New Delhi: The Government on Monday launched India’s first comprehensive national counter-terrorism policy, titled ‘Prahaar’, outlining a coordinated and multi-layered framework to strengthen national security.
According to the Home Ministry, the policy is structured around seven core pillars: prevention, response, aggregation of internal capacities, adherence to human rights and rule-of-law processes, addressing enabling conditions such as radicalisation, aligning international efforts, and ensuring recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach.
The strategy adopts what the ministry described as a “zero tolerance” stance against terrorism. It emphasises intelligence-driven measures aimed at preventing and disrupting extremist activities before they materialise into attacks.
The document highlights concerns about instability in India’s neighbourhood, noting that such conditions often create ungoverned spaces that can be exploited by terrorist organisations. These environments, the policy states, may facilitate planning, recruitment, and operational coordination by extremist groups.
The policy also points to the use of advanced technologies by terrorist elements operating from foreign soil. According to the document, such technologies have been utilised to plan and support attacks in regions including Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
To strengthen counter-terror mechanisms, the government has reinforced coordination between central agencies and state police forces. The Home Ministry said that platforms such as the Multi-Agency Centre and the Joint Task Force on Intelligence play a critical role in information-sharing and operational coordination.
The policy outlines the importance of aggregating internal capacities to improve response mechanisms and ensure timely action. It also underscores the need to uphold human rights and due process while implementing counter-terror measures, integrating rule-of-law safeguards within the broader strategy.
Addressing the root causes that may contribute to radicalisation forms another component of the framework. The document calls for efforts to tackle poverty and unemployment as part of preventive measures aimed at reducing vulnerability to extremist ideologies.
In addition, the policy stresses the importance of aligning India’s counter-terror initiatives with global efforts. It calls for enhanced international cooperation to dismantle transnational terror networks and address cross-border threats.
The “whole-of-society” approach outlined in ‘Prahaar’ aims to ensure recovery and resilience in the aftermath of any terrorist incident. This involves coordinated action across government institutions, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders to mitigate the impact of attacks and restore normalcy.
The Home Ministry said the policy seeks to integrate preventive, operational, and rehabilitative measures within a unified national framework. By combining intelligence-led disruption, institutional coordination, and socio-economic interventions, the strategy aims to provide a structured response to evolving security challenges.
With the launch of ‘Prahaar’, the government has formally articulated a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism that brings together prevention, enforcement, and resilience under a single policy framework. Further implementation measures are expected to follow as agencies operationalise the strategy across different levels of governance.
