Key Highlights
- Prahaar establishes a zero‑tolerance stance on terrorism, stressing prevention, swift response, and adherence to human‑rights norms.
- The framework merges intelligence sharing, law‑enforcement coordination, and community participation across central and state levels.
- It explicitly confronts high‑tech threats such as drone misuse, encrypted online propaganda, crypto‑funded financing, and CBRNED weapons.
- Institutions like the Multi‑Agency Centre, Joint Task Force on Intelligence, and National Investigation Agency are designated as the operational core.
- International collaboration on intelligence, extradition, and terrorist‑designation processes is a cornerstone of the policy.
Detailed Insights
Prahaar, announced on 23 February 2026 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, articulates a whole‑of‑government and whole‑of‑society approach to neutralise evolving terror threats. The strategy is structured around four pillars: prevention, response, capacity‑building, and legal safeguards. By foregrounding intelligence‑led prevention, the policy mandates real‑time data exchange through the Multi‑Agency Centre (MAC) and coordinated actions via the Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI). Specialized investigations are assigned to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), while the National Security Guard (NSG) remains the premier tactical response unit.
Technological sophistication of terror groups is directly addressed. The policy enumerates hazards such as cross‑border extremist networks, drone operations in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, encrypted communications, dark‑web and crypto‑wallet financing, and the deployment of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive and Digital (CBRNED) agents. Counter‑measures include upgrading surveillance systems, bolstering cyber‑defence capabilities, and fostering research on emerging weaponry.
De‑radicalisation forms a critical component of Prahaar. The government intends to engage community elders, NGOs, and moderate religious voices, while launching empowerment schemes for youth and women. Preventive curricula in schools and prisons aim to curb the spread of extremist ideologies, and socio‑economic interventions target poverty and alienation that fuel radicalisation.
Legal safeguards are woven throughout the framework. Anti‑terror statutes will be applied uniformly, subject to judicial oversight and avenues for legal redress, thereby protecting fundamental rights while maintaining robust security.
On the global front, Prahaar seeks to deepen India’s partnership network. Mechanisms for intelligence sharing, extradition agreements, terrorist‑designation harmonisation, and consensus‑building in multilateral fora are outlined to ensure a coordinated international response.