Mon Feb 23 15:31:46 UTC 2026: ### India Unveils First Anti-Terror Policy Amid Rising Security Threats
The Story:
On February 23, 2026, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released India’s first-ever anti-terror policy, named “PRAHAAR,” addressing threats across land, water, air, and cyberspace. The policy emphasizes that India faces terror threats from across the border, criminal hackers, and nation-states. It outlines strategies to protect critical sectors of the economy and addresses the use of technology by terrorist groups for propaganda, communication, and attacks.
Key Points:
* The policy, named “PRAHAAR,” emphasizes that India does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality, or civilization.
* India faces terrorist threats on all three fronts: water, land, and air.
* Critical sectors, including power, railways, aviation, ports, defense, space, and atomic energy, are being protected.
* Terrorist groups use social media, instant messaging applications, encryption, the dark web, and crypto wallets for propaganda, communication, funding, and guiding terror attacks.
* The policy highlights the challenge of disrupting terrorist efforts to access CBRNED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, Digital) material.
* Legal experts will be associated at every stage of investigation to make appropriate cases against perpetrators of acts of terrorism.
* Moderate preachers and NGOs are engaged to spread awareness about the adverse consequences and impacts of radicalisation and extremist violence.
Key Takeaways:
* India is formally acknowledging and addressing the evolving nature of terrorist threats, including cyber warfare and technological exploitation.
* The policy signifies a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism, integrating legal, social, and technological strategies.
* International and regional cooperation are deemed essential to address transnational terrorism challenges.
* The government is focused on preventing radicalization, particularly among youth and within prisons.
* The policy aims to balance national security concerns with the protection of individual rights and communal harmony.
First Piper 