Article by Debalina Ghoshal
The recent announcement by the Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Shri Amit Shah, to strengthen internal security has provided a ray of hope to strengthen India’s security environment in a holistic manner. National security is of paramount relevance for any state. However, national security comprises securing the borders and territorial integrity to strengthen the sovereignty of state systems to function independently and make foreign policy decisions that are not determined or dictated by foreign powers. In fact, it must not be forgotten that India’s security and hard power strength support India’s foreign policy missions globally.
India’s External Affairs Minister Shri S. Jaishankar has continuously embarked upon foreign policy missions that are aimed to be governed without interference from foreign powers. He has time and again focused on the need to pursue foreign policies based on pragmatism and decision-making ability that is governed independently, keeping the best interest of the state system, i.e., India, in mind.
However, unless state systems are secured in their territorial integration and border management, foreign policy could become dysfunctional. This is because one of the main goals of strengthening relations with other countries is to build economic ties that will provide an impetus to both economic growth and development. Shah also confirms the need to strengthen internal security if India has to achieve greater heights in the global arena.[1] Businesses will flow into a country that has stability and strengthened security. In India, the relevance of strengthened internal security to strengthening Comprehensive National Power (CNP) cannot be eschewed. Prime Minister Modi’s Viksit Bharat 2047, probably his own version of CNP, is the benchmark for policy initiatives in ensuring a solid security framework and architecture even in the field of security and defence.
In his recent assessment at the National Security Strategy Conference (NSSC), the veteran had laid stress on the need to imbibe a proactive approach for strengthening security. Both internal and external security environment and their protection are complimentary to each other for ensuring stability and bringing functional and structural changes for growth oriented schemes. It is in this regard that Shah has laid stress on both internal as well as external security environment. He aims for a structural architecture that vies for a long-sighted approach, stressing “identify first, act later.” Shah provides greater emphasis on the relevance of state police forces, central agencies and Central Armed Police Forces for strengthening internal security. Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven efforts to strengthen internal security have also been prioritised.
Shah is confident about the new terrorism strategy, PRAHAAR. Comprehensive and integrated approach towards counter-terrorism operations are his major priorities. Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) would allow for greater integration and ensure a robust mechanism to nullify counter-terrorism threats.
India’s Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, has earlier stressed zero tolerance for terrorism that will be strengthened through the PRAHAAR strategy. The major aim of PRAHAAR is to ensure that ‘prevention is better than cure’ through intelligence driven approach and mechanism. Singh lays stress on decisive actions and hence, Shah’s conference holds greater relevance amid the looming threat from asymmetric groups. If decisive actions have to be taken at greater scales, internal security will need greater focus to ensure that while decisive actions are taken, India’s internal security is not jeopardised. Strengthened counter terrorism strategies are the key if India has to fight proxy wars under the nuclear shadow, especially amid India’s ‘no-first use’ doctrine, which should not be altered, and neighbours with a possible ‘first-use’ doctrine with efforts to develop ‘first-strike decapitation’ doctrine capabilities.
Integrated theatre command system will become a major constituent of smart border management. This will be technology driven focusing on surveillance for a broader border management strategy will also be a key take-away from the conference. This would provide a greater impetus to forces like the Border Security Force (BSF), which has its major functional command stationed in New Delhi. However, under the threat command system, newer command formations in the border regions will ensure quicker actions and shorten the Observe orient direct action (OODA) loop. A shortened OODA loop for border management will ensure that armed forces also have greater leverage in their military operations.
This is necessitating policy and technology driven changes that will ensure that border management is streamlined in an efficient manner. The Home Minister’s major focus is on technological sophistication in advancing India’s security architecture. This is in congruence with the Defence Minister’s approach towards strengthening India’s defence infrastructure through advancements in technology in weapon systems and subsystems. Both focus on integration as a major challenge to counter as well as identify the same as a necessity to strengthen security.
