India's Anti-Terror Policy: PRAHAAR
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released India's first-ever anti-terror policy titled PRAHAAR on February 23, 2026. The policy emphasizes India's vulnerability to terrorist threats via water, land, and air and outlines strategies to protect critical economic sectors from these threats.
Key Threats and Challenges
- Cyber Threats: India is targeted by criminal hackers and nation states through cyber-attacks.
- Cross-Border Terrorism: Sponsored terrorism from across the border, particularly by Jihadi outfits, poses significant threats.
- Technological Advancements: Use of technologies like drones by terrorist handlers facilitates attacks in sensitive regions like Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
- Organized Criminal Networks: These networks assist terrorist groups in logistics and recruitment.
Strategies and Measures
- Protection of Critical Sectors: Measures to safeguard power, railways, aviation, ports, defense, space, and atomic energy.
- Use of Social Media: Terror groups' use of social media and encrypted platforms for communication and propaganda.
- Counter-Terrorism Challenges: Intercepting CBRNED materials and preventing drone use for terror activities.
- Legal Framework: Involvement of legal experts throughout the investigation process to strengthen prosecution.
- International Cooperation: Collaboration on a global scale to address transnational terrorism.
Prevention and De-radicalization
- Youth Recruitment: Intelligence agencies work to prevent youth recruitment by extremist groups.
- Community and Religious Leaders: Engagement to promote awareness against radicalization.
- Prison De-radicalization Programs: Initiatives to prevent radicalization within prisons.
Uniform Anti-Terrorism Structure
The policy advocates for a standardized anti-terrorism structure across states to ensure unified and effective responses to terrorism. This includes criminalizing terrorist acts and denying terrorists access to resources and safe havens.
