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Dear Students,

We are elated to present you the third edition of Kalam Mains Marks Maximizer 2023. It contains quotes,
anecdotes, references from the movies & books, poems, case studies among others to enrich your mains
answer writing.

Moreover, given the elaborate coverage of data/facts/ committee recommendations etc. in each other GS
Marks Maximizers, we have not included them everywhere to prevent the repetition. We recommend you to go
through Separate Marks Maximizers for the comprehensive coverage.

Further, knowing the content is one thing & application of the same to write a coherent, analytical &
multidimensional answer is another. Thus, we strongly recommend you to watch the RLP videos
(https://bit.ly/3rn934z) to know

 An alternative methodology to PESTEL approach to avoid writing mechanical essays

 How to go beyond merely one side of the case study (Ethics) in multiple dimensions & not
make it boringly DESCRIPTIVE
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 How to leave your ‘own signature’

We hope you are able to write better answer using this content & the strategy discussed in the videos.

Best Wishes!
List of Marks Improvement Booklets
(Team KALAM)
 Ethics Marks Improvement Booklet
 Essay Marks Improvement Booklet
 Society Marks Improvement Booklet
 Polity Marks Improvement Booklet
 Economy Marks Improvement Booklet
 Environment Marks Improvement Booklet
 Disaster Management Marks Improvement Booklet
 Geography Marks Improvement Booklet

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTERNAL SECURITY – BASICS
2 TERRORISM
3 LEFT WING EXTREMISM (LWE)
4 INSURGENCY IN NORTHEAST
5 BORDER SECURITY
6 MONEY LAUNDERING
7 CYBER SECURITY

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1 INTERNAL SECURITY – BASICS

Internal security Security within borders: Internal security is simply an act of preserving and maintaining the unity and
integrity of the state, maintaining law and order, and thus upholding the sovereignty of the country within
the territory of the country from disruptive and anti-national forces.
External security Security against foreign aggression: External security is an act of protecting a country against any external
threat from a foreign country like Terrorism, War etc.
Kautilya’s Internal threats: Threats such as Separatist or Secessionist tendency (e.g., Naxalism, Dravida Nadu, etc),
Arthashastra Communal activities and violence due to it (e.g., Khalistan Movement)
threat perception External threats: Threats such as Terrorism especially through non-state actors (e.g., Jaish e
Mohammad), War with neighbouring countries, and foreign intelligence activities (especially Fourth
Generation Warfare) can be considered as external threats.
Internally aided external threats: Support given by some extremist and separatist organisations
(prevalent in J&K before 15th Aug 2019) within the country to foreign nations to destabilise their own
country
Externally aided internal threats: Funding and support from agencies like ISI (a state actor) and
Information Warfare in the form of Electoral Interference (e.g., Cambridge Analytica) come under this.

2 TERRORISM

Terrorism
Definition The UN General Assembly Resolution 49/60 (1994) defines terrorism as a criminal act designed or
planned to induce a state of terror in the public, a group of persons, or persons for political reasons.
Global Terrorism Index 2023
Terrorism trend: Terrorist attacks and deaths have decreased (Attacks by 28%) globally but lethality of attacks (26 deaths per
attack) has increased. This is a concern for India as well.
India’s threat perception: India ranks 13th in the world in terms of terrorist activity.
 Rising influence of far-right extremism and jihadi upheavals in neighbouring countries pose security threats to India.
Terrorist attacks have risen by 51 per cent in Pakistan since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and a 120 per cent
increase in deaths was observed in 2022.
 signs of revival of Sikh separatism in Punjab which poses a security threat.
 Cross-border drug networks are also fuelling radicalisation.
Cooling off in Kashmir: The security situation in Kashmir did take a turn for the good after the abrogation of Article 370 with
respect to organised terror, but lone-wolf attacks and drone use for terrorism has increased.
Drone terrorism: 65 non-state actors worldwide have drone-deploying capabilities.

Terrorism – Types
Terrorism by Terrorism sponsored by states against other states. Examples include:
External State  Pakistan's state policies including its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been accused of
Actors supporting terrorist activities in India.
 China has been alleged to support separatist groups in India's Northeast like the United Liberation
Front of Asom (ULFA).
Terrorism by Non- Terrorism perpetrated by independent groups or individuals. Examples include:
State Actors  Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Indian Mujahideen (IM) are known to carry
out terrorist activities in India.
 ISIS, though not India-centric, has been known to radicalize Indian youth through online platforms.

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Ethno-Nationalist Terrorism rooted in ethnic or nationalist grievances. Examples include:
Terrorism  The Khalistan movement, particularly activities by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
 Secessionist groups in Northeast India.
 The Tamil nationalist struggle in Sri Lanka by LTTE also impacted India, particularly during the
assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
Religious Terrorism motivated by religious ideologies and beliefs. Examples include:
Terrorism  ISIS and the Afghan Taliban have religious motivations, and their ideology has potential implications
for India.
 Indian Mujahideen also falls under this category as it seeks to establish an Islamic state in India.
Narco-Terrorism The use of drug trafficking to fund terrorism. Examples include:
 India's proximity to the 'Golden Crescent' (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan) and 'Golden Triangle'
(Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam) increases its vulnerability to narco-terrorism.
 The drug menace in Punjab has been linked to funding of terrorist activities.
Cyber-Terrorism Politically motivated attacks against information systems, data, or programs that threaten or cause
violence. Examples include:
 Cyber-attacks on India's critical infrastructure, potentially state-sponsored.
 Misuse of social media platforms for radicalization and recruitment for terrorist organizations.
Lone Wolf Terrorism activities carried out by individuals acting independently of any larger group. Examples include:
Terrorism  The 2008 Mumbai attacks were partially carried out by a lone gunman, Ajmal Kasab.
 Lone individuals radicalized over the internet pose a potential threat, though specific high-profile
instances in India are rare.
Causes of terrorism
Socio-economic Perceptions of deprivation and inequality: Especially amongst minorities.
reasons Relative deprivation theory: Individuals may turn to terrorism when there is a gap between their
expectations and actual achievements. This is seen in economically disadvantaged groups.
Horizontal inequalities: Inequalities between culturally defined groups can breed grievances and lead to
terrorism (e.g. inequality between Hindus and Muslims in India).
Youth bulge: A disproportionately large youth population unable to find employment can increase
tendencies towards terrorism (e.g. high youth unemployment in Kashmir).
Poor societies with weak state structures: These are more exposed to civil wars than wealthier
countries, and therefore the risk of terrorism increases.
Notion of injustice: The notion of injustice (whether real or perceived) because ofdisappointment with
democratic processes, widespread corruption, police violence, and perceived or real discrimination.
Lack of education and employment opportunities: These represent crucial factors that may drive a
person to seek opportunities within the groups.
Revenge and indirect identification with victims of violence: These may trigger anger and desire to
avenge the “enemy”.
Poverty: For ex -Naxalite movement in India is more prevalent in poor states.

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Political reasons Lack of political stability: Lack of political legitimacy and continuity, as well as a lack of integration for
the political fringes, encourages ideological terrorism which is further enhanced by ethnic/religious
diversity.
States in transition: States engaged in democratic transition rather than democratic or authoritarian
regimes.
Weak and collapsed states: Ongoing or past wars can have terrorism motivations rooted within. Armed
conflicts also have facilitating influences on transnational terrorism
State repression: Excessive force by security forces can radicalize populations and increase support for
terrorism (e.g. accusations of human rights violations by security forces in Kashmir).
Foreign intervention: Military interventions by foreign powers in local conflicts can breed radical
ideologies and enable recruitment by terrorist groups (e.g. alleged role of U.S. interventions in
radicalization in Middle East).
Religious fundamentalism: The rise of intolerant strains of religions that promote violence against other
faiths has fueled terrorism (e.g. Hindu and Islamic fundamentalism in India).
Ideological motivations: Terrorist groups aiming to bring about political change based on radical left-
wing or right-wing ideologies (e.g. Maoists in India).

Other reasons Spill-over effect: Terrorism in one country can spill-over into neighbouring areas.
Modernization: Undergoing societal changes brought through modernisation have created conditions for
terrorism through mobility, communication, widespread targets and audiences.
Terrorism contagion: Existing terrorist groups provide inspiration, networks, resources and training to
new terrorist formations (e.g. Islamic State inspiring terror attacks in India).
Transnational linkages: International networks, finance and communications enable the spread of
terrorism between regions (e.g. Pakistan-based groups carrying out attacks in India).

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Terrorist funding
Extortion and taxation: Local extortion and taxation fund most north-eastern insurgencies. Drug, weapon, and counterfeit
currency trafficking supplement this. Maoist, North-East, and J&K insurgents use this source.
Smuggling: These groups then use the funds collected to smuggle weapons, explosives, and technology-based equipment, like
satellite radios, from open, porous borders.
Zakat: Most nations are sensitive to Islamic charity collecting. Religion complicates regulation. Al Huda Educational Trust (AHET)
terror funding case, formed by Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) to further its anti-India agenda after disbanding.
Looting: In Iraq and Syria, ISIS has generated revenue through extortion of local businesses, kidnapping for ransom, and looting.
NGOs, Charities: Politics have always hampered charities. The norm. Charity funds terrorism. Srinagar resident Irfan Mehraj was
arrested first in the October 2020 NGO terror funding case.
Monopolistic control: The extremist group exploits tribal forests and gets government contracts in their areas of authority.
State-sponsored terrorism: J&K exemplifies state-sponsored terrorism finance. Drug money, gifts, and Gulf funds are used by
the ISI.
Drug trafficking: It poses a highly entrenched threat to India. Much of the trafficking of narcotics and other illegal drugs in Asia
traverses South Asia.
Hawala: In South Asia, hawala, or international money laundering networks, pose risks. Hawala networks emerged due to rural
banking inadequacies.
Counterfeiting of Indian currency: Pakistan funded terrorism and utilised it to hurt India's economy. Pakistan and India produce
Fake Indian Currency Notes Information System (FICN).
Money Extortion: Terrorist organisations in India still rely on extortion and taxation. Northeast and Maoist-affected groups should
take note.
Narcotics trafficking: Afghanistan is the world's largest opium producer. Terror groups like Taliban earn millions from taxing
poppy farmers and smugglers. These drugs make their way into India too.
 In Northeast India, terror groups are involved in drug trafficking to fund their activities. Groups like ULFA are engaged in
trafficking heroin.
Illegal mining: Maoists in India illegally mine minerals in areas under their control. It generates funds for them while depriving
states of revenue.
Money laundering: In Kerala, PFI activists laundered money through different bank accounts before using it to fund violent
protests.
 Shell companies are established to disguise transfers for nefarious means. Cryptocurrencies are an emerging method to
anonymously transfer funds.
Front organizations: Groups like SIMI raise funds under charitable guise before routing it to terror activities.
 Lashkar-e-Taiba uses front organizations operating hospitals, schools etc to raise funds
State sponsors: Pakistan provides funds for Kashmiri terror groups to infiltrate India like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
o China has backed insurgencies in Northeast India providing arms, training and other assistance.

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 4 Stages of Terrorist Financing – According to FATF
Collection  The first stage, the collecting stage, refers to generating the funds intended for a terrorist or terror
organization.
 The funds can originate from a variety of sources.
Store  To understand this, put yourself in the shoes of a terrorist organization’s fundraiser for a moment.
 You have received some money from direct donations in amounts large and small, given by
individuals, legal entities, non-profit organizations, or businesses, and, in some cases, foreign
countries.
Move  When the terror group has as many funds as required and an operational need, they move to funds
from the store elsewhere. The choice of movement mechanism naturally relates to the store.
Use  There are countless examples of what for terrorists can use their funds. Some more examples of the
use of funds in terrorism include using it for the terrorist organization to pay for weapons, material,
equipment, overheads, media, messaging, training, and salaries.

Terrorism Life cycle

Impacts of terrorism
Physical/ Material Deterrence and prevention acts: The Indian Penal Code of 1860, as revised from time to time, does not
mention terrorism as a crime. The TADA, 1987 was the first special law in India to seek to define
terrorism; it was followed by the POTA, 2002. The UAPA, 1967 was updated in 2019 to include the
definition of a "terrorist act" following the abolition of the latter in 2004.
Infrastructure damage: Terror attacks often target critical infrastructure like roads, telecom networks,
power plants etc. This disrupts economic activity.

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Political/Legal Threat to territorial integrity: Sovereignty threats – PoK
Secessionist/Separatist tendencies
Instability: Terrorist acts lead to instability in government as well as governance systems. For ex - Killing
of Rajiv Gandhi affected the political situation.
Loss of trust in government if terrorist acts happen frequently.
Communal polarization: Terror attacks aimed to inflame communal passions have polarized
communities in India (e.g. Mumbai 1993 blasts)
Security costs: Heavy expenditure on counter-terrorism capabilities diverts funds from development
programs. India spent $7.1 billion on internal security in 2016-17.
Social/ Radicalisation among individuals/communities
Psychological Loss of lives: Globally, deaths attributed to terrorism in 2019 were more than 13,000 out ofwhich 277
deaths took place in India [GTI 2020]
Hampers the social fabric: Terrorism leads to creation ofgroup divide and reduced trust/faith of citizens
and strengthens the communal identity.
Trauma: Mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, depression for victims of terror attacks (e.g. 26/11
Mumbai attack survivors).
Social cohesion decline: Terrorism breeds suspicion between communities, hampering social cohesion.
Human rights issues: Counter-terror operations sometimes lead to human rights violations which breeds
further discontent.
Economic GDP loss: A 2005 World Bank report estimated a loss of 1.8% of GDP annually for India due to domestic
terrorism.
Reduced FDI: Terrorism deters foreign investors. FDI inflows in Kashmir declined after onset of terrorism
in 1989.
Increased defense spending: In India, defense spending increased from 2.5% of GDP in 1992 to over
3% post 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Physical destruction: destroy existing plants, machines, transportation systems, workers, and other
economic resources. For ex -attack on the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11, 2001.
Less focus on development: As a major part of government’s expenditure is diverted towards defence
purposes.
Other impacts: Terrorist activities negatively impact the investor sentiments; less foreign tourists prefer to
visit the country leading to loss of foreign exchange etc.
Tourism decline: Terrorism deters tourists. Kashmir's tourism industry suffered losses of $3.5 billion from
1989-2017 due to terrorism.
Tackling terrorism

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Framework to tackle terrorism
Legal Framework UAPA and NIA Act provide legal basis to investigate and prosecute terrorism. PMLA strengthens anti-
terror financing.
Special NIA courts expedite trials in terror cases.
Institutional IB leads intelligence gathering on terror activities. NIA investigates terror cases.
Framework NATGRID and MAC enable intelligence sharing between agencies.
NCTC (proposed) would coordinate counter-terrorism efforts.
NSG undertakes counter-terror operations. State police on the frontlines.
International UNSC resolutions globally designate terrorists based on India's efforts.
Cooperation Intelligence sharing, extradition treaties facilitate international cooperation.
Joint working groups collaborate to counter terror.
Strategies Doval doctrine advocates offensive defense to counter terrorism.
Isolating Pakistan diplomatically to force action on terror.
Border management, cyber monitoring strengthen security.
Deradicalization to wean youth away from terror.
Financial Counter- FATF, APG help choke terror financing globally.
terrorism KYC norms, digital payments curb anonymous deals.
Targeting funding routes like hawala to counter terror financing.
Way forward – Stakeholder approach
Legislative and Comprehensive Anti-Terror Legislation: A new comprehensive anti-terror law can replace existing laws
Executive like UAPA, TADA etc. It should have clear definitions and safeguards against misuse.
Measures Definition of Terrorism: The new law should clearly define terrorism and distinguish it from other violent
crimes. It should cover offenses like terrorist bombings, financing, ideological indoctrination etc.
Special Courts: Special designated courts should be set up for speedy trials of terror cases on the lines
of POCSO courts. This will ensure convictions are not delayed.
Police Reforms: Confessions before police officers can be made admissible as evidence only after
implementation of the Supreme Court's 2006 directives on police reforms. This will improve investigation
quality.
NIA: The National Investigation Agency needs more manpower and resources for effective investigation
of terror cases across India. The number of convictions attained by NIA shows its capability.
Coordination: Anti-terror mechanisms like NATGRID, NIA, NCTC should coordinate better with state
police forces for intelligence sharing and operations. Lack of coordination was seen during 26/11 Mumbai
attacks.
Measures against Amend UAPA: The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) should expand the list of predicate
Terror Financing offenses related to terror funding. This will allow tracing wider financial trails.
FIU-IND: The Financial Intelligence Unit - India should enhance coordination with agencies like ED, CBI,
DRI that investigate financial crimes related to terrorism.
Digital Transactions: With increased use of digital payments, FIU-IND should issue guidelines for tracing
suspicious transactions on e-wallets, cryptos, online transfers etc.
Real Estate: Terror funds are often routed through real estate deals. Regulators like RERA should
monitor suspicious property transactions and report to probe agencies.
Role of Citizens, Community Policing: Schemes like Police Mitra, Village Defence Committees should be expanded for
Civil Society and citizen-police partnerships in identifying potential terror threats.
Media De-radicalization: Civil society and community leaders should conduct de-radicalization programs in
vulnerable areas to counter extremist ideologies among youth. Eg: Saudi Arabia's de-radicalization
program.
Responsible Reporting: Media should avoid hysteria and inflammatory coverage of terror attacks that
inadvertently helps terror groups spread propaganda and fear. Self-regulation of media coverage is
required.
Cyber Hygiene: Citizens should be educated on cyber hygiene and vigilance to prevent online
recruitment by extremist groups through social media.

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Judicial Authorization: Surveillance of suspected terrorists' devices and accounts by security agencies should
Safeguards require prior authorization from a judicial body to prevent misuse.
Oversight: A parliamentary committee should exercise oversight on surveillance activities permitted by
judiciary to ensure checks and balances.
Encryption: Blanket ban on encryption apps is counterproductive. Instead lawful interception of
encrypted communication should be enabled under judicial supervision.
PM Quotes
“Terrorism is an attack on humanity, freedom and civilization. It knows no boundaries. Only a uniform, unified and zero-tolerance
approach can defeat terrorism.” – PM Narendra Modi
“The long-term impact of terrorism is particularly hard on the poor and the local economy. Be it tourism or trade.” – PM Narendra
Modi at ‘No Money for Terror’ Ministerial Conference
"Terrorism is the enemy of humanity. It has no religion, no race, no nationality. It is an evil that must be defeated." – PM Narendra
Modi
"Terrorism is a threat to all of us, regardless of our nationality, religion, or ethnicity. We must stand together to defeat this evil." -
Shrimati Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance of India
"Terrorism is a global problem that requires a global solution. We must work together to root out this evil from our societies." - Shri
Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs of India
"Terrorism is a crime against humanity. It must be condemned in the strongest possible terms." - Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Former
President of India
"Terrorism is a threat to our way of life. We must not allow it to succeed." - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Former Prime Minister of
India
Must read editorial summaries
India says era of classifying terrorists as 'bad, 'good' on basis of political convenience must end immediately – TH, 22nd
December 2022
 A concept note released by India in the U.N. Security Council has emphasized the need to stop categorizing terrorists as
"bad" or "good" based on political convenience.
 This practice has been called to end immediately as it undermines the global commitment to counter-terrorism.
 The note insists that terrorism should not be linked with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group.
 It underscores that terrorism, in all its forms, should be condemned, without exceptions or justifications.
Udaipur murder: The executioner’s strategy – IE, 30 June 2022
 The execution of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur is not a simple murder but an act intended to create fear and terror, writes Pratap
Bhanu Mehta.
 Lal was executed for speech he was legally allowed to utter, and the public nature of the act was to assert the perpetrators'
view of a higher law.
 This act is unanimously condemned across political and religious spectrums, but the fear is that it might not lead to
meaningful societal change.
 There's a concern that the incident could be used to target minorities, inflame communal tensions, and polarize voters in
the upcoming Rajasthan election.
 A broader fear is a potential shift of focus from domestic issues to transnational Islamism, manipulated for political gain.

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India-Taliban relations: A careful balancing act, driven by pragmatism – Middle East Institute, 30 May 2023
 Despite not officially recognizing the Taliban regime, India's recent statements and actions reveal a pragmatic
understanding of the on-ground reality in Afghanistan.
 Historically, India's engagement with Afghanistan has been through soft power, with no record of military intervention or
political interference. Despite setbacks following the US troops' withdrawal, India still maintains goodwill among Afghans.
 India has offered significant development assistance to Afghanistan, second only to the US regionally. The Taliban have
sought India's help in rebuilding the country, seeing a potential benefit in India's growing geopolitical influence and interest
in Central Asian markets.
 Since the Taliban takeover, India has expanded its diplomatic and humanitarian presence in Afghanistan, supplying aid,
establishing a "technical team" at the Indian embassy in Kabul, and offering a $25 million development aid package for
2023-24.
 India's engagement with the Taliban also has potential benefits for its counterterrorism objectives. However, there are risks,
with concerns over the Taliban's ongoing ties to Pakistan's security establishment and its strict internal ideologies.
 Taliban's courting of other regional powers, like China, Russia, and Iran, could potentially affect India-Taliban relations.
China, in particular, has been expanding its diplomatic and economic presence in Afghanistan.
 Despite challenges, India's policy toward Afghanistan remains pragmatic, focusing on building relations with the Taliban,
providing humanitarian aid, and maintaining commitment to Afghanistan's ethnic minorities and women. However, India is
careful not to let these interactions be viewed as a diplomatic embrace of the Taliban regime.
Must know terms
Counterterrorism Practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt to prevent or
respond to terrorism.
Anti-terrorism Measures taken to combat and prevent acts of terror. This includes legislation, surveillance, policing and
other security measures.
Radicalization Process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly extreme political, social, or religious
ideals and aspirations.
Counter- Efforts undertaken to prevent individuals or groups from becoming radicalized towards extreme ideologies
radicalization that may lead to acts of terror.
Extremism Advocacy of extreme views or actions, often associated with political ideologies or religious beliefs. It is
often linked with terrorism as many terrorists hold extremist views.
Biological Intentional release of biological agents (bacteria, viruses, toxins) with the intent to harm or kill.
Terrorism
Lone Wolf Acts of terrorism conducted by individuals who act on their own without direct influence or orders from a
Terrorism larger group or network.
Propaganda Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political
cause or point of view, often used by terrorist organizations for recruitment, spreading their messages, or
instilling fear.
Religious The belief that society should be fundamentally transformed by implementing radical changes, which are
Radicalism often religious in nature.

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3 LEFT WING EXTREMISM (LWE)

What is LWE? Left-wing terrorism or far-left terrorism is terrorism committed with the aim of overthrowing current capitalist
systems and replacing them with communist or socialist societies.
What is Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung.
Maoism? It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and
strategic alliances.
Modulus of operandi: Class struggle -> Violence -> Armed struggle
What is Armed insurgency against the State, motivated by extreme leftist/Maoist ideologies.
Naxalism? Faction of communist ideologies originated in 1967 from Naxalbari village in West Bengal under the leadership
of Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santha.
Factors for rise of Naxalism
Historical The origins of Naxalism can be traced back to the Naxalbari peasant uprising of 1967 in West Bengal, led
factors by the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). This was essentially a peasant revolt against landlords
over land rights and wages.
Over the years, the movement spread from West Bengal to less developed rural and tribal areas of eastern
and central India like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha etc. Today, most Naxalite groups
trace their origins and ideology to the CPI(M-L).
Economic Stark regional inequality: The Naxal affected areas are marked by poverty, lack of infrastructure and
factors opportunities compared to other parts of India. The per capita income of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha
and Bihar were nearly half the national average in 2016 as per RBI data.
Income gap: The income gap between the rich and poor has widened in India post liberalization. The Gini
coefficient rose from 0.32 in 1993-94 to 0.35 in 2009-10 as per NSSO data, indicating rising inequality.
Agrarian distress: Small and marginal farmers face challenges of unremunerative prices, rising costs,
indebtedness, lack of irrigation etc. This makes them receptive to the Maoist agenda like debt waiver, higher
MSP, land rights etc.
Political vacuum in remote areas: Lack of penetration of administrative and political machinery in remote,
Political factors rural areas has created space for Maoists to establish parallel rule.
Rights of tribals: Tribal rights over forest land, minor forest produce etc have historically been encroached
upon by the state, miners, industry. Their political concerns remain unaddressed.
Human rights violations: There have been instances of human rights violations by security forces during
anti-naxal operations. This further alienates the tribal population.
Environmental Impact of mining, dams etc on tribal lands - Mining, industrial and infrastructural projects have led to large
factors scale displacement of tribals without adequate compensation or rehabilitation, fueling the movement.
Socio-Cultural Socio-economic exclusion and lack of development: Lack of basic facilities like schools, healthcare,
Factors drinking water, electricity etc create grounds for disaffection.
Rights over land, forests: Alienation from traditional tribal land and restrictions over minor forest produce
due to government policies worsens poverty.
Gender concerns: Naxal ideology offers empowerment to tribal women facing socio-economic discrimination
and gender violence. Over 40% cadres are women.
Government policy towards LWE
Central Legal measures
government  The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 -
policy Recognizes forest rights of tribals and traditional forest dwellers.
 The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 - Extends provisions of Part IX of the
Constitution relating to Panchayats to Scheduled Areas.

Technological measures
 Use of drones, satellites and GPS by security forces for surveillance and tracking naxal activities.
Establishment of UAV bases in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand.
 Online tracking of weapons and ammunitions supply to naxal cadres through innovations like e-tagging.

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 Fiscal measures
 Choking of financial support through monitoring of Jan Dhan accounts, cash couriers etc in affected
areas.
 Skill development programs like PMKVY, Roshni in naxal areas to provide alternative livelihoods.
 Surrender and rehabilitation policies by states providing cash incentives.
Development measures
 Roads under PMGSY, mobile towers under USOF in naxal areas.
 Aspirational Districts Program focusing on basic services in 35 LWE districts.
 Education, health and sanitation initiatives through Tribal Sub Plan, Integrated Action Plan.
Security Response
 SAMADHAN doctrine stressing on leadership, training, technology, intelligence based KPIs.
 14 additional specialised India Reserve Battalions sanctioned.
 Modernization of state police forces through Security Related Expenditure Scheme.
State Andhra Pradesh: Grayhounds - Elite anti-naxal force known for its effectiveness, Encouragement of
Government surrenders through incentives.
Policies Chhattisgarh: Establishment of Small Action Teams like Cobra battalion, Focus on road connectivity,
healthcare under Vikas Yojana.
Jharkhand: Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch formed involving civil society for community participation, Domino
strategy to reclaim naxal areas block by block.
West Bengal: Confidence building measures like Pratyasha Pravah to facilitate surrenders, Infrastructure
push through Banglar Gram Sarkar initiative.
Recent shifts in red-corridor
The number of LWE affected districts in the Red Corridor has fallen by 74.3% from 96 in 2010 to 25 in 2022.

The number of incidents of attacks has fallen by 57.5% from 365 in 2010 to 150 in 2022.

The number of civilian deaths has fallen by 83.3% from 720 in 2010 to 120 in 2022.

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Urban Naxalism
Origin and Definition:
The term ‘Urban Naxal’ emerged in the 2000s to describe sympathizers and supporters of the Naxalite ideology living in urban
areas. It gained prominence after a 2018 book ‘Urban Naxals’ by author Vivek Agnihotri.
As per the book, Urban Naxals further the Naxal agenda through front organizations, tactical united fronts and mobilization of
certain sections while hiding their own leanings.

Strategies and Modus Operandi:

 Front organizations, tactical united fronts: Urban Naxals float seemingly harmless social organizations, NGOs, student
bodies etc to mobilize support for their agenda among the public. Eg. Anuradha Ghandy led ‘Committee for Protection of
Democratic Rights’.
 Infiltration of mainstream politics: Cadres take up roles in mainstream political parties to influence policy making covertly in
favour of the movement.
 Networking and training: Provide networking opportunities and ideological training to rural cadres. Also act as couriers of
funds and supplies for the movement.
 Propaganda and misinformation: Spread false narratives against government action in Naxal areas. Make selective use of
human rights violations topresent the state as oppressive.

Areas of Operation:
 Urban centers along the 'Red Corridor' like Raipur, Ranchi provide proximity to Naxal affected rural areas and
networking opportunities.
 Major metropolises like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad due to presence of universities, media houses, political parties,
fundraising opportunities.
 The tri-junction area of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu due to strong Naxal presence in the past.

Thus, Urban Naxals act as the subtle face of the Naxal movement carrying out mobilization and propaganda activities away from
combat zones. Targeted intelligence efforts are required to counter this hidden threat.
Way forward
Policy Political consensus: All national and state level parties need to arrive at a consensus on tackling left wing
measures extremism to avoid politicization of the issue. The CMs of affected states should jointly pressure the centre for a
unified strategy.
Dialogue and surrender policy: States like Andhra Pradesh have had success with a transparent surrender
and rehabilitation policy. Other states can consider dialogue if local conditions permit.
Strengthening administration: Fill vacancies in administrative machinery in LWE areas on priority through
incentives. Increase frequency of mobile civil administration to increase state presence.
Grievance redressal: Set up fast track courts, lok adalats exclusively for LWE districts to address land rights
and rehabilitation issues expeditiously.
Development strategy: Perceive LWE as a socio-economic issue. Review existing schemes to improve last
mile service delivery through use of technology like mobile apps, community participation etc.
Security Capacity building: Provide advanced training with help of Army to Andhra Greyhounds style special forces
measures battalions of state police. Focus on jungle warfare skills, surveillance, intelligence gathering.
Modernization: Upgrade weapons, provide drones, surveillance equipment, mine protected vehicles suitable
for operations in Maoist strongholds under SRE scheme.
Community policing: Build local capabilities through recruitment of youth from LWE areas in auxiliary police
roles. Improve police-public trust.
Inter-state coordination: Establish unified commands like Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg centre to ensure
coordination between central, state agencies. Develop shared intelligence databases.
Development Land rights: Fast track the recognition of individual and community forest rights under the Forest Rights Act.
Action Resolve pending land disputes expeditiously.
Infrastructure push: Prioritize Road connectivity, telecom, banking and postal services in remote areas to
bridge development gap under IAP, CIDF schemes.
Livelihood promotion: Leverage programs like NRLM, Skill India to promote alternative livelihoods through
SHGs, vocational training targeted towards the needs of locals.

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Success models
Sandesh Regular panchayat elections enabled establishment of grassroots democracy and increased people's
Model, Bihar participation.
This helped create social pressure against Naxal activities and their parallel governments like Jan Adalats.
Mass surrenders were facilitated through sustained community outreach. Around 700 extremists surrendered
by 2010.
Aaswdwar The project focused on inclusive development like cement roads, drains, anganwadi centers, individual toilets
Project, etc.
Jehanabad This improved socio-economic conditions and reduced people's susceptibility to Naxal ideology and support.
Andhra The elite anti-naxal Greyhounds force was established, providing the state an edge in security response.
Pradesh A rehabilitation policy assured surrendered Naxals a fixed monthly stipend, vocational training, loans etc
Model enabling mass surrenders.
Accelerated infrastructure development through roads, irrigation, electricity was undertaken in Naxal areas.
Between 2005-14, over 3200 extremists surrendered due to the carrot and stick approach.
Chhattisgarh Roads were constructed rapidly along with mobile towers and bank branches to increase state presence.
Sukma Model Villagers were provided skill training in multiple livelihoods like mushroom farming, bee keeping, poultry etc.
This multi-pronged push has made Sukma almost Naxal-free with increased economic activity.
Quotes
“Naxalism is not the problem; rather it is a symptom of a problem.”
“All forms of Naxalism, be it with guns or pens, have to be defeated.” – PM Narendra Modi
“Naxalism is “the greatest internal security threat to our country” – Manmohan Singh
"Left-wing extremism is not just a law and order problem, it is also a development problem. We must address the root causes of
this problem if we want to defeat it." - Shrimati Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance of India
"Left-wing extremism is a challenge to our democracy and our way of life. We must stand together to defeat this challenge." - Shri
Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs of India
"Left-wing extremism is a crime against humanity. It must be condemned in the strongest possible terms." - Shri Pranab
Mukherjee, Former President of India
"Left-wing extremism is a threat to our way of life. We must not allow it to succeed." - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Former Prime
Minister of India
Must read editorial summaries
All quiet on the Maoist front – TH, 30 September 2022
 The fall of Burha Pahar, a Maoist command center in Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh, shows the rebels are in retreat across India.
 Security operations by CRPF and state forces have reclaimed Maoist strongholds like Burha Pahar. Over 100 IEDs
recovered.
 108 new security camps set up since 2019 to plug gaps. Helped increase arrests and surrenders of Maoists.
 Crackdowns on alleged Maoist sympathizers and human rights activists have raised concerns. Example of Father Stan
Swamy's arrest and death in custody.
 Operations Double Bull and Chakarbandha flushed out Maoists from parts of Jharkhand and Bihar earlier this year.
 Final assault - Operation Octopus - launched in September to capture Burha Pahar. Maoists fled after brief firefight.
 Data shows violence abated - 77% drop in incidents since 2009. Areas under Maoist control shrinking.
 Development possible with security presence - e.g. stalled Mandal dam project may resume. Localshope for progress.

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Nine years of Modi govt: A mixed record on internal security – IE, 11th July 2023

Positives Negatives
Reduction in Left Wing Extremist (LWE) violence. Chhattisgarh remains a Maoist stronghold with ongoing violence.
Number of LWE-affected districts reduced from 96 in Despite reduction in LWE areas, violence in Bastar region remains a
2010 to 46 in 2021. challenge.
Improvement in public order in Jammu and Kashmir Infiltration of foreign terrorists in J&K continues; civilians are targeted.
(J&K).
Decline in acts of terrorism in J&K by 32% since August Resurgence of terrorism in Jammu and targeting of Kashmiri Hindus
5, 2019. and non-Kashmiri residents.
Multiple ceasefire and peace agreements signed in the Failure to seal the Naga Peace Accord and ongoing deadly ethnic
Northeast. clashes in Manipur.
Decrease in violent incidents in the Northeast by 68%. Civilian deaths due to Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)
and justice delays in such cases.
Effective surveillance on social media activity to prevent Controversial amendments to the NIA Act and UAPA and the ban on
jihadist terrorism. the Popular Front of India (PFI).
Must know terms
Naxalism Far-left radical communist groups that originated from a split in the Communist Party of India (Marxist). These
groups, primarily active in the "Red Corridor" across central and eastern India, aim to overthrow the
government through people's war.
Maoism The political, social, and economic theories of Mao Zedong, often associated with left-wing extremism,
especially in the context of Naxalite movements in India. Maoism emphasizes peasant-based revolutionary
warfare.
Red Corridor Region in the eastern, central, and southern parts of India that have significant Naxalite–Maoist insurgency.
Red Terrorism Often used as a term to denote the violent acts committed by left-wing extremist groups.
Janatana These are 'people's governments' established by Maoists in remote villages in areas under their influence.
Sarkar
Jantana People's courts run by the Maoists in their areas of influence, often used for dispensing 'revolutionary justice'.
Adalat

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4 INSURGENCY IN NORTHEAST

Northeast India Northeast -> 8 states

– Basic facts 8% of India’s geographical area, 4% of population, 400+ tribes
68% of NE population in Assam
Rich in resources: 20% of petroleum reserves in NE, hub of hydro-electricity, forest resources
Data – Fall in Insurgency-related incidents: From a high of 8,515 incidents between 2000-05, insurgency-related
insurgency incidents in the Northeast have sharply dropped to just 847 between 2018-21.
incidents Insurgent groups: There are 40 insurgent groups operating in the Northeast, with the largest number
operating in Manipur, followed by Assam and Nagaland.
Casualties: The number of civilian deaths due to insurgency in the Northeast has also declined in recent
years. In 2021, there were 120 civilian deaths due to insurgency, compared to 720 in 2010.
Issues related to NE
Historical British policy of isolation - Separate administrative structure under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation,
issues 1873. Inner Line Permit system restricted integration.
Delayed statehood - Demand for full statehood and separate state for ethnic groups not met timely eg.
Nagaland state created in 1963 after Naga insurgency started in 1955.
Geographical Landlocked region - Lack of easy access to rest of India. Siliguri corridor is a vulnerability. Transit routes via
issues Bangladesh can be leveraged.
Difficult terrain - Inhibits connectivity and infrastructure development. Nearly 2/3rd area is hilly/mountainous.
Terrain helped insurgent camps thrive.
Cultural issues Ethnic and linguistic diversity - Around 220 ethnic groups and several languages creates complexities in
integration. Eg. Bodos in Assam.
Migration - Illegal migration from Bangladesh altered demography in Assam, Tripura fueling identity politics
and tensions. NRC update was contentious.
Racial discrimination - Mainland Indians' racist attitudes towards 'chinky' looking citizens from NE States
foments feeling of alienation.
Political issues Limited representation in parliament - Only 3% of total Lok Sabha seats. Distant Delhi-based leadership
unresponsive to local needs.
Inter-state disputes - Boundary disputes like Mizoram-Assam, Arunachal-Assam. Economic blockades
imposed during disputes disrupts life eg. Manipur blockade.
Factionalism - Factional clashes within and between insurgent groups like NSCN-IM, NSCN-K etc over
power, resources led to ethnic violence.
Policy issues Lack of focus - Absence of coherent policy framework by successive central governments. Ad hoc project
based approach taken.
Poor delivery - Poor implementation of development schemes due to corruption, lack of monitoring, funds
crunch. Infrastructure projects lagging behind eg. only 1% of sanctioned road projects completed in Manipur.
Economic Underdevelopment and lack of industrialization - Low per capita income, high unemployment due to
issues limited private investment and industrial activity. Agriculture employs 70% workforce in the region.
Infrastructure deficit - Lack of roads, railways, air connectivity hinders development and integration with rest
of India. Eg - Only 1% of national railway network in NE.
Natural resource exploitation - Locals allege illegal mining, timber smuggling in states like Meghalaya.
Militants have targeted oil pipelines in Assam over unfair exploitation.
External issues Porous borders - Facilitates smuggling of drugs, arms and human trafficking from Myanmar and
Bangladesh. Groups like ULFA obtained training and shelter across borders.
China dispute - Unresolved border dispute with China in Arunachal Pradesh is a strategic threat. Insurgent
groups have been funded by external agencies.
Act East Policy - Need to leverage India's Act East policy to develop economic ties with ASEAN to benefit
NE region and curb illegal activities across borders.
Bangladesh - Improved relations with Bangladesh can resolve long pending issues like Teesta water
sharing, border disputes and enable transit access.

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State-wise issues in NE
Assam Illegal migration from Bangladesh: The issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh continues to be a major
challenge for Assam. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was updated in 2019, and over 1.9 million
people were excluded from the list. This has led to protests and tensions in the state.
Insurgency: The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is the major insurgent group operating in Assam.
The group has been demanding a separate state for Assamese people. However, the group's activities have
declined in recent years.
Ethnic conflicts: Ethnic conflicts between different communities in Assam have also been a major problem.
In 2022, there were clashes between Bodos and Bengalis in Kokrajhar district. This led to the death of
several people.
Nagaland Inter-tribal conflicts: Inter-tribal conflicts among different Naga tribes continue to be a problem in Nagaland.
In 2021, there were clashes between the Konyak and Sumi tribes in Mon district. This led to the death of
several people.
Naga insurgency: The Naga insurgency has been going on for decades. The National Socialist Council of
Nagaland (NSCN) is the major insurgent group operating in Nagaland. The group has been demanding a
separate state for Naga people. However, there have been some recent developments in the peace process.
In 2021, the NSCN-IM signed a framework agreement with the Government of India. This is a major step
forward in the peace process.
Mizoram Brus/Reangs refugee crisis: The Brus/Reangs refugee crisis is a long-standing problem in Mizoram. The
Brus are a tribal community who have been displaced from their homes in Mizoram. They are currently living
in refugee camps in Tripura. The government has been trying to resettle the Brus in Mizoram, but this has
been a challenge.
Insurgency: There are a number of insurgent groups operating in Mizoram. The Hmar People's Convention-
Democrat (HPCD) is the most active group. The HPCD has been demanding a separate state for the Hmar
people. However, the group's activities have declined in recent years.
Manipur Kuki-Naga clashes: Kuki-Naga clashes have been a problem in Manipur for decades. The Kukis and Nagas
are two major tribal communities in Manipur. There have been clashes between the two communities over
land and other issues. In 2022, there were clashes between the two communities in Churachandpur district.
This led to the death of several people.
Meitei insurgent groups: There are a number of Meitei insurgent groups operating in Manipur. The United
National Liberation Front (UNLF) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are the most active groups. These
groups have been demanding a separate state for the Meitei people. However, the groups' activities have
declined in recent years.
Tripura Bengali-tribal tensions: Bengali-tribal tensions are a major problem in Tripura. The Bengalis are the
majority community in Tripura, while the tribals are the minority community. There have been clashes
between the two communities over land and other issues. In 2022, there were clashes between the two
communities in Dhalai district. This led to the death of several people.
Movement for a separate state of Frontier Nagaland: There is a movement for a separate state of Frontier
Nagaland in Tripura. The movement is demanding that the Naga-dominated areas of Tripura be merged with
Nagaland. However, the government has not yet agreed to this demand.
Arunachal China's claims: China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory. This has led to tensions between
Pradesh India and China. In 2022, there were reports of Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh. This led to the
Indian Army being deployed in the area.
Insurgency: There are a number of insurgent groups operating in Arunachal Pradesh. The NSCN-IM is the
most active group. The NSCN-IM has been demanding a separate state for the Naga people. However, the
group's activities have declined in recent years.
Meghalaya ILP system: The Inner Line Permit (ILP) system is in place in Meghalaya. This system restricts the entry of
outsiders into Meghalaya. The ILP system has been criticized by some people who say that it is
discriminatory. However, the government has defended the ILP system saying that it is necessary to protect
the interests of the tribal people of Meghalaya.

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Government approach to NE insurgency – Adoption of holistic approach
Constitutional 6th Schedule provision for autonomous councils and separate laws for tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya,
measures Tripura and Mizoram. Helps preserve tribal culture and identity.
Article 371G for special provisions for Mizoram including restrictions on land transfer and alienation. Helps
prevent tribal land alienation.
Legislative Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) since 1958. Controversial law blamed for human rights
measures violations but security forces emphasize necessity due to militancy.
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to ban and crack down on insurgent groups like ULFA, NDFB,
PLA etc. Helps counter terrorism.
Political Peace Accords with major groups like NSCN-IM (2015), DHD (2003), BLT (2003) involving PM level talks.
dialogue Helps address political demands.
Suspension of Operations agreements with factions of ULFA, NDFB for peace talks. Temporary truce helps
build confidence.
Interlocutors appointed for talks like Akhilesh Mishra for Naga talks. Helps focus negotiations.
Rehabilitation Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation scheme since 1998. Monthly stipend, vocational training, cash incentives for
and Integration surrender. Helped over 8000 militants surrender till 2014.
Suspension of Operations allows misguided youth to join mainstream. Over 1900 combined surrenders in
2021 under SoO pacts in Assam.
Security and Conducted cross-border operations against camps in Myanmar. Helps neutralize threats.
Diplomatic Intelligence sharing and border management agreements with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan. Improves
border security.
Security cooperation with ASEAN, BIMSTEC. Helps curb smuggling of arms and drugs.
Developmental Ministry of DoNER and NEC look after region's growth and funding.
Approach 65% of MNREGA funds reserved for NE states to boost employment.
Arunachal Pradesh brought under railway map in 2014. NE zone sanctioned dedicated freight corridor in
2021. Improves connectivity.
Look East and Act East policy to boost trade with SE Asia. Could energize economy and mainstreaming of
youth.
AFSPA – Analysis
Reasons for continuation Criticisms Way forward
Counter Insurgency: The act is deemed Human Rights Violations: Critics argue Amendment: Many committees, like the
necessary for maintaining peace and that AFSPA has led to human rights Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee and
order in disturbed areas, and it assists in abuses, such as extrajudicial killings, Justice Santosh Hegde Committee, have
counter-insurgency operations. torture, and enforced disappearances. suggested that the Act should be
For example, the "Manorama case" in amended to address its problematic
Manipur in 2004 led to widespread aspects.
protests.

Protection to Armed Forces: It
provides the armed forces with legal
protection when operating in hostile
environments, where they might have to
make quick decisions under stress.
Maintaining Unity and Sovereignty:
AFSPA is considered important to
prevent secessionist tendencies and
maintain the unity and sovereignty of
India.
Improving Governance: Addressing
governance deficits in areas affected by
AFSPA can help in long-term resolution
of conflicts.
Impunity to Soldiers: The Act provides Strengthening Local Police: The local
immunity to the military from prosecution, police forces need to be equipped and
which can lead to misuse of power. trained better to handle insurgency and
terrorism, reducing reliance on armed
forces.
Against Democratic Principles: The Dialogue and Reconciliation: Engaging
Act is seen as a violation of democratic with all stakeholders, including separatist
principles, like rule of law and individual groups, in dialogue to address political
rights, as it gives unchecked power to the issues can help in reducing the
military. dependence on such laws
Perpetuates Violence and Unrest: Improving Governance: Addressing
Some critics argue that the Act governance deficits in areas affected by
perpetuates a cycle of violence and AFSPA can help in long-term resolution
unrest of conflicts.

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Way forward
Military Sustained counter-insurgency operations against selective groups like NSCN-K, ULFA-I based on
approach intelligence inputs rather than broad-based force. Help avoid alienating people.
Gradual reduction of AFSPA only when insurgency abates. AFSPA removed from Tripura in 2015,
Meghalaya in 2018 indicating improved security.
Army should be replaced by CAPF and state police in safer districts. 15 districts declared 'disturbance
free' areas in Manipur, Nagaland, Assam where army presence reduced.
Political and Focus on unique culture, traditions, languages of each tribe rather than homogenization. Could reduce
Social alienation and separatism. Eg - Bodo, Garo, Khasi cultural councils formed.
Approach Fast track development projects under PMDP for NE to bridge infrastructure gaps. Will mainstream youth.
NHIDCL building roads worth Rs 40,000 crore in region.
Promote tourism by developing sites like Kaziranga, Hornbill festival etc to boost economy and perceptions.
41 lakh tourists visited NE in 2019.
Governance Effective implementation of autonomy provisions under 6th schedule for tribal councils in Assam, Tripura
reforms etc. Helps preserve tribal autonomy.
Crackdown on cross-border smuggling networks in coordination with Bangladesh, Myanmar. BSF-BGB
Coordinated Border Management Plan signed in 2020.
Adopt a humane approach using civil society groups for conflict resolution as done in Bodoland by ABSU.
Reduces need for AFSPA, force.
Speedy investigation of rights violation cases under AFSPA like alleged fake encounters. Builds trust and
demonstrated accountability.
Other Measures Raise CAPF strengths and intelligence capabilities to fill security vacuum upon army withdrawal. Assam
Rifles raised 21 new battalions.
Robust border infrastructure along China border via BRO. Provides access for patrolling and rapid
deployment.
Promote private investment by equity support to boost job creation. Could mainstream youth. Investment
proposals worth Rs 5000 crore Cleared so far.
Facilitate trade connectivity with South-East Asia via Myanmar under Act East Policy. Could energize local
economies. India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway pact signed.
Must read editorials
Manipur: Mapping the Long Road to Peace, Security Risks, 11th July 2023
 Manipur, a key Indian state, is in a violent conflict for over two months with 121 reported fatalities. State law enforcement is
weakened, leading to further chaos.
 Separating the feuding Meitei and Kuki communities is challenging for security forces.
 A committee created to unite the communities has unclear progress and effectiveness.
 Security operations focus on violence prevention, arms recovery, and stopping militant infiltration.
 The failure of India Reserve Battalions (IRB) and the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act have complicated
the situation.
 The use of quadcopters by resistance groups suggests a preparedness for continued violence.
 Efforts to rebuild trust include unsuccessful top-down approaches and proposed bottom-up dialogues among community
leaders.
 Army or Assam Rifles units may help lead reconciliation efforts.
 Social media could be used to promote unity and combat divisive messaging
 Constitutional changes, like granting Scheduled Tribe status to Meiteis, have exacerbated divisions.
 Concerns exist about spill-over, such as demands for the unification of ethnic Zo tribes in Greater Mizoram, escalating
conflicts.
 Myanmar's role in the situation is acknowledged, despite its military coup.
 Internal divisions within Nagaland's factions contribute to regional instability.
 International awareness of the situation is indicated by comments from the US Ambassador to India.
 Achieving peace in Manipur requires careful planning, a humane approach, and strict control of violence. The ethnic divide
complicates trust rebuilding efforts.

Page | 21
Must know terms
Insurgency A violent uprising against an authority or government, typically by a group not recognized as a legitimate
military force.
Militancy The use of confrontational or violent methods in support of a political or social cause.
Separatism Advocacy or support for the separation of a particular group of people from a larger body on the basis of
ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Self- The process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and
determination government.
Political Asylum The protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee.
Refugees A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural
disaster.
Asymmetric War between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly, or whose strategy or tactics
Warfare differ significantly.
Indigenous Rights that pertain to a distinct group such as native inhabitants of a region, recognized in international law,
Rights focusing on sovereignty, land rights, cultural heritage, and other issues.
Proxy Warfare A conflict instigated by opposing powers who do not fight against each other directly. Instead, they uses
third parties to do the fighting for them.
Disarmament, A process dealing with the post-conflict security problem that arises when ex-combatants are left without
Demobilization livelihoods or support networks.
and Reintegration
(DDR)
Infiltration The stealthy, clandestine movement of operatives or forces into a designated area.
Clandestine Secret activities and operations by a government or organization, or the people involved in them.
Operations
Ethnic Specific geographical areas to which an ethnic group lays claim based on historical occupancy or on the
Homelands grounds of self-determination.
Ethno- A form of nationalism wherein the nation is defined in terms of ethnicity.
nationalism
Identity Politics Political activity and theories based on shared experiences within a specific socially-identified group (i.e.,
race, ethnicity, religion, social class, culture, etc.)

5 BORDER SECURITY

Three distinct Land borders: The country’s large land border of around 15,106.7 km is shared with Bangladesh, China,
sets of borders Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan, as well as a small portion with Afghanistan.
 It encompasses varied terrain — deserts, glaciers, lakes, rivers, snow-covered peaks, swampy
marshes, fertile lands, and tropical jungles — making it one of the world’s most complex borders
Maritime boundaries: India has 7,516 km long coastline which includes 5,422 km of coastline in mainland
and 2,094 km of coastline bordering around 1382 islands. The peninsular coastline of India is shaped by
Bay of Bengal in east, Indian Ocean in south and Arabian Sea in west and is spread over nine states and
four union territories
Airspace: Indian airspace is controlled by the Air Traffic Control of the Airports Authority of India.
 Extends up to the aerial boundary that is 11 km from the Indian land border. Beyond that limit, IAF
controls the airspace.

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Border management issues to ponder on
Border Disputes India has border disputes with China (Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh), Pakistan (Kashmir), Nepal
and Lack of (Kalapani). Leads to tensions.
Demarcation Incomplete fencing along Bangladesh border due to objections. Enables illegal crossing and crimes.
No-man's lands exist in some India-Bangladesh border areas where sovereignty is unclear. Misused by
criminals.
Porosity of Difficult mountainous terrain along China, Nepal, Myanmar borders makes effective patrolling difficult.
Borders Rivers like Brahmaputra change course, complicating border alignments between India-Bangladesh.
Dense forests along Myanmar border allow easy crossing of militants and smugglers.
Terrorist Groups Pakistan-based groups like LeT, JeM infiltrate across LoC in J&K. Over 300 infiltration attempts in
2021 as per reports.
Insurgent groups from North-East take shelter across Myanmar, Bangladesh borders. ULFA-I presence
reported across Teknaf river.
Lack of Critical Inadequate roads, bridges hamper troop movement along China border. 61 strategic roads along LAC only
Infrastructure 26% completed as per CAG report.
Poor connectivity along Bangladesh, Myanmar border hinders effective border guarding.
Poor Intelligence Inability to get actionable intelligence leading to Pulwama like attacks due to cross-border infiltration.
Chinese road building across LAC missed due to poor surveillance especially in Tibet region.
Ethnic Conflicts` Ethnic violence between Bodos and Bengalis/Santhals along Assam-Bengal border.
Tensions between Bru refugees in Tripura camps and local Mizos along Mizoram border.
Drugs/Arms Smuggling networks in Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat exploit porous Pakistan border to push drugs,
Trafficking arms.
Heroin smuggling from Myanmar, Golden Triangle is issue along Northeast borders.
Issues along Indo-Pakistan border
Issues Data/Details Government approach
Border disputes Siachen dispute: The highest militarized zone Diplomatic and military engagements have been
in the world. pursued by the Indian government to resolve these
Gilgit Baltistan issue: This region is currently disputes.
under Pakistan's control, but claimed by India. The Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF)
are actively involved in protecting these territories.
Infiltration by In 2022 alone, 77 terrorists were neutralized BSF and Indian Army jointly conduct regular patrolling,
terrorists and 12 arrested while trying to infiltrate into surveillance, and crackdown operations.
India from Pakistan. India has set up Border Outposts (BOPs)/Composite
BOPs. As of Nov 2022, 731 BOPs had been sanctioned
along the Indo-Pakistan border, of which 675 have been
completed.
Cross-border Prominent example: 2016 Pathankot attack The government has ramped up efforts to seal the border
terrorism using fencing/smart fencing.
The Indian Armed Forces also use a variety of devices
like thermal imagers, underground sensors, fibre optical
sensors, radar, and sonar for surveillance and intrusion
detection.
Satellites are used for monitoring and intelligence
gathering.
Smuggling of In 2022, BSF shot down drones that were The Comprehensive Integrated Border Management
arms and being used to smuggle arms/drugs. System (CIBMS) has been implemented. This combines
ammunitions human resources, weapons, and high-tech surveillance
equipment to safeguard the border and prevent
smuggling.
The government is moving from manual surveillance to
electronic surveillance systems to enhance efficiency.

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Narcotics Narcotics, especially Heroin, opium, and Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) have been established,
smuggling poppy, are frequently smuggled into Punjab with 2 ICPs in Punjab.
from across the border. The ICP model, successful in enhancing regional
connectivity along the India-Bangladesh borders, is being
replicated.
Local communities are being educated about the harms
of drug trafficking and use.
Counterfeit Pakistan has been accused of exporting fake The Border Area Development Programme (BADP) is
currency Indian currency via third countries like Nepal. being used to meet the special development needs of the
people living in remote and inaccessible areas near the
international border and to saturate the border areas with
the essential infrastructure.
BSF conducts regular checks and seizures to combat this
problem.
Sir Creek dispute This is a 96 km estuary between Kutch in The Indian government has continued dialogues at
Gujarat and Pakistan’s Sindh province. The various levels for a peaceful resolution.
dispute arises from India's claim that the Simultaneously, infrastructure is being developed,
boundary should lie in the middle of the creek, including construction of lateral and axial roads in Punjab
whereas Pakistan claims the boundary should and Rajasthan, to strengthen border security and improve
lie on the eastern bank, closer to India. This is the living conditions of local communities.
of importance due to fisheries and expected
petroleum resources.
Issues along Indo-China border
Issues Data/Details Government approach
Border dispute Western sector: Aksai Chin, Ladakh standoff. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) and
Eastern sector: Disputes in Sikkim, Indian Army are primarily responsible for securing these
Arunachal Pradesh regions. disputed areas.
Middle Sector: Issues in Himachal Pradesh India has also been strengthening its Border Outposts
and Uttarakhand. (BOPs) and investing in high altitude warfare capabilities.
Rising Causes of recent stand-offs include: Development of Permanent Integrated Buildings to
transgressions Infrastructure development along the Line house troops and machinery for prolonged standoff
of Actual Control (LAC) by India. situations.
Reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into India continues to pursue diplomatic and military level
Union Territories. - India's improving relations talks with China to ensure peace and tranquillity along
with the United States. - Previous stand-offs the border.
such as the Doklam incident.
Militarisation India has observed a significant increase in In response, India has fast-tracked the construction of
along borders Chinese military infrastructure along the India-China Border Roads (ICBR).
border areas. The government has pushed development in border
villages under the 'Vibrant Village Initiative', building
roads, mobile towers, banks, and more to provide
strategic advantages and improve living conditions.
Support to There have been instances of China allegedly The Indian Army is improving its counter-insurgency
insurgents/ supporting separatist movements and operations.
terrorists insurgents in Northeast India. Infrastructure projects within 100 Km of the LAC have
been exempted from forest clearance, speeding up
strategic construction.
The government is focusing on the development of border
areas to increase the sense of national integration among
local inhabitants.

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Infrastructure To enhance connectivity and movement in the 18 border roads are already complete and operational, 7
development challenging terrains along the LAC, border are about to be completed, and work is ongoing on 8
road construction has been given importance. more roads under Phase II of the Indo-China Border
Roads project.
Tunnels like the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh have
been constructed to provide all-weather connectivity.
Issues along Indo-Nepal border
Issues Data/Details Government approach
Border dispute The Kalapani dispute is a major point of The Indian government, while maintaining a diplomatic
contention between India and Nepal. dialogue with Nepal, employs the Sashastra Seema Bal
(SSB) to manage and monitor this contentious region.
Misuse of open The open border between India and Nepal is The government has set up Border Outposts (BOPs) that
borders often misused by suspected terrorists and are staffed by the SSB.
criminals, who sneak out of India and hide in Regular patrolling and exchange of information with
Nepal. Nepalese counterparts is carried out to catch and deter
criminal elements.
Infiltration of The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) The Indian government has implemented the Border Area
terrorist has been using Nepalese territory for anti- Development Programme (BADP) to strengthen security
India activities since the 1990s, pushing men and improve living conditions in these areas.
and explosives through the border for terror Coordination with Nepalese law enforcement agencies for
attacks in India. information sharing and joint operations.
The construction of Indo-Nepal Border roads for better
patrolling and rapid response.
Smuggling The Indo-Nepal border has become a major Integrated Check-Posts (ICP): India is nearing completion
conduit for smuggling gold, drugs, fake Indian of the ICP at Jogbani (Bihar)-Biratnagar border gate with
currency notes (FICN), women and children, Nepal. This is the second ICP on the Nepal border after
arms, and explosives. Raxaul-Birgunj.
Regular checks and seizures by SSB to combat
smuggling activities.
Awareness programs to educate locals about the ill-
effects of smuggling and human trafficking.
Issues along Indo-Bhutan border
Issues Data/Details Government approach
Insurgency Insurgent groups like ULFA, NDFB have The 1949 Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty provides for
groups historically used Bhutan as a safe haven. close consultation on foreign and defense affairs.
Cooperation between India and Bhutan on counter-
insurgency operations has increased, helping to address
the issue of insurgent groups using Bhutan as a base.
Doklam issue The Doklam issue of 2017 involved a military The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) plays a crucial role in
standoff between India and China in a region securing the border area.
claimed by both Bhutan and China. Diplomatic negotiations were held between India,
China, and Bhutan to resolve the standoff.
India's action was in support of Bhutan, illustrating the
strength of Indo-Bhutan relations.
Environmental Activities in border areas can have Operation All Clear: A military operation carried out by
concerns environmental impacts, such as deforestation the Royal Bhutanese Army in 2003, in which several
and biodiversity loss. camps of insurgent groups were cleared out, minimizing
harm to the environment.
Both countries are cooperating on environmental
conservation efforts, including joint participation in
initiatives aimed at preserving biodiversity and promoting
sustainable development.

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Issues along Indo-Bangladesh border
Issues Data/Details Government appr.
Illegal migration Recent communal violence in Assam has The Border Security Force (BSF) is deployed along the
direct links with illegal immigration from border to prevent illegal crossings.
Bangladesh. Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) aid in monitoring and
regulating border crossings.
The Border Area Development Programme (BADP)
aims to improve living conditions and infrastructure in
border areas, reducing the incentives for illegal migration.
Terrorism and Incidents of shooting by armed forces and Border-Out Posts are established for improved
insurgency border killings, often associated with cattle surveillance and response to threats.
trafficking. The BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT
Interception Technique) Project, under CIBMS
(Comprehensive Integrated Border Management
System), deploys technology for effective border
management.
The Land Boundary Agreement, 2015, has resolved
territorial ambiguities that could be exploited by insurgent
groups.
Cattle smuggling Cattle from as far as Haryana, UP, Bihar are Enhanced border fencing and surveillance have been
taken to borders for grazing and then implemented to prevent cattle smuggling.
smuggled into Bangladesh, leading to a loss of Joint operations by BSF and local law enforcement
government revenue. agencies are conducted to break up smuggling rings.
Narcotics Illicit substances like yaba tablets and The Comprehensive Integrated Border Management
trafficking cannabis are frequently smuggled across the System (CIBMS) is utilized to detect and prevent
border. smuggling attempts. - Coordination with Bangladeshi law
enforcement for information sharing and joint operations.
Counterfeit Fake Indian currency notes (FICN) are often Vigilance is maintained at ICPs and regular checks are
currency smuggled from Bangladesh into India. conducted by the BSF to intercept and seize FICN.
Co-operation with Bangladeshi authorities to disrupt FICN
networks.
Water related The Teesta River Water Dispute is a major Ongoing diplomatic dialogue between India and
issues point of contention between India and Bangladesh to resolve the water dispute.
Bangladesh. In 2011, an agreement was India is also working on internal consensus-building for
finalized regarding water use from the Teesta better management of transboundary water resources.
River, but it was not signed due to opposition
from the chief minister of West Bengal.
Issues along Indo-Myanmar border
Issues Data/Details Government approach
Secessionist Various separatist movements have originated
The Assam Rifles, as the border guarding force, is
movements from North-East India, occasionally findingactively involved in countering these movements.
shelter across the border in Myanmar. Operation Sunrise, 2019: The Indian Army, in
collaboration with the Myanmar Army, targeted members
of the Arakan Army, an insurgent group in Myanmar,
disrupting their activities.
Support to Militant groups like NSCN(K) use Myanmar as Modernisation of Armed Forces including Assam Rifles,
insurgents and a safe haven. with state-of-the-art weapons, communication,
terrorists surveillance, and training equipment.
Bilateral discussions with Myanmar for joint operations
to eliminate these hideouts.

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Narcotics The region lies close to the infamous "Golden The Border Fencing initiative has been implemented to
smuggling Triangle", one of Asia's main illicit opium- control smuggling, though in Manipur, out of 390 km, only
producing areas. 5.6 km has been fenced due to difficult terrain and other
factors.
Regular patrolling and surveillance by Assam Rifles.
Border not The Indo-Myanmar border superimposes itself Development of roads and helipads to enhance
crystallised on on the socio-cultural landscape, dividing accessibility and effective border management.
ground several tribes and forcing them to reside as Ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve boundary issues
citizens of different countries. in a manner that respects the rights of local communities.
Free Movement The FMR permits the tribes residing along the The Comprehensive Border Infrastructure Project
Regime (FMR) border to travel 16-km across the boundary aims to facilitate this movement while maintaining border
without visa restrictions. integrity.
Regularisation of FMR to control illegal activities while
respecting traditional rights.
Terrain issues The terrain is characterised by high Infrastructural improvements to overcome terrain
mountains, deep river channels, and lush challenges, such as hill roads and advanced surveillance
forests, making border management systems.
challenging. The FMR has been rationalised and regularised
considering these terrain issues.
Development gap The border area is sparsely populated with Integrated Check Posts (ICPs): The ICP at Moreh,
depressed economic development, and lacks Manipur is aiding in the integration of trade, thus
basic infrastructure like roads and promoting economic development.
communication links. Implementation of Border Area Development
Programme (BADP) to enhance the infrastructure and
social and economic well-being of border residents.
Shekatkar Committee recommendations
 Defence budget: The committee recommended that India's defence budget should be at least 2.5-3% of the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
 Joint Services War College: The committee recommended that a Joint Services War College should be set up for the
training of mid-level officers of the armed forces.
 Military Intelligence School: The committee recommended that the Military Intelligence School at Pune should be
transformed into a tri-service intelligence training establishment.
 Optimisation of signals establishments: The committee recommended that the signals establishments of the armed
forces be optimised to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
 Restructuring of repair echelons: The committee recommended that the repair echelons of the armed forces be
restructured to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
 Redeployment of Ordnance echelons: The committee recommended that the Ordnance echelons of the armed forces be
redeployed to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
 Better use of transportation and supply echelons: The committee recommended that the transportation and supply
echelons of the armed forces be used more efficiently to reduce costs.
 Closing down of military farms & Army postal establishments in peace locations: The committee recommended that
military farms and Army postal establishments in peace locations be closed down to reduce costs.
 Improvement in standards for recruiting drivers and clerical staff in the Army: The committee recommended that the
standards for recruiting drivers and clerical staff in the Army be improved to improve efficiency.
 Increasing the efficiency of the NCC (National Cadet Corps): The committee recommended that the efficiency of the
NCC be increased to improve the pool of potential recruits for the armed forces.

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Madhukar Gupta Committee recommendations on fencing Indo-Pakistan border
 Strengthening border protection: The committee recommended that the number of border posts along the India-Pakistan
border should be increased, and that the existing posts should be strengthened.
 Addressing gaps in fencing: The committee recommended that the gaps in the fencing along the India-Pakistan border
should be filled, and that the fencing should be made more secure.
 Improving intelligence gathering: The committee recommended that intelligence gathering along the India-Pakistan border
should be improved, and that the use of technology should be increased.
 Improving coordination between the forces: The committee recommended that coordination between the different forces
deployed along the India-Pakistan border should be improved.
 Improving training of border personnel: The committee recommended that the training of border personnel should be
improved, and that they should be given more specialized training.
 Improving infrastructure along the border: The committee recommended that the infrastructure along the India-Pakistan
border should be improved, and that more facilities should be provided for the border personnel.
Madhbole Committee
 Pending border disputes with neighbouring countries to be resolved.
 Border guarding force shall not be deployed for other internal security duties.
 Accelerated development of infrastructure along borders.
 Marine Police Force to be stablished.
Way forward
Diplomatic Efforts Resolve border disputes through bilateral dialogues with neighbours as done recently in the India-
Bangladesh land boundary agreement. Reduces tensions.
Joint working groups with neighbours on border management issues as set up with Nepal, Bangladesh.
Helps align efforts.
Intelligence sharing with friendly neighbours on infiltration, smuggling networks as done with Bhutan.
Strengthens surveillance.
Participate in regional forums like BIMSTEC, SCO to evolve collective strategies against terrorism,
trafficking. Improves cooperation.
Security Complete pending strategic roads, bridges infrastructure along China border under Bharatmala
Infrastructure scheme. Critical for logistics.
Install surveillance systems like aerostats, radars for real-time monitoring along Pakistan, Bangladesh
borders. Boosts detection of infiltration.
Raise new battalions of border guarding forces to plug deployment gaps. 15 new BSF battalions
sanctioned.
Modernize weapons and equipment of forces for day and night surveillance capability. Thermal imagers,
drones deployed.
Local Population Promote community policing models by incentivizing border villages to provide intelligence inputs. Helps
Engagement improve ground-level information.
Corporate Social Responsibility funds can be leveraged by PSUs to build infrastructure, run vocational
training programs in border villages. Mainstreams youth.
Recruit local youth for intelligence gathering roles. Utilize their terrain familiarity.
Technology Integrate surveillance systems and databases through C4I2SR systems for composite real-time view
Adoption across borders.
Pilot low-cost solutions like laser fences, aerostats for remote areas. Cost-effective.
Deploy anti-infiltration obstacle systems like Border Fence Illumination System. Enhances protection.
Coastal security
Basic facts India has a coastline of 7516 km running through 9 states
About 90% of our foreign trade by volume and nearly 70% by value of external trade are through seas.
Coastal/Maritime security threats
Maritime border India has disputes with Pakistan over Sir Creek in Gujarat, with Bangladesh over New Moore island and
dispute South Talpatty in the Sundarbans delta region.
Lack of clarity leads to frequent fishermen detentions, hampers energy exploration projects in offshore
blocks.
India-Sri Lanka dispute over Katchatheevu island was resolved through agreements in 1974 and 1976.

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Maritime The 2008 Mumbai attacks highlighted the vulnerability of coastal cities to seaborne infiltration. 166 people
terrorism killed.
Coastal areas in South India face terror threats from groups like Al-Ummah which bombed the BJP
office in Chennai in 2013.
India joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct in 2009 along with 14 other nations to cooperate on maritime
counter-terrorism.
Smuggling The Gujarat coast is exploited by networks to smuggle gold and narcotics from Pakistan. Recent
through the Sea seizures valued around Rs 175 crore.
Route Networks in Myanmar, Thailand smuggle gold, drugs through the Andaman coastline. Heroin worth Rs
2000 crore seized since 2020.
Vulnerability of India has over 130 nuclear installations including power plants located along the 7500 km coastline.
vital installations Concerns over exposure to threats.
Major ports like Kandla, Mumbai, Vizag, Chennai handle over 1300 MT of cargo annually. Lack of
security infrastructure has been highlighted.
Oil assets like Mumbai High which produces 1/5th of India's oil output lies off Mumbai coast, prone to
threats.
Piracy Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea were a major threat around 2010, but declined due to international
naval efforts and armed guards on ships.
Piracy still a concern in the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
India – Coastal/Maritime security management
Security Marine police, Indian Coast Guard and Navy are deployed in a tiered structure up to EEZ.
Architecture Coastal police have jurisdiction up to territorial waters limit of 12 nautical miles. They oversee around 145
marine police stations.
Indian Coast Guard monitors the coastal areas up to EEZ (200 nautical miles) through stations at Karaikal,
Tuticorin, Chennai etc.
Indian Navy secures waters beyond 12 nautical miles in coordination with the Coast Guard. Naval
commands at Mumbai, Vizag provide force projection.
Post 26/11 National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS) under the National
Initiatives Security Adviser established.
Sagar Prahari Bal raised as a special force of 1000 personnel for protecting naval bases.
Joint Operations Centres set up at Mumbai, Vizag, Port Blair and Kochi for inter-agency coordination.
Coastal surveillance network with 74 AIS receivers, 46 radars integrated through National Command
Control Communication Intelligence set-up.
Biometric ID cards issued to around 4 million fishermen for monitoring. Vessel registration made
mandatory.
Exercises like Sea Vigil, Sagar Kavach conducted annually since 2019 to validate preparedness.
Technological Long range identification and tracking of vessels enabled through satellite-based Vessel Monitoring
measures System. Around 6000 Indian ships installed with transponders.
Multi-layered coastal surveillance radars with varying ranges like 30 km, 50 km and 80 km installed.
Provides real-time situational awareness.
Thermal imagers, drones deployed for monitoring hard to access areas like Rann of Kutch salt marshes
efficiently.
Other measures Marine police training institutes set up in Gujarat and Kerala to build coastal security skills.
Emphasis on community participation through village vigilance committees and fishermen awareness
programs.
Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) set up at Gurugram for maritime data fusion and
analysis.
5 Principles for Global Maritime Security – By PM Narendra Modi at UNSC meet 2021
 Removing barriers for legitimate maritime trade
 Encouraging responsible maritime connectivity
 Settling maritime disputes through peaceful means and on the basis of international law
 Jointly facing natural disasters and maritime threats created by non-state actors
 Preserving the maritime environment and resources

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Must know terms
Border Fence A physical barrier built by a country to secure its borders.
Smart Fencing Use of technology-driven surveillance systems, like infrared cameras and laser barriers, to secure borders.
Border Outposts Security posts established by a country at regular intervals along its international borders.
(BOPs)
Zero Line The actual line of control or boundary line between two countries.
Integrated Check A complex housing all regulatory agencies like Immigration, Customs, and Border Security, along with
Post (ICP) support facilities, to manage cross-border movement of goods and people.
Demarcation The act of establishing the limits and boundaries of national territories.
De-escalation Measures taken to decrease tensions or violence at conflict-ridden borders.
Maritime Domain The effective understanding of anything associated with the global maritime domain that could impact
Awareness (MDA) security, safety, economy, or environment.
Exclusive A sea zone over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.
Economic Zone
(EEZ)
Blue Economy Economic benefits and value we realize from the Earth's coastal and marine environments.
Insular The exercise of sovereign power over a territory which is detached from the mainland.
Sovereignty
Maritime Acts of terrorism that are committed at sea or target maritime assets.
Terrorism
Indo-Pacific A geopolitical concept to connect the two oceanic regions of Indian and Pacific Ocean for strategic and
Strategy economic interests.
Geospatial The use and analysis of geospatial information to assess geographically referenced activities on Earth.
Intelligence

6 MONEY LAUNDERING

Definition – Money UN Vienna 1988 Convention Article 3.1 describes Money Laundering as: “the conversion or transfer of
Laundering property, knowing that such property is derived from any offense(s), for the purpose of concealing or
disguising the illicit origin of the property or of assisting any person who is involved in such offense(s) to
evade the legal consequences of his actions”.
Data According to FATF:- The estimated amount of money laundered globally in one year is 2 – 5% of global
GDP, or up to $2 trillion.
Stages of Money Laundering
 Placement= Moving the funds from direct association with the crime
 Layering= Disguising the trail to foil pursuit
 Integration= Making the money available to the criminal from what seem to be legitimate sources

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Techniques of money laundering
Hawala Hawala is an alternative or parallel remittance system outside traditional banking and financial channels.
Round tripping In this criminal money is deposited into controlled foreign-based organisations preferably in tax haven
countries like Mauritius where anti-money laundering laws are weak. Then money is shipped back in the
form of foreign
investment.
Shell companies These are the companies established only for the conversion of dirty monies. Companies did not have
any business operations and disguised the true owner of the company.
Third party cheques Third-party cheques are paid to the payee who then transfers it to another person.
P Notes P notes are derivative instruments issued by registered foreign portfolio investors to their overseas
investors
to enable them to invest in the Indian market without retraction with SEBI.
Cryptocurrency It is a digital currency without any central regulatory authority. Cryptocurrency is now becoming a choice
for criminal activities due to its non-regulatory nature.
Casino In this method, individuals use the money to buy chips in a casino and play for a very small time and then
convert chips into cash again with receipts to show that money is earned from gambling.
Salary in cash Some companies or businesses may hire many unregistered employees and then pay them in cash so
that dirty money can be diverted for making payments without being noticed by law enforcement
agencies.
Effects of Money Laundering
Economic effects Financial Risks: Major scandals like Harshad Mehta stock scam reveal vulnerability of banks to money
laundering. Led to $18 billion loss at BCCI in 1991.
Revenue Loss: Money laundering in India estimated to be around 2-3% of GDP as per IMF. Results in
tax evasion, capital flight.
Investment Climate: Perceived money laundering havens like Cyprus, Seychelles etc ranked low on
Corruption Perception Index. Discourages ethical FDI.
Inflation: 1993 securities scam channelled crores of slush funds into real estate, causing artificial hike in
asset prices.

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Social effects Income Inequality: Illicit fund flows worsen the rich-poor divide. Top 1% own 58% of India’s wealth as
per Oxfam.
Health Hazards: Drug trade linked money laundering fuels substance abuse. Around 2.8% Indians use
opioids as per UN.
Human Trafficking: Illegal hawala networks facilitate trafficking of women, children for forced labor, sex
work etc.
Terrorism: Fake NGOs, shell firms used to channel funds to groups like LeT, JeM. Over 800 people died
in terror incidents in J&K since 2016.
Political effects Lobbying Power: Entry of laundered money into politics through electoral bonds, opaque funding of MPs
flagged by civil society.
Governance: Panama, Paradise and Pandora Papers exposed politicians worldwide holding offshore
assets anonymously. Raises accountability issues.
Reputational Damage: Watchdog agencies like FATF can blacklist countries with lax AML efforts like
Pakistan which was grey listed 3 times since 2008.
Security effects Maoist Insurgency: Extortion, poppy cultivation racket funds Maoist activities. Over 90 districts affected.
Arms Smuggling: Money laundering enables arms deals between insurgents, foreign groups like the
Arakan Army as flagged by the UN.
Cybercrimes: Growth of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin valued at $1 trillion worldwide enable new online
money laundering techniques.
Other challenges associated with tackling Money Laundering
 Multiple agencies: like the enforcement directorate, financial intelligence unit, CBI, and cybercrime department and the lack
of coordination among them provide space to money launderers for escape.
 International constraint: support of the tax haven countries Panama, and Mauritius which support money laundering make it
difficult for others to take appropriate action against money laundering.
 Different jurisdictions: Jurisdictional issues can arise when trying to investigate and prosecute money laundering cases that
involve multiple countries.
 Financial confidentiality: Clause of confidentiality in tax haven countries and their unwillingness to share the data of
suspicious accounts make it difficult for enforcement agencies to take appropriate action.
 Emerging technology: Emerging technology like digital currency, electronic fund transfer for money laundering and its global
nature makes it very challenging to track money launderers.
 Cryptocurrencies provide anonymity to users, making it difficult to trace the origin and destination of funds.
 Co-ordinated Money laundering
 Compliance failure: Failure of financial institutions to follow the KYC norms makes it difficult to identify the sources of money.
 Cash-based transactions, Informal Transactions
 Lack of awareness: criminal nexus behind money laundering hence it increases the volume of money laundering which
again makes it difficult to trace.
 Lack of Resources and Capacity Building In Relevant Institutions:
 Expanding the volume of data: With increasing financial literacy and the network of financial institutions they are loaded with
a lot of data.
 Terrorism and money laundering have a complex and interconnected relationship. Terrorist organisations require funding to
operate and carry out attacks, and money laundering is one of the key ways in which they can obtain and move their funds
without detection.
Framework for Prevention of Money Laundering
Legal framework
Prevention of Money It is a comprehensive and dedicated law against money laundering in India. Recent
Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) amendments have further empowered the act by widening the definition of proceeds of crime
and providing authority to the Enforcement Directorate to arrest the accused without a warrant
under certain
conditions.
Foreign Exchange Act provides management of foreign exchange with provisions like exchange through
Management Act 1999 (FEMA) authorised persons like authorised dealers or money changers so that manipulation of money
can be prevented.

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Benami Transaction This act is to curb fraudulent transition by the name of the fake owner and with faulty sources
Prohibition Act 1988 – of money.
Amendment
Smugglers and Foreign The act provided for the forfeiture of illegally earned properties of smugglers and foreign
Exchange Manipulators Act, exchange manipulators.
1985
Institutional framework
Enforcement Directorate (ED) ED has the responsibility for the investigation of crime related to the Prevention of
money laundering act.
Finance Intelligence Unit (FIU) It is established for analysing and processing information related to suspected financial
transactions.
International Cooperation
Financial Action Task Force established for effective coordination, implementation and regulation of law related to money
(FATF) laundering and terror financing. FATF has provided recommendations for the effective
implementation of the money laundering act.
Vienna Convention It is the first international instrument adopted in 1988 to address the issue of the
proceeds of crime and requires the state to establish money laundering from drug trafficking
as a criminal offence.
Basel Committee of Banking Basel Committee on banking regulation issued guidelines for sound management of risk
Regulation related to anti-money laundering and combating finance for terrorism. It also established the
principle related to information exchange and cooperation.
UN Global Programme against It is a global programme providing in-depth assistance to countries to build and strengthen
Money Laundering their anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism capacity.
Asia-Pacific Group on Money focused on ensuring that its members effectively implement the international standards against
Laundering money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing related to weapons of mass
destruction.
Other measures
 National Cooperation and coordination
 Confiscation and provisional measures
 Criminalising Terrorist financing
 Targeted Financial sanctions
 Scrutiny of NGOs
 Prohibit from anonymous accounts
 Keeping Necessary Records
 Correspondent Banking
 Monitoring High-risk Countries
 Reporting every suspicious transaction
 Empowering law enforcement agencies

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FATF recommendations on money laundering – 40 recommendations

Black Money
Definition  The Paper defines black money as: ‘assets or resources that have neither been reported to the public
authorities at the time of their generation nor disclosed at any point of time during their possession’.
 Black money can be generated through Illegal activities like crime, drug trade, terrorism and
corruption or Failing to pay dues to the public exchequer in one form or another.
White Paper on  High vulnerable sections: Land and real estate, bullion and jewelry, financial markets, public
Black Money procurement, the non-profit sector, informal sector and cash economy.
Strategy to tackle  Institutions: the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the
black money Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
 The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the
High Level Committee (HLC) act as coordinating agencies.
 Other strategies
o Reducing disincentives against voluntary compliance\
o Reforms in sectors vulnerable to generation of black money
o Creation of effective credible deterrence
o Supportive measures

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Way forward – 2012 Chapter 1: Black money refers to income or assets that have not been reported to authorities. It
White paper on black Introduction can be generated from legal activities like tax evasion or illegal activities like crime
money and corruption.
Complexities in tackling black money issues
1) Social acceptance of tax evasion which results in under-reporting of activities and
income.
2) High tax rates and complex regulations which provide incentives for non-
compliance.
3) Lack of effective deterrence and weak enforcement by authorities.
4) Differences in perceived interests of taxpayers and tax authorities.
Chapter 2: There is no consensus on estimation of black money due to lack of uniform
Black Money definition, methodology and assumptions. Estimates from 1975-2012 have ranged
and its from 6.5% to 100% of GDP, highlighting wide variations.
Estimation The NIPFP report estimated black income at 15-21% of GDP for 1983-84. India’s
"shadow economy" was estimated at 20-23% of GDP as against 31-34% global
average in 2007.
Chapter 3: CBDT handles direct tax administration, investigations and exchange of information.
Institutions ED administers PMLA and regulates foreign exchange transactions.
to Deal with FIU collects and analyses financial information to detect money laundering.
Black Money DRI and DGCEI monitor customs and excise duty evasion.
CEIB acts as the think tank and coordinates different agencies.
Agencies like NCB, SFIO, RBI, SEBI also play roles to detect and prevent black
money generation and use.
Chapter 4: India has joined global efforts against black money through G20, Global Forum, UN
Tackling the conventions, FATF etc.
Menace of Important legislative changes have been introduced like GAAR, PMLA, Benami Bill,
Black Lokpal Bill etc.
Money: The New institutions like DCI and ITOUs have been set up to deal with illicit money.
Framework Technology tools are being used for data analysis, targeted actions and exchange of
information.
Chapter 5: A multi-pronged strategy involving reducing tax rates and compliance costs,
The Way reforms in real estate, bullion and non-profit sectors, creation of effective deterrence
Forward and support measures is recommended.
Strict action against activities generating black money like crime, corruption and
illegal trade is needed.
Efforts to recover illicit wealth abroad through DTAAs/TIEAs, treaties on
administrative assistance and global consensus. Countries like Swiss and France
have shared information under DTAAs resulting in detection of undisclosed income of
Rs.565 crore and tax of Rs.181 crore.
India to be bound by confidentiality provisions of DTAAs/TIEAs regarding
information received from foreign countries but can publish names after completion of
assessment proceedings.
Special Investigation  No cash transaction above Rs 3 lakh (Implemented)
Team (SIT) on black  Banks should deem cash withdrawal of more than Rs 3 lakh as suspicious activity
money  Limitation on cash-holding – Holding above 10-15 lakh needs permission on Commissioner of
recommendations Income Tax
on black money  Reporting income above Rs 3 lakh by all banks
(2017)  Amend the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015
 Inform Commissioner of Income Tax before investing any amount or purchasing any property
outside the country

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Must read editorials
Timely caution: On the Supreme Court’s exhortation to the Enforcement Directorate, TH, 18th May, 2023

Issues Solutions
ED is accused of intimidating Excise Department employees in Supreme Court needs to oversee the operations of the ED to
Chhattisgarh during a money-laundering investigation. ensure fair and balanced treatment during investigations.
Accusations of the ED being used as a political tool against Formation of an independent oversight committee to monitor the
opponents of the current regime, with several leaders and ED’s investigations and prevent political bias.
Ministers from non-BJP states summoned or imprisoned.
The current Director of Enforcement received multiple term Change in law to prevent indefinite term extensions, assuring
extensions, starting from a two-year term in 2018 to continuing fixed term duration for the Director of Enforcement.
beyond 2023.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act is allegedly being Clear guidelines on the application of the Prevention of Money
used for political witch hunts, with a long list of offences Laundering Act, ensuring it’s invoked only for specific payoffs
attracting ED investigations. and verified money trails.
Despite government’s reassurances that the ED is only doing Enhanced transparency measures in the appointment and
its duty, there is a prevailing negative perception due to the operation of the ED’s leadership to build public trust.
government’s control over the agency’s leadership.
Global Minimum Corporate Tax - Analysis
Why GMCT? Challenges in implementation
Preventing Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS): GMCT Implementation: Coordinating and ensuring compliance from
aims to address the issues of tax avoidance and evasion by all countries is a significant challenge. The success of the
multinational corporations. It ensures that profits are taxed GMCT will depend upon the extent to which countries adhere to
where economic activities occur and value is created. and implement the agreed tax rate.
Fair Tax Competition: GMCT provides a level playing field for Sovereignty Issues: Some countries may resist the GMCT as
all countries and prevents harmful tax competition between it impinges on their tax sovereignty. Nations traditionally have
countries. It restricts large multinational corporations from the right to set their own tax policies, and a GMCT might be
exploiting gaps and mismatches in tax rules. seen as infringing upon this right.
Revenue Generation: It is expected to generate significant Rate Setting: Determining the appropriate rate for a GMCT is
revenue, particularly for low-income countries. This revenue can contentious. If set too high, it could discourage business; if too
be used to finance public goods and services, reduce public low, it may not effectively curb tax avoidance.
debt and decrease reliance on indirect taxation.
Tax Certainty: GMCT will provide tax certainty to businesses Impact on Developing Countries: While the GMCT may
and governments, and will simplify international taxation rules. increase revenues for some low-income countries, others fear
they could lose out if they are currently attracting investment
with low corporate tax rates. The impact of GMCT on
developing nations will need careful analysis and consideration.
Must know terms
Hawala System An informal method of transferring money without any physical money actually moving.
Shell Companies Companies without active business operations or significant assets, often used for money laundering and tax
evasion.
Round-Tripping Money that leaves the country through various channels such as inflated invoices, hawala, and returns to the
country often as foreign investment.
Benami Transactions in which the real beneficiary is not the one in whose name the property is purchased.
Transactions
Tax Evasion The illegal non-payment or underpayment of tax.
Tax Havens A country that offers foreign individuals and businesses a minimum tax liability in a politically and
economically stable environment.

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Double Tax Tax treaties India has with various countries to relieve taxpayers from paying double taxes.
Avoidance
Agreement
(DTAA)
Base Erosion and A tax avoidance strategy used by multinational companies, where profits are shifted from jurisdictions that
Profit Shifting have high taxes to jurisdictions that have low taxes.
(BEPS)
Predicate Offence A crime that is a component of a more serious crime, for example, theft is a predicate offense to money
laundering.

7 CYBER SECURITY

Definition – Cyber "Cyber Security is the body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks,
security devices, programs, and data from attack, theft, damage, modification or unauthorized access."
Cyber crime Cybercrime refers to criminal conduct committed with the aid of a computer or other electronic
equipment connected to the internet.
Data related to  Cybercrime will cost companies worldwide an estimated $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from
cybersecurity $3 trillion in 2015. (Source: Cybersecurity Ventures)
 India is the third most breached country in the world. (Source: Surfshark)
 18 out of every 100 Indians had their personal contact details breached since 2004. (Source:
Surfshark)
 In the past 20 years (2002-2022), 17.3 billion accounts were leaked globally and a “striking 295
million of them belong to users from India”. (Source: Surfshark)
 Report by Government: 13.91 lakh cyber-attacks in Indian in first 6 months of 2022 -> 3,700
cyber-attacks a day (Source: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology)
 IBM report: Data breaches cost Indian businesses an average of Rs 20.7 crore in 2022 — a 30 per
cent jump over the average cost of data breaches in 2020. (Source: IBM)
 Top three primary initial attack vectors for data breach: Stolen or compromised credentials - Rs
257 million; phishing - Rs 237 million; accidental data loss or lost device - Rs 220 million. (Source:
IBM)
Global Cybersecurity  A reference that measures the commitment of
Index 2022 countries to cybersecurity at global level.
 India ranked 13th out of 193 countries, with a
score of 63.2. The United States ranked first,
with a score of 79.3.
 The most significant challenges to
cybersecurity are:
o The increasing sophistication of
cyberattacks
o The growing number of connected
devices
o The lack of cybersecurity skills

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Dimensions of cyber security

Cybercrime based on target

Denial of service  Making a machine/network inaccessible to its intended users.
attack (DOS)  E.g. 2020 Google Attack from Chinese ISPs
 E.g. 2020 Amazon Web Services DoS attack
 In August 2020 the number ofDDoS incidents in India hit a record high which were well in
excess of 10 billion (as per Radware)
Malware – Hostile or Virus Code that attaches itself to another piece of software -> When executed, reproduces
intrusive software itself and is spread in the network.
intended to harm E.g. In May 2017, the MCA21 system was subjected to WannaCry ransomware attack.
computer/network The attack was in the nature of a ‘zero-day attack’
Worm A program that replicates itself and destroys data and files on the computer.
Trojan A type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software.
E.g. Recently, Nuclear Power Corporation ofIndia Ltd. confirmed that malware named
‘Dtrack’ had infected its system at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.
Spyware Spy software -> Tracks internet activities
Adware For the purpose of displaying ads.
Logic bomb A string of malicious code inserted intentionally into a program to harm a network when certain
conditions are met. -> Explodes when triggered.
SQL injection Code injection technique used to attack data-driven applications, in which malicious SQL statements are
inserted into an entry field for execution.
Cybercrime based on source
Phishing To steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers.
The recipient is then tricked into clicking a malicious link, which can lead to the installation of malware,
the freezing of the system as part of a ransomware attack or the revealing of sensitive information.
E.g. Jamtara village in Jharkhand was notorious for cyber phishing.
Identity theft Stealing personal information.
Salami attack To commit financial crimes. -> Several minor attacks combine to form a powerful attack.
Key loggers Records everything you type on the computer
Web jacking Illegally seeking control of a website by taking over a domain.
Cross-site scripting Type of injection, in which malicious scripts are injected into otherwise benign and trusted websites.
Skimming Steals credit card information or payment card data from visitors to your online store.
Ransomware Locks the user out of their files or their device, then demands a payment to restore access.

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Cyber threats
Cyber espionage Cyber spying - a type of cyberattack in which an unauthorized user attempts to access sensitive or
classified data or intellectual property (IP).
E.g. Chinese hackers targeted Indian defence and private companies in September
2020. Tropic Trooper, a new spyware, was used by the organisation to steal sensitive data from
computers.
Cyber terrorism Politically motivated attack against information systems, programs and data that threatens violence or
results in violence.
E.g. Groups such as G-Force and Doctor Nuker have defaced or disrupted service to several major
entities in India such as the Zee TV Network, The Indian Institute of Science, and the Bhabha Atomic
Research Center.
Cyber warfare Use of cyber attacks against an enemy state, causing comparable harm to actual warfare and/or
disrupting vital computer systems.
E.g.
 China's cyberattack on Maharashtra power grid
 Red Echo & Shadow Pad: In November, the government was apprised of a malware threat in
segmentsof its power infrastructure malware that was last month linked to a Chinese state-
backed firm.
Cyber space to Cyber radicalisation
spread extremism e.g.- WhatsApp recently filed a lawsuit against Israel's NSO Group for cyber-attacks on the application
by infecting mobile devices with malicious software.

Cyber security framework in India

Legal framework
The Information It regulates use of computers, computer systems, computer networks and also data and information in
Technology electronic format.
(Amendment) Act, The Information Technology Act defines in a new section that a cybercafé is any facility from which
2008 access to the internet is offered by any person in the ordinary course of business to the members of the
public.
Section 66A issue:- Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, of 2000 made it a punishable
offence for any person to send offensive information using a computer or any other electronic device.
The provision also made it punishable for a person to send information that they believed to be false.
National It aims at secure computing environment, enabling adequate trust and confidence in electronic
Cybersecurity Policy transactions and guiding stakeholders’ actions forthe protection ofcyberspace.
2013
Personal Data It seeks to provide for protection of personal data ofindividuals, and establishes a Data Protection
Protection Bill, 2019 Authority for the same

Institutional framework
National Cyber To scan internet traffic and communication metadata coming into the country to detect real-time cyber
Coordination Centre threats.
(NCCC)

CERT-IN India's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN): is mandated under the IT Amendment Act,
2008 to serve as the national agency in charge of cyber security.
National Critical It functions as the nodal agency for coordination of all cyber security efforts, emergency responses, and
Information crisis management.
Infrastructure
Protection Centre
(NCIIPC)

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Other The CyberDome Project: The Kerala Police's innovative cybersecurity centre helps law enforcement
fight cybercrime. Capacity building, training, and research improve state cybersecurity.

Operational framework related to cyber security

Cyber Swachhta MeitY) launched the Cyber Swachchta Kendra–Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis
Kendra Centre for analysis of malware and botnets that affect networks and systems.

International framework
Ground Zero Summit It is the largest collaborative platform in Asia for cyber security experts and researchers to address
emerging cyber security challenges and demonstrate cutting-edge technologies.
International  Budapest Convention: Only this multilateral cyber security treaty addresses Internet and
conventions computer crime. It aims to harmonise national laws, improve investigative authorities, and boost
international cooperation.
 Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE): An international platform for governments, the
private sector, and civil society to share knowledge and best practices in cybersecurity.
 World Economic Forum Cyber Risk Framework
o Recognition of interdependence: All parties have a shared interest in fostering a
common, resilient digital ecosystem.
o Role of leadership: Encourage executive-level awareness and leadership of cyber risk
management.

Way forward
 Multinational frameworks: National governments should coordinate a coherent approach amongst themselves to
understand, detect and respond to hybrid warfare to their collective interests.
 Human resource: Immediate attention must be given to human resource development which would increase the number of
experts who can effectively manage the cyber security of the country.
 Research & Development: Investments should be made in R&D to develop more innovative technologies to address
increasing cyber security threats.
 PPP Model for Cybersecurity: The private sector is an important partner in providing critical information infrastructure (e.g.,
the telecom sector is mostly governed by private players), so the Public-Private Partnership model should be used.
 Policy and Governance: Implementing a strong policy is crucial. Clear duties and responsibilities help departments and
stakeholders work together.
 Awareness: A periodic awareness campaign by the government and big private organisations should be conducted to aware
people of cyber security threats.
 Foster collaboration and information-sharing: Collaboration and information-sharing among governments, businesses,
and other stakeholders can help to identify and respond to cyber threats more effectively.
 Implement strong policies and regulations: Digital data security and privacy require policies and regulations. Governments
should create cybersecurity laws and regulations.
 Emphasise risk management: Cybersecurity risk management requires identifying and prioritising risks, implementing
mitigation measures, and regularly assessing and monitoring their effectiveness.
 Invest in cybersecurity infrastructure: Governments and organisations should invest in robust cybersecurity infrastructure,
including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and anti-malware software.

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Data Protection Bill, 2022
 Scope of the bill: The bill applies to the processing of personal data by data fiduciaries, which are defined as organizations
or individuals that control or process personal data.
 Principles for processing personal data: The bill sets out a number of principles that data fiduciaries must follow when
processing personal data, including the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimization,
accuracy, storage limitation, integrity and confidentiality, and accountability.
 Rights of data principals: The bill grants data principals a number of rights, including the right to access their personal data,
the right to correct their personal data, the right to erasure, the right to restrict processing, the right to object to processing,
and the right to data portability.
 Data protection authorities: The bill establishes a Data Protection Authority (DPA) to be responsible for enforcing the
provisions of the bill. The DPA will have a number of powers, including the power to investigate complaints, the power to
impose penalties, and the power to issue directions.
 Penalties: The bill provides for a number of penalties for violations of its provisions, including fines of up to ₹5 crore
(US$650,000) or 2% of global turnover, whichever is higher.
B N Sri Krishna committee recommendations
 Establish an independent Data Protection Authority with powers to enforce data protection laws and impose fines.
 Businesses and government should obtain consent explicitly from individuals before collecting their personal data.
Consent needs to be free, informed and specific.
 Individuals should have the right to access, correct and delete their personal data held by businesses and government.
 Businesses collecting personal data must register with the Data Protection Authority and report data breaches within 6
hours.
 Critical personal data such as health records, financial data, biometric information etc. deserve a higher level of protection.
 Children's data requires special protection and parental consent is required to collect such data.
 Businesses must implement appropriate data security safeguards including encryption, anonymization etc.
 The committee recommended a balanced approach to data localization by requiring critical data to be stored within India,
while allowing free flow of non-critical data.
 It suggested establishing an appellate tribunal to hear appeals against orders of the Data Protection Authority.
 The committee also recommended data protection provisions relating to social media intermediaries and online profiling.
Quotes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
"Cyberspace is a new frontier, and it is a frontier that we must secure."
"Cyber-related risks are a global threat of bloodless war."
"Cyber-security is not just about protecting our computers and networks. It is also about protecting our way of life."
Must read editorials
‘India unable to fill 30% of cybersecurity jobs due to skill gap’: Report – TH, 21 June 2023
 Skill Gap Causing Unfilled Cybersecurity Jobs in India
o Demand for cybersecurity professionals far exceeds supply, leaving many jobs unfilled
o As of May 2023, India had 40,000 cybersecurity job openings
o 30% or 12,000 of these vacancies could not be filled due to skill shortage
 High Demand for Specific Cybersecurity Skills
o Data privacy, cloud security, AI security, network security in high demand
o Problem-solving, communication, teamwork also sought-after soft skills
o Top roles include IT auditor, security analyst, engineer, tester, forensic analyst
 Cyber Threats Increasing for Indian Businesses
o Digital adoption leading to more cyber vulnerability
o Over 2000 attacks per week in Q1 2023, 18% increase vs previous year
o Healthcare industry prime target, faced 7.7% of attacks
 Need for Proactive Measures Against Emerging Threats
o AI-based attacks, IoT vulnerabilities, metaverse threats on rise
o Businesses must take comprehensive approach to cybersecurity
o Staying vigilant and resilient key to securing digital landscape

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India’s cyber infrastructure needs more than patches – TH, 3 September 2022
Detailed Issues Solutions Data/Facts and Examples
Rapid increase in Improve legal and regulatory frameworks to Cases of cybercrime surged from 12,317 in 2016 to
cybercrime cases over effectively deter cybercrime. Increase 50,035 in 2020 according to the National Crime
the past five years. awareness about cybercrime among the Records Bureau (NCRB).
public.
Inconsistency in the Consistent application of the certification The Supreme Court case Arjun Pandit Rao Khotkar
admissibility of requirement under Section 65B(4) of the vs. Kailash Kushanrao Gorantyal & Ors established
electronic evidence in Indian Evidence Act for electronic the need for a certificate as a prerequisite for the
court cases. evidence. admissibility of electronic records.
Lack of adequate cyber Central and State governments should Despite the setup of the Indian Cybercrime
infrastructure to combat cooperate to build robust cyber Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of
cybercrime. infrastructure and uniform statutory Home Affairs, there is still a substantial deficit in
procedures for enforcement agencies. cyber infrastructure.
No separate procedural Develop a procedural code dedicated to Current guidelines from the Indian Standard
code for the the investigation of cyber-related crimes to IS/ISO/IEC 27037: 2012 are not legally binding and
investigation of cyber or handle electronic evidence efficiently. need to be formalized into a codified procedural
computer-related code.
offences.
Lack of technically States should prioritize recruitment of Technical knowledge gaps led to issues in
skilled staff for the technical personnel who can handle the prominent cases such as the Tejpal case and the
investigation of complexities of cybercrime investigation. Aarushi murder case.
cybercrime.
State cyber forensic labs Update and upgrade cyber forensic labs to Crypto-related offences are currently under-reported
lag behind the handle emerging technologies like due to limited capacity to investigate them.
technological curve. blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Challenges with Implement data localization to allow for Despite having extradition treaties and
investigating quicker access to evidence for enforcement arrangements with 48 and 12 countries respectively,
cybercrimes with agencies. collecting evidence from foreign territories remains
elements outside India's slow and difficult.
jurisdiction.
Dependence on foreign Develop in-house capacity to identify and Currently, the Indian enforcement agencies rely on
agencies for reports on remove CSAM, holding intermediaries reports from the U.S.'s non-profit agency, the
Child Sexual Abuse accountable. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Material (CSAM). (NCMEC), for information on online CSAM.
Insufficient allocation of Both the Centre and States need to Former Special Director General of Police of
funds for development allocate more funding to develop required Chhattisgarh, R.K. Vij, emphasizes the necessity of
of cyber infrastructure. cyber infrastructure, including recruiting committing substantial funds for developing cyber
technical staff and upgrading cyber labs. infrastructure.
Must know terms
Firewall A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on
predetermined security rules.
Intrusion Detection A system that monitors networks for malicious activities or policy violations and reports these to a
System (IDS) management station.
Botnet A number of internet-connected devices, each of which is running one or more bots. Botnets can be
used to perform distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS), steal data, send spam, and allows the
attacker to access the device and its connection.
Zero-Day Exploit An attack that targets a software vulnerability for which no patch or fix has been publicly released.
Dark Web The parts of the internet not indexed by search engines, often associated with illicit activities.
Cyber Espionage The use of computer networks to gain illicit access to confidential information, typically that held by a
government or other organization.
Social Engineering Manipulating individuals into divulging confidential material or carrying out actions such as breaking
normal security procedures.

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Cyber Terrorism The use of Internet-based attacks in terrorist activities, including acts of deliberate, large-scale
disruption of computer networks.
Data Localisation The act of storing data on any device that is physically present within the borders of a specific country
where the data was generated.
Cyber Diplomacy The use of diplomatic tools to manage the cyber threat landscape, forge consensus on norms of state
behavior, promote confidence-building measures, and protect the open, interoperable, secure, and
reliable internet.
IoT (Internet of Things) The network of physical objects that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for
the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. The
interconnectivity poses unique security challenges.

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