The Union Government on Tuesday rolled out India’s first comprehensive counter-terrorism policy titled “Prahaar”, outlining a multi-layered strategy rooted in zero tolerance, intelligence-driven prevention and decisive response to terror threats originating within the country and from abroad.
The policy, unveiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is structured around seven core pillars 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. It seeks to deny terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, weapons, logistics and safe havens.
The document notes that instability in India’s neighbourhood has often created ungoverned spaces, while certain countries have used terrorism as an instrument of State policy. Without naming any country, it asserts that India has long faced cross-border sponsored terrorism and threats from global terror outfits, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, which attempt to radicalise and incite violence through sleeper cells and online networks.
Highlighting evolving threats, the policy underscores the growing misuse of advanced technologies such as encryption, dark web platforms, crypto wallets, drones and robotics by terrorist groups. It flags concerns over potential access to CBRNED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive and Digital) materials and warns of increasing cyber-attacks by both state and non-state actors targeting India’s critical infrastructure.
Under its prevention strategy, primacy has been accorded to intelligence gathering and seamless sharing of inputs through platforms like the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and the Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI) under the Intelligence Bureau. The framework calls for coordinated action between central agencies and state police forces to ensure real-time disruption of terror plots and funding channels.
The policy also emphasizes dismantling overground worker (OGW) networks and breaking the nexus between terror outfits and organised criminal syndicates. Special focus has been laid on curbing terror financing through robust legal provisions and closer scrutiny of illegal arms syndicates operating in various states.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to constitutional values, the document states that 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. It further highlights the need for periodic amendments in domestic counter-terror laws to address emerging challenges and ensure stronger prosecution of offenders.
On the international front, the policy stresses deeper bilateral and multilateral engagement to secure extradition of fugitives, designation of global terrorists at the United Nations and disruption of transnational terror networks. It also calls for partnerships with private enterprises and technology stakeholders to counter misuse of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for extremist purposes.
Describing India’s approach as proactive and intelligence-guided, the Government asserted that national action, backed by international cooperation and community engagement, remains central to tackling the evolving global terror landscape.
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