<p>New Delhi: The Central Government on Monday unveiled the country’s first-ever <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/jk-counter-terrorism-ops-targeting-terror-funding-to-be-continued-says-amit-shah-3855897">counter-terrorism</a> policy ‘PRAHAAR’ that calls for further collaboration among agencies, associating legal experts at every stage of investigation and addressing trans-national challenges while criminalising all terror acts and deny access to funds, weapons and safe havens to terrorists.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/PRAHAAREng_23022026.pdf">nine-page document </a>‘National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the “threat of state and non-state actors misusing drones and robotics for lethal purposes” remains an area of concern, even as “criminal hackers and nation states continue to target India through cyber-attacks”.</p><p>It said India has been “on the target” of Al-Qaeda and ISIS among others while handlers “from across the border” frequently use technologies like drones, for facilitating terror in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. It acknowledged that disrupting terrorist efforts to access CBNRED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, Digital) material remains a challenge.</p><p>The document said the ‘PRAHAAR’ policy is predicated on “prevention” of terror attacks to protect Indian citizens and interests, “responses” that are swift and proportionate to the threat posed, “aggregating” internal capacities for achieving synergy in a whole-of-government approach and “human rights and rule of law’ based processes for mitigation of threats.</p><p>It is also based on “attenuating” the conditions enabling terrorism, including radicalisation, “aligning and shaping” international efforts to counter terrorism and “recovery and resilience” through a whole-of-society approach.</p><p>The document made it clear that India “does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality or civilisation” despite a few countries in the region having “sometimes used terrorism as an instrument of State policy”. </p><p>“India has always denounced terrorism and its use by any actor for achieving any stated or unstated ends, unambiguously and unequivocally,” it said.</p><p>Promising to remain committed to international cooperation and collaboration, India will continue to work for a comprehensive framework on international terrorism while pursuing 'Prahaar', which aims to "criminalise all terrorist acts and deny access to funds, weapons and safe havens to the terrorists, their financiers and supporters".</p>.Massive blow to terror network: Army on elimination of three terrorists in Kishtwar.<p>To mitigate futuristic terror threats, it said investment in technology and partnerships with private enterprise. India would continue its efforts together with the international community, to counter the global challenge of misuse of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for terrorist purposes. </p><p>On the threat profile, it said terrorist groups are engaging organised criminal networks for logistics and recruitment to execute and facilitate terror strikes in India. For propaganda, communication, funding and guiding terror attacks, it said, these groups use social media platforms as well as ‘instant messaging applications’ while technological advancements like encryption, dark web and crypto wallets have allowed these groups to operate anonymously.</p><p>It emphasised on the scope for “further cooperation and collaboration" among agencies while insisting that the domestic counter terrorism legal regime needs to be amended from time to time to respond to the “emerging challenges”.</p><p>There is also a “continual need for capacity building” of counter terrorism units in states to “respond to, neutralise and investigate” terror incidents. For this, the document recommended uniformity in their “structure, resources, training and methodologies” of investigation.</p><p>Highlighting the need for associating experts at every stage of investigation, it said terrorist groups based abroad use infrastructure, logistics and terrain knowledge of local outfits for launching attacks. National actions, coupled with international and regional cooperation, are key elements in addressing trans-national terrorism challenges, it said.</p><p><strong>PRAHAAR</strong></p><p>P – Prevention of terror attacks </p><p>R – Responses that are swift and proportionate </p><p>A – Aggregating internal capacities for achieving synergy in a whole-of-government approach</p><p>H – Human rights and ‘Rule of Law’ based processes</p><p>A – Attenuating conditions enabling terrorism</p><p>A – Aligning and shaping international efforts </p><p>R – Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach</p><p><strong>Threat Profile</strong></p><ul><li><p>Target of Al Qaeda, ISIS among others</p></li><li><p>Handlers from across border use latest tech, including drones</p></li><li><p>Use of organised criminal networks for logistics, recruitment</p></li><li><p>Use of encryption, dark web, crypto wallets</p></li><li><p>Misuse of drones, robotics</p></li><li><p>Criminal hackers, nation states targeting through cyber-attacks</p></li></ul><p><strong>Way forward</strong></p><ul><li><p>Scope for further collaboration between agencies</p></li><li><p>Legal regime need to be amended from time to time to address emerging challenges</p></li><li><p>Continual need for capacity building of counter-terrorism units</p></li><li><p>Associate legal experts at every stage of investigation</p></li><li><p>To continue to work for a comprehensive framework on international terrorism</p></li><li><p>To counter misuse of Information and Communication Technology </p></li></ul>
<p>New Delhi: The Central Government on Monday unveiled the country’s first-ever <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/jk-counter-terrorism-ops-targeting-terror-funding-to-be-continued-says-amit-shah-3855897">counter-terrorism</a> policy ‘PRAHAAR’ that calls for further collaboration among agencies, associating legal experts at every stage of investigation and addressing trans-national challenges while criminalising all terror acts and deny access to funds, weapons and safe havens to terrorists.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/PRAHAAREng_23022026.pdf">nine-page document </a>‘National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the “threat of state and non-state actors misusing drones and robotics for lethal purposes” remains an area of concern, even as “criminal hackers and nation states continue to target India through cyber-attacks”.</p><p>It said India has been “on the target” of Al-Qaeda and ISIS among others while handlers “from across the border” frequently use technologies like drones, for facilitating terror in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. It acknowledged that disrupting terrorist efforts to access CBNRED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, Digital) material remains a challenge.</p><p>The document said the ‘PRAHAAR’ policy is predicated on “prevention” of terror attacks to protect Indian citizens and interests, “responses” that are swift and proportionate to the threat posed, “aggregating” internal capacities for achieving synergy in a whole-of-government approach and “human rights and rule of law’ based processes for mitigation of threats.</p><p>It is also based on “attenuating” the conditions enabling terrorism, including radicalisation, “aligning and shaping” international efforts to counter terrorism and “recovery and resilience” through a whole-of-society approach.</p><p>The document made it clear that India “does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality or civilisation” despite a few countries in the region having “sometimes used terrorism as an instrument of State policy”. </p><p>“India has always denounced terrorism and its use by any actor for achieving any stated or unstated ends, unambiguously and unequivocally,” it said.</p><p>Promising to remain committed to international cooperation and collaboration, India will continue to work for a comprehensive framework on international terrorism while pursuing 'Prahaar', which aims to "criminalise all terrorist acts and deny access to funds, weapons and safe havens to the terrorists, their financiers and supporters".</p>.Massive blow to terror network: Army on elimination of three terrorists in Kishtwar.<p>To mitigate futuristic terror threats, it said investment in technology and partnerships with private enterprise. India would continue its efforts together with the international community, to counter the global challenge of misuse of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for terrorist purposes. </p><p>On the threat profile, it said terrorist groups are engaging organised criminal networks for logistics and recruitment to execute and facilitate terror strikes in India. For propaganda, communication, funding and guiding terror attacks, it said, these groups use social media platforms as well as ‘instant messaging applications’ while technological advancements like encryption, dark web and crypto wallets have allowed these groups to operate anonymously.</p><p>It emphasised on the scope for “further cooperation and collaboration" among agencies while insisting that the domestic counter terrorism legal regime needs to be amended from time to time to respond to the “emerging challenges”.</p><p>There is also a “continual need for capacity building” of counter terrorism units in states to “respond to, neutralise and investigate” terror incidents. For this, the document recommended uniformity in their “structure, resources, training and methodologies” of investigation.</p><p>Highlighting the need for associating experts at every stage of investigation, it said terrorist groups based abroad use infrastructure, logistics and terrain knowledge of local outfits for launching attacks. National actions, coupled with international and regional cooperation, are key elements in addressing trans-national terrorism challenges, it said.</p><p><strong>PRAHAAR</strong></p><p>P – Prevention of terror attacks </p><p>R – Responses that are swift and proportionate </p><p>A – Aggregating internal capacities for achieving synergy in a whole-of-government approach</p><p>H – Human rights and ‘Rule of Law’ based processes</p><p>A – Attenuating conditions enabling terrorism</p><p>A – Aligning and shaping international efforts </p><p>R – Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach</p><p><strong>Threat Profile</strong></p><ul><li><p>Target of Al Qaeda, ISIS among others</p></li><li><p>Handlers from across border use latest tech, including drones</p></li><li><p>Use of organised criminal networks for logistics, recruitment</p></li><li><p>Use of encryption, dark web, crypto wallets</p></li><li><p>Misuse of drones, robotics</p></li><li><p>Criminal hackers, nation states targeting through cyber-attacks</p></li></ul><p><strong>Way forward</strong></p><ul><li><p>Scope for further collaboration between agencies</p></li><li><p>Legal regime need to be amended from time to time to address emerging challenges</p></li><li><p>Continual need for capacity building of counter-terrorism units</p></li><li><p>Associate legal experts at every stage of investigation</p></li><li><p>To continue to work for a comprehensive framework on international terrorism</p></li><li><p>To counter misuse of Information and Communication Technology </p></li></ul>
