New Delhi, Feb 24: The Union Government on Tuesday rolled out ‘Prahaar’ – India’s first comprehensive counter-terrorism policy – a hard-hitting blueprint designed to dismantle terrorist networks, choke funding channels and counter the growing menace of cyber and drone-based threats.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released the policy document, which establishes a seven-pillar framework rooted in the government’s “zero tolerance” approach towards terrorism.
Official sources told news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS), the policy has been crafted as a dynamic document to address both existing and emerging challenges, including state-sponsored cross-border terrorism and the misuse of new-age technologies.
The policy pulls no punches in calling out the threat landscape. Without naming any country, it notes that India has long faced cross-border sponsored terrorism, with instability in the neighbourhood creating ungoverned spaces exploited by terrorist entities. It also warns that certain nations continue to use terrorism as an instrument of State policy, while global outfits like Al-Qaeda and ISIS are attempting to radicalise youth through sleeper cells and online networks.
In a first, the policy comprehensively addresses the technological dimension of modern terrorism. It flags serious concerns over terrorist groups increasingly using encryption, dark web platforms, crypto wallets, drones and robotics to carry out attacks. It also raises red flags over potential threats to critical infrastructure from cyber attacks and the possible use of CBRNED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive and Digital) materials.
The seven core pillars of ‘Prahaar’ include prevention, response, strengthening internal capacities, adherence to human rights and rule of law, counter-radicalisation, international cooperation and recovery through a whole-of-society approach. The framework aims to deny terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, weapons, logistics and safe havens.
Officials said intelligence gathering and real-time sharing of inputs have been accorded top priority under the policy. Platforms like the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and the Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI) under the Intelligence Bureau will be further strengthened to ensure seamless coordination between central agencies and state police forces for swift disruption of terror plots.
Another major focus area is dismantling Over Ground Worker (OGW) networks and breaking the terror-crime nexus. The policy calls for tighter scrutiny of illegal arms syndicates and robust legal provisions to curb terror financing.
On the diplomatic front, the government will push for deeper bilateral and multilateral engagement to secure extradition of fugitives and designation of global terrorists at the United Nations. The policy also emphasises partnerships with private enterprises and technology stakeholders to prevent misuse of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for extremist purposes.
Significantly, the MHA has reaffirmed that all anti-terror operations will strictly adhere to human rights principles and the rule of law, with multiple levels of legal redressal available to the accused. The government asserted that national action, backed by international cooperation and community engagement, remains central to tackling the evolving global terror landscape. (KNS)
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