• Intelligence-led prevention: Multi Agency Centre and Joint Task Force on Intelligence to coordinate real-time threat sharing and action.
• Border security: Advanced surveillance across land, maritime, and aerial domains.
• Critical infrastructure protection: Power, railways, aviation, ports, defence, space, and atomic energy installations to receive enhanced security.
• Response and investigation: Local police as first responders, supported by state counter-terror units and the National Security Guard (NSG). National Investigation Agency (NIA) to lead prosecutions and ensure high conviction rates.
• Institutional strengthening: Modernisation of equipment, training, and standardisation of counter-terror mechanisms across states.
• Radicalisation prevention: Community engagement, civil society and religious leader involvement, youth initiatives, prison monitoring, and socio-economic interventions.
• International cooperation: Intelligence sharing, extradition of terror suspects, UN support to designate terrorist entities, and denial of safe havens.
Vision and Future Outlook
The policy adopts a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, involving government agencies, private sector stakeholders, and civil society. Looking ahead, PRAHAAR calls for periodic legal reforms, enhancement of state-level counter-terror frameworks, investment in emerging technologies, and continuous improvement of investigative expertise.
Officials described PRAHAAR as a dynamic, forward-looking framework designed to dismantle terror ecosystems, strengthen national security, and ensure long-term resilience through coordinated and sustained efforts.