The Ministry of Home Affairs has unveiled a new national counter-terrorism policy and strategy titled PRAHAAR, setting out a comprehensive and forward-looking framework to tackle evolving terror threats. The strategy adopts a proactive approach aimed at preventing attacks, strengthening institutional coordination and enhancing national resilience.
PRAHAAR stands for:
- Prevention of terror attacks to protect Indian citizens and interests
- Responses that are swift and proportionate to the threat posed
- Aggregating internal capacities to ensure synergy through a whole-of-government approach
- Human rights and Rule of Law based processes for mitigation of threats
- Attenuating the conditions that enable terrorism, including radicalisation
- Aligning and shaping international efforts to counter terrorism
- Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach
The Ministry stated that although the nature of terrorism continues to evolve, India remains firmly committed to opposing terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Reaffirming its long-standing position, the government reiterated that there can be no justification for violence and that its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism remains unchanged.
The strategy emphasises criminalising all terrorist acts and systematically denying terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, weapons and safe havens. It also focuses on countering the misuse of Information and Communications Technology for terrorist purposes, an area identified as a growing global concern.
PRAHAAR highlights investment in advanced technology and partnerships with private enterprises to address emerging and future terror threats. It underscores India’s decades of experience in combating terrorism and firmly rejects any attempt to associate terrorism with any particular religion, ethnicity, nationality or civilisation.
The document also stresses the importance of supporting victims of terrorism and building international consensus for a comprehensive framework to address global terrorism. Through PRAHAAR, India aims to strengthen domestic coordination, deepen international cooperation and reinforce its zero-tolerance stance while safeguarding constitutional values and the rule of law.
