1. PRAHAAR: India’s National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy

The Union Home Ministry has officially released PRAHAAR, India’s first comprehensive anti-terror policy. This strategic framework addresses the evolving nature of threats from state and non-state actors, focusing on multi-dimensional security across land, air, sea, and cyberspace. Key Highlights of the PRAHAAR Policy • Comprehensive Threat Landscape: The policy acknowledges that India faces threats on all three fronts—water, land, and air—necessitating a synchronized defense mechanism. • Cyber-Kinetic Convergence: Beyond traditional warfare, it highlights the rising risk from criminal hackers and nation-states targeting critical information infrastructure. • Protection of Critical Sectors: Strategies are laid out to safeguard vital economic pillars including atomic energy, space, defense, railways, power, and aviation. • Secular Approach to Counter-Terror: The policy explicitly states that India does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality, or civilization. • Tackling Emerging Technologies: It addresses the use of drones and encrypted communication by handlers across the border, specifically in regions like Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. • Nexus of Terror and Crime: The document identifies an increasing reliance of terrorist groups on organized criminal networks for logistics, recruitment, and funding. Definitions of Key Terms • State Actors: Entities or individuals acting on behalf of a sovereign government to conduct activities, often involving cross-border \'sponsored terrorism.\' • Non-State Actors: Individuals or groups not affiliated with a government (e.g., Al-Qaeda, IS) that use violence to achieve political or ideological goals. • Critical Information Infrastructure (CII): Computer resources, the destruction of which would have a debilitating impact on national security, economy, or public health. • Sleeper Cells: Secret groups of agents or terrorists who remain inactive within a target population until ordered to act. Constitutional and Legal Provisions • Article 355: Directs the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance. • Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967: The primary anti-terror law in India, amended to allow the designation of individuals as terrorists. • National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008: Governs the specialized agency mandated to investigate and prosecute offenses affecting the sovereignty and integrity of India. • Information Technology Act, 2000 (Section 66F): Prescribes punishment for acts of cyber terrorism. • Seventh Schedule: While \'Public Order\' is a State subject, \'National Security\' and \'Extradition\' fall under the Union List, allowing for central policies like PRAHAAR. Additional Key Points • Sponsored Terrorism: The policy identifies the persistent threat from \'Jihadi\' terror outfits and their frontal organizations operating from across the border. • Global Terror Links: It warns against the influence of Al-Qaeda and IS attempting to incite local violence through radicalization and sleeper cells. • Capacity Building: Emphasizes the development of specialized units to protect high-value assets from both physical and digital sabotage. Conclusion and UPSC Relevance The PRAHAAR policy marks a shift from a reactive to a proactive security posture by integrating technological defense with traditional intelligence. For the UPSC Civil Services Exam, this topic is highly relevant for General Studies Paper III (Internal Security). Aspirants should focus on the \'Terrorism-Organized Crime Nexus,\' the \'Role of External State and Non-State Actors,\' and \'Challenges to Internal Security through Communication Networks.\' Understanding this policy is crucial for questions regarding India’s security architecture and the evolution of counter-terrorism strategies in the 21st century.