PRAHAAR: India’s First Counter-Terrorism Policy

Why in News? 

India has formally adopted its first comprehensive national counter-terrorism doctrine, PRAHAAR, marking a shift from a largely operational response to a structured, long-term strategic framework. The policy has been issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and institutionalises a pro-active, intelligence-driven, whole-of-government approach to terrorism.

What is PRAHAAR?

• PRAHAAR: The strategy is an acronym representing the core pillars of India’s proactive defense mechanism:
  • Prevention of terror attacks to protect Indian citizens and interests;
  • Responses, which are swift and proportionate to the threat posed;
  • Aggregating internal capacities for achieving synergy in a whole-of-government approach;
  • Human rights and ‘Rule of Law’ based processes for mitigation of threats;
  • Attenuating the conditions enabling terrorism, including radicalization;
  • Aligning and shaping the international efforts to counter terrorism;
  • Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach.

• Prevention of Terror Attacks:
  • India follows a proactive, intelligence-based counter-terrorism approach led by the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) and the Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI) under the Intelligence Bureau, which enable real-time intelligence sharing between central and state agencies.
  • Law enforcement actively works to stop terrorists from using the internet for recruitment, propaganda, and communication, and also dismantles over-ground worker (OGW) support networks.
  • Coordinated operations target the growing links between illegal arms syndicates and terrorist groups and disrupt terror financing through legal measures.
  • Border guarding forces and immigration authorities use advanced technology to deal with threats across land, air, and sea, while protection is strengthened for critical infrastructure such as power, railways, aviation, ports, defence, space, and atomic energy sectors.
• Response:
  • Local police act as the first responders, supported by specialised State Counter-Terror (CT) Forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
  • The National Security Guard (NSG) functions as the main national agency under the MHA, handling elite intervention during major attacks and leading capacity-building efforts for state units.
  • Coordination is managed through an MHA-issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), which enables real-time sharing and analysis of intelligence.
  • After an incident, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) works with State Police to ensure high prosecution rates and create a strong legal deterrent against future terror threats.
  • Aggregating Capacities:
    • Focuses on standardising and modernising India’s security system.
  • It requires the continuous acquisition of advanced weapons and technology and the upgrading of training institutions to include global best practices.
  • Key organisations such as the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) and CAPFs conduct large-scale training, while the NSG provides specialised urban combat training to state units.
  • By identifying resource gaps and promoting a uniform anti-terror structure across all States, the policy ensures coordinated and interoperable multi-agency responses.
• Human Rights and Rule of Law Based Processes:
  • Emphasises India’s commitment to a justice-based counter-terrorism framework.
  • It balances national security with fundamental rights by following the Rule of Law, the Protection of Human Rights Act (1993), and international commitments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
  • The legal framework includes the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, supported by the new criminal codes (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023) along with specialised laws like the PMLA (2002) and the Arms Act (1959).
  • To prevent misuse, the policy provides a strong multi-level judicial redressal system from District Courts to the Supreme Court, ensuring due process, affordable legal aid, and opportunities for appeal.
• Attenuating Conducive Conditions:
  • Focuses on a soft-power approach alongside hard security measures.
  • It addresses the root causes of radicalisation through a multi-stakeholder de-radicalisation framework involving community leaders, religious authorities, and NGOs to counter extremist narratives.
  • The policy uses a graded response for radicalised youth, focusing on rehabilitation in minor cases and legal action against hardcore elements.
  • It also promotes socio-economic empowerment to prevent recruitment and includes steps to prevent prison radicalisation by separating ideologues from vulnerable inmates.
• Aligning and Shaping the International Efforts:
  • Addresses the transnational nature of terrorism through diplomatic and legal measures.
  • It works to deny safe havens by using Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs), Extradition Treaties, and Joint Working Groups (JWGs) for evidence sharing and the return of fugitives.
  • Beyond intelligence sharing between agencies, India uses international platforms to share best practices and works with partners to designate terrorists at the United Nations, ensuring a globally aligned response.
• Recovery and Resilience:
  • Promotes a whole-of-society approach to reduce the impact of terror attacks.
  • A strong public-private partnership supports rapid restoration and long-term community stability.
  • By combining state-led restoration with strengthened police security, the policy aims to quickly restore normal life and build long-term psychological and physical resilience against terror-related disruption.

Cross-Border and Emerging Terror Threats

• State-Sponsored Terrorism:
  • There is ongoing cross-border support for jihadi groups and their affiliates that plan and carry out attacks in India.
• Global Terror Linkages:
  • Organisations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS try to trigger violence by using sleeper cells and spreading radicalisation online.
• Use of Advanced Technologies:
  • Handlers based abroad use drones and other modern tools to help carry out attacks, especially in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
• Criminal-Terror Nexus:
  • Terror groups are increasingly working with organised crime networks for logistics, recruitment, and funding.
• Digital Ecosystem Misuse:
  • Social media, encrypted messaging platforms, the dark web, and cryptocurrencies are used for propaganda, coordination, and anonymous financing.
• CBRNED Threats:
  • There is a serious risk of terrorists gaining access to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, and Digital (CBRNED) materials.
• Drone and Robotics Risks:
  • Both state and non-state actors may misuse drones and robotics for surveillance and deadly operations.
• Cyber Threats:
  • Criminal hackers and hostile nation-states continue to launch cyber-attacks targeting India’s critical systems.

Implementation Challenges of PRAHAAR Strategy

• Federal Friction in Execution:
  • “Public Order” and “Police” come under the State List of the Indian Constitution. When the anti-terror structure is centralized, it can create overlap in authority and cause delays between the Centre and the States during operations.
• Technological and Capacity Asymmetries:
  • Local police, who are the first to respond, often do not have enough funding, cyber-training, or advanced infrastructure to deal with modern threats like drones and the dark web. Improving these state units requires very large financial investments, which many states cannot afford on their own.
• Subjectivity in De-radicalization:
  • The policy suggests a “graded police response” depending on how radicalized a person is. But judging radicalization is psychological and subjective. Without clear legal standards, this could lead to inconsistent decisions, arbitrary profiling, or local resentment.
• Concerns Regarding Stringent Security Laws:
  • Heavy use of strict security laws raises concerns about low conviction rates and long pre-trial detentions.
• Inter-Departmental Silos:
  • Even though a “Whole-of-Government” approach is promoted, India’s security system has historically faced institutional rivalries. Achieving smooth, real-time intelligence sharing and coordination among local police, central armed police forces, and national intelligence agencies without bureaucratic delays remains a practical challenge.

Measures to Strengthen the PRAHAAR Strategy

• Inter-Agency Coordination:
  • Improve intelligence-sharing systems and regularly update counter-terrorism laws so they can deal with new and emerging threats.
• Capacity Building:
  • Strengthen State and UT Counter-Terrorism Units and Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATS) by giving them uniform structures, modern resources, advanced training, and standard investigation procedures.
    Include legal experts at every stage of terror investigations to improve the quality of prosecution and increase conviction rates.
• Global Cooperation:
  • Increase cooperation at the national, regional, and international levels to fight cross-border terrorism and work towards a comprehensive global framework in line with PRAHAAR.
• Technological Countermeasures:
  • Invest in new technologies and work with the private sector to prevent terrorists from misusing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and to tackle evolving digital threats.
    Amend IT Rules to make social media platforms responsible for promoting extremist content and require independent audits on radicalisation.
    Integrate tools to track crypto-based financing into the Central Bank Digital Currency system and enforce strict KYC rules on decentralized finance platforms to prevent terror funding.
    Use big data integration and machine learning to identify suspicious financial and behavioural patterns before attacks happen.
• Specialised Terror Prosecution:
  • Create a separate group of federal prosecutors specially trained in cyber forensics and anti-terror laws to improve conviction rates.
• Digital Evidence Sharing:
  • Set up fast-track international agreements to allow real-time access to encrypted data during urgent investigations.

Conclusion

PRAHAAR represents a strict, zero-tolerance approach to terrorism that focuses on prevention rather than just reaction. It brings together the efforts of the government, technology systems, and society as a whole to tackle security threats from multiple angles. This includes using advanced technology to disrupt terror activities, taking strong legal action against offenders, and promoting community-based efforts to prevent radicalisation before it spreads.

However, the effectiveness of PRAHAAR will depend on how well it maintains a balance. While firm enforcement is necessary to protect national security, it is equally important to ensure that fundamental rights and civil liberties are not compromised in the process. Achieving this balance will be key to its long-term success.

FAQ’s

1. What is PRAHAAR?
PRAHAAR is India’s first complete National Counter-Terrorism Policy, introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs. It follows a proactive, intelligence-based, and zero-tolerance approach to deal with terrorism.

2. What are the key pillars of PRAHAAR?
Its main pillars are prevention, response, capacity building across agencies, protection of human rights, de-radicalisation, international cooperation, and recovery through a whole-of-society approach.

3. Which legal frameworks support PRAHAAR?
The policy is supported by important laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (1967), the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (2002), the Arms Act (1959), and the new criminal codes introduced in 2023.

4. What are the major challenges in implementing PRAHAAR?
Key challenges include coordination issues between the Centre and States, capacity limitations in state police forces, subjectivity in de-radicalisation, concerns about civil liberties, and difficulties in coordination among different agencies.

5. How does PRAHAAR address modern terror threats?
It focuses on tackling cyber radicalisation, crypto-based financing, drone threats, CBRN risks, and cross-border terror networks through the use of technology, intelligence sharing, and international cooperation.