NATIONAL COUNTER-TERRORISM POLICY & STRATEGY

India recently released its National Counter-Terrorism Policy & Strategy, named "PRAHAAR," emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach with prevention, swift responses, and capacity building across agencies.

It may be held that PRAHAAR focuses on preventing terror attacks, proportionate responses, and aggregating capacities through modernized law enforcement, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and state police. It promotes multi-stakeholder coordination at central, state, and district levels, with standardized anti-terrorism structures. However, it is required that India's national counter-terrorism framework must evolve beyond traditional state-centric approaches to incorporate "street power"—the grassroots intelligence, vigilance, and rapid-response capabilities of local communities, civil society groups, and informal networks. Street power, often derived from neighborhood watch systems, religious leaders, and youth vigilantes, has proven effective in real-time threat detection, as seen in community tips leading to foiled plots in Kashmir and urban centers. By formalizing this through training programs, reward mechanisms, and digital reporting apps (e.g., similar to the U.S. "See Something, Say Something" model), the strategy can create a multi-layered defense, amplifying the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and state police without overburdening resources.

Furthermore, terrorism's scope should be broadened in national doctrine to encompass external aggression and unwanted interference, recognizing hybrid threats from state-sponsored actors. This includes proxy warfare by neighbors (e.g., Pakistan's ISI-backed groups) and foreign interference via cyber tools, funding, or ideological infiltration from global jihadist networks like ISIS. Current definitions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) focus on non-state actors; expanding them would enable proactive measures like border intelligence fusion centers and diplomatic countermeasures, treating such acts as acts of war. This holistic redefinition aligns with global trends, as in the U.S. National Counterterrorism Strategy, ensuring India's resilience against both internal radicals and external puppeteers.

In this regards, UAPA should be amended to coverage of foreign-sponsored acts during Preliminary Enquiries (PEs). Currently, PEs allow agencies to probe credible threats for 90 days without formal FIRs. By inserting a new sub-clause—e.g., "including acts sponsored, financed, or directed by foreign states or entities"—UAPA would empower swift investigations into hybrid threats like Pakistan ISI-backed modules or Chinese cyber interference. This closes loopholes exposed in cases like the 2023 Rajouri attacks, enabling preemptive asset freezes and cross-border intel sharing without judicial delays.

Establish mandatory annual "Vigilan Bharat" national counter-terrorism drills integrating official forces (NIA, NSG, state police) with community responders (street power networks, village defense committees, and urban youth groups). Modeled on Israel's community drills, these exercises msy be synchronized with svhool curriculum. Modernization of Police Forces must be taken in hand without any delay.