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PIB Backgrounder

Securing the Nation

12 Years of India's Zero Tolerance Against Terror

Posted On: 19 JUN 2026 10:57AM by PIB Delhi

India’s comprehensive counter-terrorism transformation over the last 12 years reflects a firm
zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism. Strengthened legal frameworks, institutional
reforms, and intelligence integration have significantly enhanced inter-agency coordination
across central and state agencies. Focused actions against cross-border terrorism, dismantling
of terror financing networks, and modernization of police and security forces have reinforced
national security architecture. Expansion of cyber security capabilities has further
strengthened preparedness against emerging digital threats. These sustained efforts have
contributed to measurable improvements in internal security indicators, including reduced
terror incidents, lower casualties among civilians and security forces, and improved public
safety, development outcomes, and national resilience.

A Decade of Concrete Decisions and Actions

In the last twelve years, India has undertaken one of the most comprehensive transformations of
its national security architecture. The Government adopted a policy of zero tolerance against
terrorism. It moved beyond reactive responses and built a proactive, whole-of-government
approach. Networks financing terrorism were disrupted. Investigative agencies were
empowered. Border surveillance was strengthened. Coordination among security institutions
was enhanced. Diplomatic initiatives elevated India's voice in international forums and raised
the global cost of sponsoring terror.

Twelve years of sustained effort have produced a transformation that can be understood through
three interlocking outcomes. Vishwas is the restoration of public confidence through decisive
action. Vikas is the development of a robust legal and institutional security architecture. Jan-
Kalyan is the creation of a safer environment in which development, dignity, and ordinary life
can flourish.

These outcomes were not accidental. They were built through the willingness to act with
military precision when diplomacy reached its limits. They were built through landmark
legislative reforms that gave investigative agencies sharper tools and wider reach. They were

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built through technology-driven intelligence platforms that connected the country's security
apparatus in real time. India's counter-terrorism record over this period reflects a state that
moved decisively from managing terrorism to dismantling the conditions that sustain it.

None of this, however, came without a starting point. When the Government assumed office in
May 2014, it inherited a security environment shaped by decades of neglect, institutional gaps,
and unresolved conflicts across multiple theatres. Understanding what was inherited is essential
to appreciating what was built. The challenges the Government faced were not ordinary. They
were systemic, simultaneous, and severe.

The Challenge Landscape

India in 2014 stood at a crossroads. The internal security environment was deeply fractured
across multiple simultaneous theatres. The preceding decade (2004–2014) had recorded 7,217
terrorist incidents. Nearly 92,000 citizens had lost their lives over four decades to terrorism,
insurgency, and extremism combined. The challenge landscape demanded not incremental
reform, but systemic transformation.

Infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir has been a
persistent and escalating challenge. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) provides training,
arms, and financial support to designated terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba,
Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen. These terror groups are then used to destabilise
peace and stability of the nation. The 2008 Mumbai attacks which claimed 166 lives were
perpetrated by LeT operatives with active ISI support. Such terror incidents demonstrated
the catastrophic potential of state-sponsored terrorism, yet accountability remained elusive in
the absence of a credible deterrence doctrine.

Simultaneously, Kashmir separatism, sustained by cross-border support and local mobilisation

networks, posed a major challenge to peace and governance in the country. From 2010 to 2014,
an average of 2,654 organized stone-pelting incidents occurred every year. Over-ground worker
(OGW) networks provided active support to infiltrating militants. The political and
administrative framework of the erstwhile State, governed under Article 370, had created
structural conditions that complicated effective governance and security response.

Terror groups were also exploiting social media, encrypted communication platforms, the dark
web, and cryptocurrencies for propaganda, recruitment, financing, and operational coordination.
The global emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS) after 2014 introduced a new dimension to
India’s security concerns. The rise of online radicalisation and extremist propaganda created
risks of recruitment among Indian nationals and heightened the threat of self-radicalised, low-
intensity attacks targeting civilian spaces. This evolving threat landscape required security
agencies to develop new capabilities in counter-radicalisation, cyber monitoring, and
intelligence coordination.

By any measure, the security environment inherited in 2014 was extraordinarily challenging.
Thousands of terrorist incidents had occurred in the preceding decade; infiltration and terrorism
in Jammu and Kashmir remained unabated; insurgencies continued to claim lives; and the legal

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framework lacked critical provisions, including the ability to designate individuals as terrorists.
The magnitude of these challenges called for a fundamental overhaul of India’s security
doctrine, institutional capacities, and operational response mechanisms.

India’s Counter-Terror Policy: New Era of Zero Tolerance Against Terrorism

From the first day of assuming office, the Government pursued a single, unwavering principle
of zero tolerance against terrorism. The objective was not merely to respond to terror attacks but
to dismantle the complete supply chain of the terror ecosystem. Key measures include sustained
action against terrorists and support structures, crackdown on terror finance, preventive
operations, prevention of infiltration, strengthening the counter-insurgency grid, modernization
of security equipment, intensified CASO operations, real-time intelligence sharing, strategic
nakas, and day-and-night area domination to sustain peace and stability.

Over twelve years, this strategy took shape across four distinct pillars. The first pillar built
legislative empowerment through stronger anti-terror laws and far-reaching legal reforms. The
second pillar strengthened institutions, intelligence networks, and investigative capabilities.
The third pillar established a doctrine of decisive action against cross-border terrorism and
enhanced border management. The fourth pillar constructed a robust multilateral and
diplomatic counter-terror architecture, reinforcing India's standing in international
cooperation against terrorism.

These four pillars did not emerge fully formed. They were built incrementally, tested
operationally, and refined through experience. By 2026, twelve years of legislative reform,
institutional construction, operational doctrine, and diplomatic engagement had produced a body
of counter-terrorism practice substantial enough to be codified. That codification arrived in the
form of PRAHAAR: India's National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy.

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PRAHAAR does not supersede what was built over the preceding decade. Rather, it
consolidates, systematises, and gives formal doctrinal expression to the principles and practices
that twelve years of governance had established. It integrates prevention, swift response, whole-
of-government synergy, human rights-based processes, and international cooperation into a
unified national doctrine providing a formal articulation to everything the preceding twelve
years had demonstrated in practice.

The sections that follow examine each of the four pillars in detail. Together, they tell the story of
how India moved from a reactive security posture to a proactive, resilient, and doctrine-driven
counter-terrorism architecture.

Pillar 1: Legislative empowerment

Effective counter-terrorism requires a strong legal foundation. Since 2014, the Government has
undertaken major legislative reforms to strengthen investigation, prosecution, and deterrence against
terrorism. These measures have empowered security agencies, tightened anti-terror laws, disrupted
terror financing, and enhanced India's ability to combat evolving security threats.

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The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019

UAPA Amendment strengthened India’s anti-terror legal framework by expanding the powers of
the Central Government and investigative agencies. It is the most significant legislative reform
of this decade, passed by Parliament on 2 August 2019 and notified on 14 August 2019.

The amendment empowered the Central Government to designate individuals not merely
organisations as terrorists under the Act. The amendment also empowered officers of the
National Investigation Agency (NIA) of the rank of Inspector and above to investigate terrorism
cases. It also enabled the NIA Director-General to approve seizure or attachment of property
linked to terrorism. The Act expanded the jurisdiction of the NIA to investigate cases related to
human trafficking, counterfeit currency, cyberterrorism and offences committed outside India
affecting Indian interests.

Since the amendment came into force, the Government has designated over 57 individuals as
terrorists. These include Masood Azhar (JeM), Hafiz Saeed (LeT), Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi
(LeT), Dawood Ibrahim, and key Khalistani operatives including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
(Sikhs for Justice), Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Khalistan Tiger Force), and Wadhawa Singh Babbar
(Babbar Khalsa International).

National Investigation Agency Amendment Act, 2019

The NIA amendment act was amended to expand NIA's jurisdictional mandate. The agency is
now enabled to investigate terror-related offences committed outside India against Indian
interests. Its probing powers have been widened to include cyber terrorism; human trafficking
connected to explosive substances. The amendment also elevated the authority of the DG, NIA,
to directly approve property seizures and attachments in cases under investigation by the
agency.

Strengthening of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Provisions

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Successive amendments to the PMLA have provided the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with
sharper instruments to trace, freeze, and confiscate terror-linked assets; including hawala
channels in J&K, cryptocurrency-based financing by Khalistani networks, and extortion
proceeds routed through gangster networks aligned with proscribed organisations.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 - A New Era of Penal Law

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860. It came into
force on 1 July 2024. It is for the first time that terrorism and organised crime has also been
defined, and provisions for stringent punishment have been made under the new criminal laws.

The BNS defines a terrorist act as any act that threatens India’s sovereignty, unity, integrity,
security, or economic stability through means such as lethal violence, destruction of critical
infrastructure, kidnapping, or circulation of counterfeit currency. The law prescribes the death
penalty or life imprisonment where a terrorist act results in death. For other terrorist offences, it
provides for rigorous punishment ranging from a minimum of five years to life imprisonment.
The BNS also adopts a comprehensive approach by criminalising conspiracy, recruitment,
training, harbouring of terrorists (with limited exemptions), and possession of property or
proceeds derived from terrorist activities. These provisions significantly strengthen India’s legal
capacity to prevent, investigate, and prosecute terrorism and organised crime.

Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019

The Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019 strengthened India's response to terrorism, insurgency, and
organised crime by targeting illegal arms networks. The Act introduced stricter punishments for
illicit trafficking, illegal possession, manufacture, sale, and transfer of prohibited arms and
ammunition. It also imposed severe penalties for theft of weapons from security forces and for
involvement in organised crime syndicates. By addressing trans-border arms trafficking and
improving firearm traceability through digital licensing systems, the Act disrupted a critical
supply chain that sustains terrorist and insurgent activities across the country.

These legislative measures have equipped India's security and investigative agencies with
modern legal tools to address emerging security challenges. The reforms have strengthened
institutional capacity, improved inter-agency coordination, and enhanced the ability to respond
decisively to terrorism.

Pillar 2: Strengthening Institutions for New India

Strong institutions are the backbone of an effective national security framework. Over the last
twelve years, India has invested in modernising its investigative, intelligence, and law-
enforcement institutions to ensure faster detection, better coordination, and more effective
responses to evolving terrorist threats.

National Investigation Agency - Capacity Enhancement

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Established through the NIA Act, 2008 in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, the
National Investigation Agency (NIA) is India's premier counter-terrorism investigation agency.
It is mandated to investigate and prosecute offences affecting national security, including
terrorism, financing of terrorist activities, organised crime with terror linkages, cyber terrorism,
and other offences threatening India's sovereignty and integrity.

Since 2014, the Government has significantly strengthened the NIA's mandate, operational
capabilities, and institutional infrastructure. NIA's budget allocation grew from Rs. 91.32 crore
in 2014-15 to Rs. 394.66 crore in 2024-25. It is more than fourfold increase in a decade.

A nationwide network of Special NIA Courts has been established to expedite trials and
improve conviction rates. 47 in States and 6 in the UTs. The agency has expanded its footprint
through 21 branch offices across the country, supported by zonal offices in Jammu and
Guwahati. NIA registered 32 cases of terror financing after 2014, whereas before 2014, not a
single case was registered.

Capacity-building has been a major focus, with 108 in-house training programmes conducted
since 2019, benefiting 4,471 officers. The establishment of the National Terror Database
Fusion and Analysis Centre (NTDFAC) has enhanced data-driven investigations through

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advanced analytics, while closer coordination with the Directorate of Forensic Science Services
(DFSS) has strengthened scientific evidence collection and forensic examination.

Did you know: NIA has now emerged as a globally renowned investigative agency, with a
conviction rate of 92.70%. The highest among the anti-terror agencies worldwide.

Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and Intelligence Integration

The Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), functioning under the Intelligence Bureau (IB), serves as
India's apex platform for real-time intelligence sharing and coordination. It brings together 28
central and state agencies, including intelligence, security, defence, and law-enforcement
organisations, to facilitate seamless exchange of counter-terrorism and national security
information. Supporting the MAC are Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centres (SMACs) located
across States and Union Territories, which process local intelligence inputs and ensure
coordination with state police and other field agencies.

Over the last decade, India's intelligence fusion architecture has been significantly strengthened
through the expansion and modernization of the MAC-SMAC network. The system now
provides secure, real-time intelligence sharing with enhanced last-mile connectivity extending to
remote districts and operational units. Recently, the network underwent a major technological
upgrade backed by a capital investment of ₹500 crore. Enhanced hardware infrastructure, faster
network capabilities, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)-enabled
analytical tools have substantially improved the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of
intelligence assessment and threat detection. These advancements have strengthened inter-
agency coordination and enhanced India's ability to prevent and respond to emerging security
threats.

Did you know: The Ministry of Home Affairs established the Cyber Multi-Agency
Centre (CyMAC) on 22 January 2025 under the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC)
framework. CyMAC serves as a dedicated platform for real-time coordination and
intelligence sharing to address cybersecurity threats, cyber espionage, misuse of emerging
technologies, and other cyber risks affecting India's national security.

National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)

NATGRID is a secure intelligence-sharing platform that connects multiple government

databases, including immigration, banking, telecom, and travel records, with authorized security
and law-enforcement agencies. It enables real-time access to critical information, helping
agencies identify suspicious individuals, uncover terror networks, track financing trails, and
support faster, intelligence-led investigations. By integrating data from diverse sources,
NATGRID has become a key pillar of India's counter-terrorism and national security
architecture.
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Did You Know: As of March 2026, NATGRID connects 11 Central User Agencies, police forces
of all 28 States and 8 Union Territories, and 11 data-providing organisations through a secure
intelligence-sharing platform. It is also developing the Organized Crime Network Database
(OCND) to facilitate seamless information sharing between the NIA and State ATSs, while its
advanced analytics tool GANDIVA enables multi-source data collection and intelligence analysis
to support counter-terrorism and criminal investigations.

Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS)

CCTNS has been rolled out nationally, enabling inter-state sharing of criminal and terror suspect
data. It significantly reduces the information silos that had previously limited coordinated
responses across State boundaries. The revamped CCTNS 2.0 with AI-powered ecosystem that
connects all 17,798 police stations across India was launched in the year 2024.

Did You Know?

India is investing over ₹6,300 crore to modernise its police and security forces between 2021 and
2026, strengthening the country's counter-terrorism capabilities. Under the Assistance to States
for Modernisation of Police (ASUMP) scheme, ₹4,846 crore has been allocated to equip state
and UT police forces with modern weapons, surveillance technology, counter-IED equipment,
forensic infrastructure, and advanced communication systems. Simultaneously, Modernisation
Plan-IV (₹1,523 crore) is enhancing the operational readiness of Central Armed Police Forces
through advanced surveillance systems and protective gear. These investments improve threat
detection, intelligence-based operations, rapid response capabilities, and the ability to prevent and
neutralize terrorist activities.

The strengthening of institutions has transformed India's counter-terrorism architecture into a

more integrated, technology-driven, and intelligence-led system. Enhanced coordination,
advanced analytical capabilities, and modernised enforcement mechanisms have significantly
improved the nation's capacity to prevent, investigate, and respond to security threats.

Pillar 3: Operations against Cross-Border Terrorism — Shifts in Strategic Doctrine

For decades, India faced persistent cross-border terrorism sponsored and supported from across
its borders. Since 2014, the country has adopted a more assertive and deterrence-based security
doctrine, combining military precision, strategic signalling, and diplomatic measures to respond
to terrorist attacks and safeguard national security.

Surgical Strikes 2016

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The Surgical Strikes of 29 September 2016 marked a watershed moment in India's counter-
terrorism strategy. In response to the Uri terrorist attack and credible intelligence on terrorist
launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Army conducted precision strikes
targeting terrorists preparing to infiltrate into India. The operation demonstrated India's
willingness to take pre-emptive action against cross-border terrorism and established a new
doctrine of imposing costs on those supporting and facilitating terrorist activities. The strikes
signalled a clear shift from strategic restraint to a proactive and deterrence-based approach to
safeguarding national security.

Balakot Airstrike 2019

Following the Pulwama terrorist attack of 14 February 2019, India conducted a precision air
strike on 26 February 2019 against a major Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training facility in
Balakot, Pakistan. Based on credible intelligence regarding imminent terrorist attacks, the
operation targeted terrorist infrastructure and training camps while avoiding civilian casualties.
The Balakot Air Strike marked a significant evolution in India's counter-terrorism doctrine,
demonstrating its resolve to undertake pre-emptive action against terrorist threats and hold
perpetrators of cross-border terrorism accountable.

Operation Sindoor, 2025

In response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor on
7 May 2025. The operation targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied
Jammu and Kashmir. The operation demonstrated India's resolve to act against terrorist threats
at their source. Operation Sindoor reinforced India's policy of swift, precise, and proportionate
responses to cross-border terrorism.

These operations marked a fundamental shift in India's response to cross-border terrorism. They
established a clear principle that terrorist attacks would invite swift, calibrated, and
multidimensional consequences, strengthening deterrence and reinforcing India's commitment
to protecting its citizens and sovereignty.

Pillar 4: Multilateral and Diplomatic Counter-Terror Architecture

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Terrorism is a transnational threat that cannot be defeated through domestic action alone. Over
the last decade, India has combined strong diplomacy with multilateral engagement to build
global consensus against terrorism, disrupt terrorist funding networks, and strengthen
international cooperation for security and justice.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Action

FATF is the world's premier inter-governmental body for combating money laundering and
terrorist financing. Since becoming a member in 2010, India has actively used the FATF
platform to strengthen global action against terror financing and expose state-sponsored
terrorism.

India consistently highlighted Pakistan's deficiencies in preventing financial support to

terrorists, contributing to sustained international scrutiny of terrorist networks operating from its
territory. At the same time, India strengthened its domestic anti-money laundering and counter-
terror financing, emerging as a leading voice in global efforts to disrupt terrorist funding
networks. The Government has constituted a Combating Financing of Terrorism Cell (CFT Cell)
in the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an
inter-governmental international body dealing with anti-money laundering and CFT issues.

No Money for Terror Ministerial Conference

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The ‘No Money for Terror’ (NMFT) Ministerial Conference, launched in Paris in April 2018
and continued in Melbourne in November 2019, provided a key platform for strengthening
global cooperation against terror financing. At the Melbourne conference, India’s delegation, led
by the Minister of State, called for the early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism (CCIT) and advocated the impartial and non-politicized enforcement of
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards.

India hosted the 3rd Conference in New Delhi (18–19 November 2022). Government set out
India’s six-pillar counter-terror-financing strategy, strengthened legislation and monitoring,
intelligence-sharing, property confiscation, curbs on misuse of new technologies, and
international cooperation. It also highlighted the amended UAPA, a strengthened NIA, and
reoriented financial intelligence.

Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT)

India originally proposed the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at

the UN General Assembly in November 1996 and continues to call for its early adoption to
establish a universal legal framework against terrorism.

UN Security Council Designation of Pakistan Based terrorists

After over a decade of Chinese vetoes, India successfully secured the UN Security Council
designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist in May 2019. This was a landmark
diplomatic victory enabling international travel bans, asset freezes, and arms embargoes.

Tahawwur Rana Extradition (2025)

A major breakthrough was achieved when 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Hussain
Rana was extradited from the United States to India in April 2025, enabling the NIA to pursue
fresh investigation into the full conspiracy behind the attack.

Bilateral and Multilateral Counter-Terrorism Cooperation

India has fully functional Joint Working Groups on Counter-Terrorism (JWG-CT) with 27
countries and 5 multi-lateral forums (SCO, BIMSTEC, BRICS, European Union (EU), QUAD-
CTWG); and one Stand-Alone Dialogue with Tunisia.

Did You Know?

India deepened international counter-terror cooperation through dedicated Joint Working Groups
(JWGs) with key partners. In 2024, India held its 20th India–US JWG on Counter Terrorism in
Washington D.C. and its 16th India–UK JWG on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi. These
dialogues focused on terror funding, cross-border terrorism, online radicalisation, and emerging
technology-related security threats.

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Coordination With INTERPOL

BHARATPOL portal was launched on 7 January 2025. It connects the CBI (as INTERPOL's
National Central Bureau for India) with all law enforcement authorities in India on a single
platform, covering areas including transnational organised crime, narcotics trafficking, arms,
cybercrime, economic fraud, child pornography, and terrorism.

Did you Know?

The Delhi Declaration on Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist
Purposes was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council's Counter-Terrorism
Committee (CTC) on 29 October 2022, at its Special Meeting held in Mumbai and New Delhi,
under India's Chairmanship of the CTC.

The Declaration focused on three principal threat areas misuse of unmanned aerial systems
(drones), terrorist exploitation of information and communications technologies including
social media platforms and payment technologies, and terrorism financing through digital
channels.

It set out a framework of non-binding guiding principles to assist Member States in countering the
digital terrorism threat, and mandated the drafting of recommendations to address terrorist
exploitation of emerging technologies. The Declaration reaffirmed India's long-standing position
that terrorism in all its forms constitutes one of the gravest threats to international peace and
security.

India's diplomatic efforts have elevated counter-terrorism as a global priority and strengthened
international accountability for terrorist actors and their sponsors. Through sustained
engagement in multilateral forums and strategic partnerships, India has emerged as a leading
voice in shaping the global counter-terrorism agenda.

Outcomes of 12 Years of Reform – Increased Trust, Greater Security

With sustained multi-dimensional steps and continued holistic anti-terror measures, the central
government succeeded in bolstering the internal security environment and enhancing trust
(Vishwas) among the 140 crore Indians in last 12 years. The measures put in place from 2014
onwards have yielded measurable results across every theatre of conflict. The nation witnessed
fewer terror attacks and insurgent incidents, steep drops in civilian and security force casualties,
and renewed development momentum.

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Following the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a remarkable
improvement in security over the last decade. Terrorist incidents declined from 7,217 during
2004–2014 to 2,242 during 2014–2024. Moreover, terrorist-initiated incidents also dropped
sharply from 228 in 2018 to just 12 in 2025, reflecting the growing effectiveness of India's
counter-terrorism strategy and the restoration of peace and stability in the region.

Civilian casualties in terror-related incidents declined from 55 in 2018 to 28 in 2025. Security

force fatalities fell even more sharply, from 91 in 2018 to just 16 in 2025, a decline of over 82
per cent. The long-term trend is equally significant: while 1,060 security personnel lost their
lives between 2004 and 2014, the number declined to 542 between 2015 and 2025, reflecting the
growing effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations and force protection measures.
Stone-pelting incidents, which averaged around 2,654 annually between 2010 and 2014,
declined by over 87 per cent by 2020 and have remained near-zero since 2022. Improved
security conditions have enabled a revival of economic activity and public life across Jammu
and Kashmir. Reflecting this progress, 63 major development projects worth approximately
₹80,000 crore were approved, of which over ₹51,000 crore has been invested and 53 projects
have been fully completed.

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Public life in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a remarkable return to normalcy. The number
of organised strikes and shutdowns declined from 52 incidents in 2018 to zero from 2023
through April 2026. Improved stability has also supported employment generation, with over
41,000 government jobs created between 2019 till May’2026 and self-employment opportunities
extended to more than 9.81 lakh persons under Self-employment scheme in the last 4 years
alone.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 2.3 crore tourist arrivals in 2024, the highest ever in its
recorded history. This unprecedented influx of visitors reflects growing confidence in the
region's security environment and stands as one of the clearest indicators of peace, stability, and
normalisation on the ground.

Investment inflows into Jammu and Kashmir have accelerated markedly in recent years. While
the region attracted approximately ₹8,000 crore of investment over seven decades, it received
nearly ₹18,000 crore between 2016-17 and 2025-26 alone, reflecting growing investor
confidence and an improving business environment.

Reduction of Terrorist activity in Hinterland - Prevention Through Pre-emption

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Terrorist activity in India's hinterland has declined significantly over the last decade. A major
factor has been the shift from reactive response to proactive prevention.

Stronger intelligence networks have improved threat detection. Better inter-agency coordination
has enabled faster action. Technology-driven surveillance and targeted operations have helped
disrupt terror plots before execution. This preventive approach has strengthened security in
urban centres and reduced the risk of mass-casualty attacks.

The decade after the 2013 Hyderabad blasts witnessed the near-complete absence of major
urban terrorist attacks. This contrasts sharply with the previous decade, which saw the
Parliament attack, Mumbai train bombings, Hyderabad blasts, and the 26/11 attacks. Multiple
ISIS-inspired plots were foiled through timely action by the NIA and state intelligence agencies.
These operations demonstrated the growing effectiveness of India's intelligence-led counter-
terrorism architecture.

As a result, terrorist attacks in the hinterland remained at very low levels between 2014 and
2018, with only isolated incidents reported. The sustained decline reflects improved preventive
capabilities and stronger security coordination across the country.

Year Number of Terrorist Number of Number of Security

Attacks Civilians Killed Personnel Killed in
Action

2014 03 04 --

2015 01 03 04

2016 01 01 07

2017 -- -- --

2018 01 03 --

Through sustained reforms and a whole-of-government approach, India has significantly

strengthened internal security. Terror incidents, extremist violence, and casualties have declined
sharply. Enhanced institutional capacity has improved public safety, supported economic
development, and reinforced citizens' confidence in governance

Conclusion

Over the past twelve years, India has undertaken a comprehensive transformation of its counter-
terrorism architecture, guided by a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. The Government
has strengthened legal frameworks, modernised investigative institutions, and enhanced inter-
agency coordination to ensure timely detection and disruption of threats. Agencies such as the

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NIA, IB, and state police forces have been empowered with advanced technology, expanded
jurisdiction, and improved forensic and intelligence capabilities. Real-time data integration
platforms and upgraded communication systems have further improved operational efficiency.
At the same time, diplomatic and multilateral engagements have reinforced global cooperation
against financing of terror networks and cross-border threats. These sustained efforts have
significantly reduced terror incidents, improved internal security, and enhanced public
confidence. The approach reflects a shift from reactive response to proactive prevention,
ensuring that national security remains resilient, adaptive, and future-ready in the face of
evolving challenges across domestic and international security environments, continuously
strengthening resilience.

References
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[Link]
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