The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced ‘Prahaar’, India’s new national counter-terrorism policy. The strategy is designed to tackle modern terror threats through prevention, quick response, coordination among agencies, and strict adherence to the law. The government said that "terrorism has no religion, nationality, or community. India condemns all forms of terrorism and follows a zero-tolerance policy, ensuring that violence cannot be justified under any circumstances."
Key goals of the policy
‘Prahaar’ aims to:
- Stop attacks before they happen
- Strengthen coordination between central and state agencies
- Protect human rights while following legal procedures
- Reduce conditions that encourage terrorism
- Work with global partners to fight terrorism internationally
- Help communities recover and remain resilient
- Tackling new and high-tech threats
- The policy highlights new challenges like
- Cross-border terrorism and extremist groups
- Use of drones and digital tools for attacks
- Online propaganda, recruitment, and encrypted communications
- Potential threats from chemical, biological, nuclear, and cyber sources
How India will respond
India will take a proactive, intelligence-driven approach:
- Real-time coordination through Multi Agency Centre (MAC) and Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI)
- Disrupt online recruitment and terror funding
- Equip border and security forces with modern technology
- Ensure local police act as first responders, supported by NSG and other special forces
- Conduct thorough investigations through NIA and state police to prevent future attacks
- Preventing radicalisation
- ‘Prahaar’ also focuses on stopping extremist thinking by:
- Working with community leaders, NGOs, and moderate religious figures
- Educating youth and women, and addressing social and economic vulnerabilities
- Preventing radicalisation in prisons and schools
‘Prahaar’ plans to modernize training, upgrade technology, standardize procedures, and strengthen state-level counter-terror units. The goal is to create a coordinated national response, protect democratic values, and build a society that can withstand and recover from terrorist threats.
