India launches its first counter-terrorism policy 'Prahaar'

Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday unveiled the country’s new national counter-terrorism policy and strategy titled PRAHAAR. The strategy outlines a comprehensive framework to address evolving terror threats using a proactive approach to prevent and counter terrorist threats. PRAHAAR stands for 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 radicalisation, Aligning and shaping the international efforts to counter terrorism and Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach. 
To build consensus on the understanding of terrorism and the rights of victims of terrorism, India will continue to work for a comprehensive framework on international terrorism. It will pursue its counter-terrorism policy and strategy ‘Prahaar’, which aims to criminalise all terrorist acts and deny access to funds, weapons and safe havens to the terrorists, their financiers and supporters. India will continue its efforts together with the international community to counter the global challenge of misuse of Information and Communications Technology for terrorist purposes. Besides, investment in technology and partnerships with private enterprise have been included to mitigate futuristic terror threats. The document underscores India’s decades-long experience and leadership in combating terrorism, firmly rejecting any attempt to link terrorism with any particular religion, ethnicity, nationality, or civilisation. It reiterates the government’s unwavering zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism and violence while emphasising support for victims and rejecting any justification for acts of terror under any circumstances. 
The policy names global terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), stating that they have sought to incite violence in India through sleeper cells, while violent extremists operating from foreign countries have hatched conspiracies to promote terrorism. It further highlights the use of advanced technologies by handlers across the border, including drones, particularly in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Terror groups are increasingly engaging organised criminal networks for logistics and recruitment, the policy says. On the digital front, the document points to the use of social media platforms, instant messaging applications, encryption tools, the dark web and crypto wallets for propaganda, funding and operational guidance, enabling anonymous activity.