NEW DELHI, February 23, 2026 : The Government of India on Monday unveiled its first comprehensive Counter-Terrorism Policy, titled “Prahaar”, marking a major strategic shift towards a zero-tolerance, intelligence-led and rule-of-law-based framework to prevent, disrupt and neutralise terrorism.
Released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the policy lays out a multi-layered national strategy aimed at denying terrorists, their financiers and support networks access to funds, weapons, technology and safe havens, both within India and abroad.
Seven Pillars of ‘Prahaar’
The policy is structured around seven key pillars:
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Prevention
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Effective Response
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Strengthening Internal Capacities
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Human Rights & Rule of Law
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Addressing Conditions Enabling Terrorism, including radicalisation
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International & Regional Cooperation
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Recovery and Resilience through a Whole-of-Society Approach
Zero Tolerance, No Religious Attribution
Acknowledging instability and ungoverned spaces in India’s neighbourhood, the policy notes that terrorism has at times been used as an instrument of state policy, without naming any country. It categorically states that India does not associate terrorism with any religion, ethnicity or nationality, reaffirming its principled stance of absolute and unconditional rejection of terror in all forms.
Threat Landscape
The document highlights that India continues to face threats from:
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Cross-border sponsored terrorism
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Jihadi terror outfits and their frontal organisations
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Global terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
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Sleeper cells, overground worker (OGW) networks and organised criminal syndicates
It also flags emerging threats, including:
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Use of drones for arms and narcotics delivery
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Dark web, encrypted platforms and crypto wallets
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Potential misuse of CBRNED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive and Digital) materials
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Cyber-attacks by state and non-state actors
Intelligence at the Core
Prahaar places primacy on intelligence gathering, real-time sharing and disruption. The Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI) in the Intelligence Bureau have been designated as nodal platforms for seamless coordination between central agencies and state police forces.
Special emphasis has been laid on:
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Terror-funding disruption through Indian legal frameworks
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Breaking the nexus between illegal arms syndicates and terror groups
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Proactive countering of online radicalisation, propaganda and recruitment
Coordinated Response & Legal Framework
Responding to terror incidents is described as a multi-agency exercise involving central, state and district authorities, guided by standard operating procedures issued by the MHA.
The policy underscores that:
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India’s counter-terror laws are firmly rooted in human rights and the Rule of Law
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Multiple levels of judicial redressal are available to the accused
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The legal regime will be periodically updated to address evolving threats
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Legal experts will be involved from FIR to prosecution to strengthen convictions
Addressing Root Causes & Global Cooperation
To prevent radicalisation, the policy stresses tackling poverty, unemployment and social vulnerabilities through welfare schemes. It also highlights:
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De-radicalisation and reintegration efforts involving doctors, psychologists, NGOs, community and religious leaders
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Strong bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including extradition, deportation and UN terror designations
Future-Ready Counter-Terror Strategy
Prahaar commits India to:
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Investing in advanced technology
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Partnering with private enterprises
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Countering the misuse of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
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Deepening regional and international cooperation to tackle transnational terrorism
The policy asserts that national resolve, institutional capacity and global collaboration together form the backbone of India’s long-term fight against terrorism.
