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GS Paper: GS3-23.Security Challenges and their Management in Border Areas – Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism.

  • Cross-border movement of insurgents is only one of the several security challenges facing the policing of the border in North-East India. Examine the various challenges currently emanating across the India-Myanmar border. Also, discuss the steps to counter the challenges.

    The instability following the 2021 Myanmar military coup has transformed 1,643 km India-Myanmar border into a ‘high-risk zone’

    Security Challenges Emanating Across the India-Myanmar Border

    Parallel government by insurgent groups. Eg- charging 1% to 2% “revolutionary tax” on legal infrastructure projects and “safe passage fees” from drug mafias

    Refugee Crisis & Demographic Shifts- Since the 2021 coup, over 95,000 refugees (primarily Chin and Sagaing residents) have entered Mizoram and Manipur.

    “The Golden Triangle” Spillover- Myanmar’s civil war has led to a surge in poppy cultivation. Profits are used to fund ethnic militias, creating a “narcotics-insurgency nexus.”

    Arms Smuggling- The border town of Moreh (Manipur) has become a primary transit hub for weaponry smuggled from China.

    With the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) losing control of nearly 86% of its territory, rebel groups like the Chin National Army (CNA) and PDFs operate freely in “ungoverned spaces”

    China’s deep investments in Myanmar (CMEC) creates threat to India’s “Chicken’s Neck” corridor

    Misuse of FMR- Although the government scraped it in 2024, enforcing the new “Regulated Border Pass System” remains a challenge due to local opposition.

    Overburdened security forces – The Assam Rifles is dual-tasked with border guarding and counter-insurgency.

    Steps Taken to Counter the Challenges

    Shift to “Security-First” border management strategy

    Abolition of FMR (visa-free travel up to 16 km) in 2024

    Push for the completion of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Project and the Trilateral Highway by 2027

    Operation Sunrise – Joint operation by Indian and Myanmar Army against insurgent groups

    Biometric Documentation of all refugees and border-crossers

    15 BSF battalions deployed to aid Assam Rifles.

    Steps Required to Counter the Challenges

    Strict Implementation of the New Pass System

    Federal coordination through North-East zonal council

    Accelerate the Smart Fencing System (SFS) using laser walls and sensors.

    Creation of strictly monitored 10 km “Buffer Zone” to curb spontaneous illegal crossings.

    Intelligence Fusion- Set up real-time data-sharing hubs to track the movement of “Golden Triangle” narcotics and arms shipments.

    Humanitarian Infrastructure- Build refugee camps near the border to prevent undocumented migrants from blending into local populations.

    Engage with local Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) in Myanmar that control the border to secure Indian infrastructure projects.

    Extend Vibrant Villages Programme to the eastern border for better infrastructure

    Upgrade Outposts (BOPs) with drones and satellite imagery for 24/7 surveillance of forested infiltration routes.

    “3C Strategy”of Containment, Cooperation and Connectivity is need to transform the region from a “conflict zone” to an “economic corridor.”

  • The banning of ‘Jamaat-e – islaami’ in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize the influence of OGWs.

    Recently, MHA has declared ‘Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir (JeI)’ as an ‘Unlawful Association’ under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

    Role played by OGWs

    Intelligence Gathering – provide real-time information on troop movement, patrol timings and security vulnerabilities.

    Logistical Support – arrange shelter, vehicles, food, medical aid and safe houses for militants to evade detection.

    Radicalisation and Recruitment through religious networks, student groups and social media.

    Terror Financing – raise funds locally, manage extortion, run front organisations and facilitate hawala transfers.

    Facilitating Arms Movement – OGWs act as couriers, store arms, and help smuggle weapons across borders or LoC. Eg- collecting drone-dropped arms.

    Information Warfare – They generate pro-terror content, circulate videos and organise protests to delegitimise the state.

    Maintaining Militant-Local Community Linkages- create public sympathy for militants, and organise funerals or protests to build support. Eg- funeral of Burhan Wani

    Measures to Neutralise the Influence of OGWs

    Intelligence and Policing Measures

    Integrated Intelligence Grid (IIG) – Real-time coordination between police, IB, NIA and security forces to identify OGW networks.

    Use of Technology for Profiling – AI-based monitoring of suspicious financial transactions, travel patterns and digital communication.

    Strengthening Local Police and Community Intelligence – Eg- Village Defence Groups in Rajouri-Poonch.

    Tightening Border Surveillance – Use of drones, sensors, and night-vision to check infiltration and OGW courier routes.

    Legal and Institutional Measures

    Action through UAPA & NIA Act – Freezing bank accounts and shutting down front organisations.

    Regulating NGOs, Religious Networks – Eg- FCRA audits of charity organisations

    Community and Preventive Measures

    De-radicalisation and Counselling of youth

    Heart and mind strategy – Eg- Operation Sadbhavana (Goodwill) of Indian Army

    Employment and Skill Development to mainstream youth. Eg- Udaan Scheme

    OGWs are the backbone of insurgency. A multi-layered approach is needed to break the support ecosystem of terrorism.

  • For effective border area management, discuss the steps required to be taken to deny local support to militants and also suggest ways to manage favourable perception among locals

    Border Management involves securing a nation’s frontiers against unauthorized movement of people and goods while facilitating legitimate trade and commerce.

    Steps to Deny Local Support to Militants

    Neutralizing Overground Workers to prevent “3L” support to terrorists- Logistics, Location (shelter), and Liaison (intelligence)

    Strengthening the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) to share real-time data between central and state forces to identify local sympathizers.

    Curbing Online Radicalization- Monitoring Telegram and social media pages used for indoctrination.

    Strict Enforcement of UAPA to create a high legal cost for aiding terrorists.

    Monitoring NGOs and Hawala channels that funnel foreign funds to border areas.

    Community Policing- Eg- Project Prahari in Assam.

    Counter-Propaganda- Using local radio and influencers to highlight the personal costs of supporting violence.

    Surrender & Rehabilitation Policy to mainstream misguided youth. Eg- 2024 Revised Surrender Policy in J&K.

    Ways to manage favourable perception among locals

    Army-led goodwill initiatives – Eg- Army Goodwill Schools under Operation Sadbhavana.

    Skill development, entrepreneurship push – Eg- Mission Youth and Himayat

    Social infrastructure development under Operation Sadbhavanaibrant Village program

    Connectivity initiatives for tourism promotion. Eg- Chenab Bridge, and running Vande Bharat trains

    De-radicalisation Centres – Counselling sessions for first-time offenders.

    Targeted Security Approach – Eg- Focus on OGWs and hybrid militants without mass crackdowns.

    Grassroots Democracy- Empowering PRIs to give locals a say in development.

    “Bharat Darshan” Tours- Sponsoring trips for border youth to major Indian cities to foster a sense of national integration.

    Building cooperation and trust ensures the population becomes the “First Line of Defence”

  • Analyse the complexity and intensity of terrorism, its causes, linkages and obnoxious nexus. Also, suggest measures required to be taken to eradicate the menace of terrorism

    As per Bruce Hoffman, “Terrorism is the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or the threat of violence in the pursuit of political change.”

    Complexity of Terrorism

    Absence of a universally accepted definition makes global consensus and coordination difficult.

    Multi-actor nature – Involves state-sponsored, non-state, proxy and lone-wolf actors

    Decentralised structure limits traceability. Eg- lone wolf attacks

    Transnational character – Funding, training, ideology and operations span across borders.

    Technological sophistication increases operational complexity. Eg- Use of encrypted communication, drones and digital finance.

    Intensity of Terrorism (Global Terrorism Index 2025)

    Over 8,000 terrorism-related deaths globally (2024)

    Islamic State (IS) expanded its operations to 22 countries

    Terrorist attacks jumped by 63% in the West

    India witnessed Pahalgam terrorist attack in 2025

    High psychological impact

    Causes of Terrorism

    Political Causes

    Political instability – Weak or exclusionary governance fuels extremism. Eg- in Syria

    Ideological radicalisation through identity and grievance politics. Eg- ISIS

    State repression – Eg- Militant recruitment in Kashmir exploiting allegations of rights abuses.

    Socio-Economic Causes

    Poverty and unemployment Create fertile ground for recruitment. Eg- in Palestine (Hamas)

    Inequality – Disparity between haves and have-nots fuels resentment.

    Regional underdevelopment and ‘Governance vaccum’- Eg- Insurgency in India’s Northeast

    Geopolitical Causes

    Proxy warfare and state sponsorship – Eg- Pakistan’s policy of bleeding India by thousand cuts

    Regional conflicts – Eg- Iran’s support “Axis of Resistance” including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis.

    Technological and Global Factors

    Online radicalisation – Eg- Use of Telegram and encrypted platforms by terror outfits.

    Ease of connectivity and funding – Eg- Hawala networks financing terror modules in India

    Linkages and Obnoxious Nexus

    Terrorism-Organised Crime Nexus – Eg- role of D-Company in 1993 Bombay blast

    Terrorism-Narco Nexus – Drug trade finances terror operations and insurgency.

    Terrorism-Religious Extremism Nexus for recruitment and legitimacy.

    Terrorism-Cyber Nexus – Use of social media and encrypted platforms for propaganda

    Terrorism-State and Non-State Actor Nexus. Eg- Pakistan’s support to LeT and JeM

    The zero tolerance against terrorism strategy needs 6-fold approach

    Robust counter-terror legal framework – Swift investigation, prosecution and conviction.

    Strengthening HUMINT (Human Intelligence) and TECHINT (Technological Intelligence).

    SMART Borders (Madhukar Gupta Committee)

    Raising cost of terrorism for Pakistan. Eg- Operation Sindoor

    Human-centric Counterinsurgency

    International Cooperation – Intelligence sharing, financial sanctions and diplomatic pressure on sponsors of terrorism. Eg- FATF Grey Listing

    Thus a holistic strategy is needed for ‘Terror free world’.

    Role of External State and Non-state Actors

  • What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security.

    11,098 km coastline, an Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2 million sq km, and over 95% of its trade by volume via sea, highlights the need for robust maritime security architecture

    Maritime Security Challenges in India

    The Indian ocean region is ‘New Hotbed’ of security threats – Fareed Zakaria

    Maritime Terrorism- Eg- the 26/11 Mumbai attacks

    Geopolitical Competition from China challenging India’s role as a “Net Security Provider.”

    “dual-use” ports like Hambantota (Sri Lanka) and Gwadar (Pakistan)

    Chinese spy ships in Indian Ocean (Tianwen I)

    Piracy and Armed Robbery-

    Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea

    Houthi disruptions in the Red Sea

    Transnational Organized Crime- The “Golden Crescent” and “Golden Triangle” routes converge in the IOR. (MHA)

    Human Trafficking- Illegal migration routes across the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

    Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing- Eg- Large foreign deep-sea trawlers encroaching on India’s.

    Offshore Asset Vulnerability- Eg- Mumbai High oil rigs and the Great Nicobar Project from state and non-state sabotage.

    Nuclearization of IOR due to AUKUS

    Rising sea levels and the increasing frequency of “Super Cyclones” threaten critical coastal infrastructure. Eg- naval bases and nuclear plants.

    IOR emerging as theater of great-power rivalry – Eg- US-UK base in Diego Garcia

    Initiatives to Improve Maritime Security

    Organisational Initiatives

    Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) for unified regulatory oversight for port and ship security

    National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) to improve coordination between the Navy, Coast Guard, and various ministries.

    Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) as a global hub for real-time information sharing on “White Shipping.”

    Three-Tiered Security Architecture- *

    Indian Navy- Deep-sea and International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

    Indian Coast Guard (ICG)- Intermediate waters and EEZ (up to 200 nm).

    Marine Police- Coastal waters (up to 12 nm).

    Technical Initiatives

    Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) Phase-II- Completion of a chain of 46 static radar stations and AIS (Automatic Identification System).

    Mandatory installation of NavIC-enabled Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) on all fishing vessels.

    Induction of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones for surveillance of sensitive chokepoints.

    Utilization of ISRO’s GSAT-7 series (Rukmini) for “dark vessel” tracking.

    Project 75I – for more indigenous scorpian class submarine

    Procedural Initiatives

    Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025- formally recognizes “No-War, No-Peace” as a distinct operational category, emphasizing readiness for grey-zone conflicts.

    MAHASAGAR (2025)- fostering security partnerships with IOR littoral states.

    Exercise Sea Vigil- to test the “SOPs” of over 15 different agencies.

    Issuance of biometric ID cards to over 300,000 fishermen.

    A proactive Maritime Domain Awareness is needed for resilient “Blue Economy” and “maritime surakshit Bharat”.

  • Discuss the types of organised crimes. Describe the linkages between terrorists and organised crime that exist at the national and transnational levels.

    As per UNODC, organized crime is a continuing criminal enterprise that rationally works to profit from illicit activities that are often in great public demand.

    Types of Organised Crime

    Drug Trafficking (Narco-Trade)- Eg- Recent high-volume seizures of “Meth” in the Arabian Sea via the Makran Coast route.

    Illicit Arms Smuggling- Eg- The use of “Payload Drones” in Punjab to transport pistols and grenades from across the border.

    Human Trafficking- Forced labor and sexual exploitation. Eg- syndicates trafficking Indians to Southeast Asian “Cyber-Slavery” hubs.

    Money Laundering- The process of “cleansing” criminal proceeds. Eg- Use of Layering techniques via Shell companies and Virtual Digital Assets (Crypto).

    Cybercrime (Crime-as-a-Service)- Eg- The 2024 surge in “Digital Arrest” scams operated by transnational gangs.

    FICN (Counterfeiting)- Smuggling Fake Indian Currency Notes to trigger monetary instability.

    Contract Killings & Extortion- Use of violence to “tax” businesses. Eg- Bishnoi gang

    Environmental Crime- Eg- Illegal Red Sandalwood trade in the Seshachalam forests.

    National Level Linkages (Operational & Tactical)

    Infrastructure Sharing- Terrorists use established criminal “rat-lines” for the clandestine movement of personnel. Eg- use of drug networks for terrorist infiltration in J&K

    Logistics support – Eg- D-Company’s role in 1993 Bombay Blasts

    Resource Appropriation- Terror groups adopt criminal tactics like “Tiger Kidnapping” (kidnapping for ransom) to create immediate liquidity.

    Corruption of Local Governance- Both groups collaborate to “buy” local administrative silence, creating pockets of lawlessness.

    Transnational Level Linkages (Strategic & Financial)

    Narco-Terrorism- Terrorist groups taxing or controlling drug trade routes to finance global jihad. Eg- The Taliban using opium revenue from Afghanistan to fund operations.

    Global Hawala Networks- Terror funding is moved across borders using the same illegal financial networks established by crime syndicates.

    The “Black Hole” Effect- In “gray zones,” criminal and terror groups merge into a single entity. Eg- ISIS-K using illegal mining of talc to fund global operations.

    Specialized Alliances- Terrorists outsource technical needs to professional transnational syndicates. Eg- use Dark Net markets by LeT to receive “anonymous” donations.

    Transnational crime acts as a tool of “Grey Zone Warfare” by hostile neighbors to destabilize the economy via drug-pushing.

    Diversion of humanitarian aid in conflict zones (Sahel, Middle East) into the hands of organized terror groups via criminal intermediaries. (FATF report)

    The Crime-Terror nexus creates Black Hole of instability. Addressing this requires Whole-of-Government approach.

    Cyber Security

  • The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by our adversaries across the borders to ferry arms / ammunitions, drugs, etc., is a serious threat to internal security. Comment on the measures being taken to tackle this threat.

    UAVs have emerged as “aerial dimension” of asymmetric warfare along Indian Maritime and Land Borders.

    Threat of UAVs to Internal Security

    Narco-Terror Financing- Drones ferry heroin and “ICE” to fund cross-border insurgencies.

    Small Arms Proliferation- Quadcopters drop Turkish-made pistols and grenades for sleeper cells.

    Explosive-laden drones target high-value military assets. Eg- 2021 Jammu Air Force Station attack

    Radicalization via Propaganda- Drops of subversive literature and inflammatory digital devices in border districts. Eg- Materials recovered in J&K (2025).

    Intelligence and Reconnaissance- map border outposts, fence gaps, and troop movement

    Swarm Overload Tactics- Deploying multiple UAVs to saturate and confuse conventional radar systems. Eg- “Operation Sindoor” .

    Smugglers use “dark vessels” (drones with lights/transponders off) that switch frequencies to evade standard radio-frequency (RF) scanners.

    Small DJI-type drones fly below 100 feet at night, exploiting the “radar gap” where traditional air defense is ineffective.

    Measures Taken to Tackle the Threat

    Mission Sudarshan Chakra – AI-driven air-defense shield for major cities and critical border belts.

    Drone Rules, 2021 – For regulating civilian drone rules. Eg- strict import norms

    Indrajaal – AI-powered Anti-Drone Patrol Vehicle t0 detect and neutralize drones within 10 km.

    Anti-Drone Grid (ARDS) along the Punjab border featuring “Soft Kill” (jammers/spoofers) and “Hard Kill” (lasers/kinetic interceptors).

    DRDO-developed D-4 systems and Bhargavastra – use lasers to destroy targets within 2 km.

    Integration of thermal imagers and radar into the CIBMS.

    Drone Forensics Centers to trace flight paths, launch points, and “Digital Signatures” of captured foreign UAVs.

    Indigenous “Kamikaze” “Zombee” Drones designed to crash into hostile drones mid-air.

    BSF and State Police have set up mobile checkpoints 5–10 km inside the border to intercept ground-level “receivers.”

    Community Rewards Scheme to report drone sounds (contributes to 40% of recoveries)

    Aatmanirbhar Defense Push- Funding startups via iDEX

    Baaj Akh (2025)- Punjab government’s anti-drone system as a second line of defense behind BSF

    Role of private sector

    Nagastra – Loitering munition (suicide drones)

    Bhargavastra – Counter drone system for swarm detection

    A comprehensive National Security Doctrine covering anti-drone measures is needed to ensure “secure skies”

  • Winning of ‘Hearts and Minds’ in terrorism-affected areas is an essential step in restoring the trust of the population. Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir.

    The “Hearts and Minds” approach in counter-terrorism is a strategic doctrine that emphasizes building trust, and popular support within local populations to defeat terrorist movements.

    Importance of Hearts and Minds

    Prevention of Radicalization by deligitimising terrorism

    Community Intelligence Gathering

    Reducing Support for Terrorist Activities

    Enhanced Legitimacy of the State – state as ‘development partner’ rather than ‘occupying force’

    Long-Term Stability and Peace as ‘residual anger’ is addressed

    Measures adopted by the Government

    National integration through abrogation of Article 370

    Operation Sadbhavana – Army-led goodwill initiatives focusing on education, healthcare and youth engagement.

    Civic Action Programme (CAP) – Police and CAPFs hold public meetings, sports events and grievance redress camps. Eg- Jan Sampark melas

    Skill development, entrepreneurship push – Eg- Mission Youth and Himayat

    Social infrastructure development – Eg- IIT and AIIMS in jammu

    Connectivity initiatives for tourism promotion. Eg- Chenab Bridge, and running Vande Bharat trains

    De-radicalisation Centres – Counselling sessions for first-time offenders.

    Surrender and Rehabilitation policy for former militants through financial assistance, education and job support.

    Targeted Security Approach – Eg- Focus on OGWs and hybrid militants without mass crackdowns.

    Community Policing – Eg- Village Defence Groups in Rajouri-Poonch.

    For long-term peace and stability in the region 4-pronged stategy is needed

    Strengthening HUMINT (Human Intelligence) and TECHINT (Technological Intelligence).

    SMART Boders (Madhukar Gupta Committee)

    Raising cost of terrorism for Pakistan. Eg- Operation Sindoor

    Human-centric Counterinsurgency

  • Give out the major sources of terror funding in India and the efforts being made to curtail these sources. In the light of this, also discuss the aim and objective of the ‘No Money for Terror (NMFT)’ Conference recently held at New Delhi in November 2022.

    Funding is the lifeblood of terrorism. The “No Money for Terror” conference was started in 2018 by the French government, to enhance cooperation between countries to choke terror funding.

    As per FATF Report‘Comprehensive Update on Terrorist Financing Risks’, the major sources of terror funding include

    Traditional Methods

    Hawala Networks – Informal money transfers bypassing banks.

    State-Sponsored Funding – Eg- Pakistan’s ISI financing LeT and JeM operations in India.

    Narco-Terrorism – Eg- Heroin smuggling via Punjab linked to terror networks.

    Counterfeit Indian Currency (FICN) – Fake currency to fund operations and destabilise economy.

    Extortion and Illegal Levies – Eg- Maoist levies on mining contractors in Chhattisgarh.

    Charities and NGO Fronts – Eg- PFI-linked organisations routing funds for radicalisation.

    Organised Crime Nexus – Eg- Arms and timber smuggling in Northeast India.

    Emerging Methods

    Social media – used to promote donation campaigns and share payment instructions, including wallet addresses.

    Cryptocurrencies and Virtual Assets – Eg- Bitcoin wallets.

    Encrypted Payment Apps and E-Wallets – Eg- PayPal

    Dark Web Transactions – Anonymous marketplaces for funds, weapons and logistics.

    Gaming Platforms – Eg- EoRMT organisations, Hezbollah, creating and selling their own video games

    Microfinancing models utilized by lone actors – through small, legitimate sources of income.

    Efforts made to curtail these sources

    India has declared zero tolerance towards terror financing and money laundering

    Legal measures – Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are used to designate individuals and seize funds linked to terrorism.

    Institutional measures – National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigate terror funding, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) pursues money-laundering cases.

    The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) tracks and analyses suspicious financial transactions and shares data with law-enforcement.

    Specialised units such as the Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell focus on disrupting terror finance links.

    India collaborates with bodies like Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Egmont Group to share intelligence and align standards against terror financing.

    Monitoring of NGOs for FCRA compliance. Eg- Ban on NGOs linked to Zakir Naik

    Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) 2025 – bans all real-money online gaming (RMG), including games of skill

    National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), has been created as an IT platform to assist the intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

    Aim and Objective of the ‘No Money for Terror (NMFT)’ Conference

    Global Cooperation on Terror Financing

    Focus on Trends in Terror Funding – Deliberations focused on formal and informal channels, and the evolving methods of terror finance.

    Regulating and countering use of Emerging Technologies like cryptocurrencies and digital platforms for terror financing

    Mobilise resources to enable LDCs and developing countries to counter terror financing

    Enhance information sharing, harmonise legal measures, and bolster mutual assistance between countries to intercept and prosecute terror financing.

    India stressed a uniform and zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and its financing, rejecting distinctions between “good” and “bad” terrorism.

    NMFT 2022 built on earlier conferences (Paris 2018, Melbourne 2019) to maintain continuity and momentum in international action against terror finance.

    “Money is the oxygen of terrorism. Cut the oxygen, and you suffocate the threat.” – Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General

  • India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development being undertaken in these areas under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme.

    India’s borders with China (3,488 km) and Pakistan (3,323 km) are among the most militarized and volatile in world. It is marred by territorial disputes and a transition toward high-tech “hybrid warfare”

    Conflicting Issues and Security Challenges

    India-China Border (Line of Actual Control – LAC)

    Strategic Encirclement- CPEC passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is seen by India as a violation of sovereignty.

    High-Altitude Standoffs- heavy troop deployments post 2020 Galwan clash. Despite a disengagement agreement in October 2024, mutual distrust remains high.

    China’s rapid construction of “Xiaokang” (dual-use model villages) and airfields near the LAC puts tactical pressure on Indian defenses.

    India-Pakistan Border (International Border & Line of Control – LoC)

    State-Sponsored Terrorism- Continued support for militant groups like LeT and JeM.

    Unresolved status of Jammu & Kashmir and frequent ceasefire violations along the LoC

    Recent Military Escalation- Following the Pahalgam attack, India launched “Operation Sindoor”

    Drone-Based Narco-Terrorism in Punjab through Golden Crescent

    Role of OGW – generate pro-terror content, circulate videos and organise protests to delegitimise the state.

    Sir Creek Issue remains unresolved

    Development Initiatives- BADP and BIM Schemes (“Development-as-Defense” strategy)

    Border Area Development Programme (BADP)

    Centrally Sponsored Scheme to meet the special developmental needs of people living within 0–50 km of the International Border.

    “Model Villages” with socio-economic infrastructure

    Infrastructure Development- Eg- Construction of link roads, bridges, and PHCs

    Livelihood & Skill Development- vocational training in hospitality, agriculture, and handicrafts

    Convergence with the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP).

    Promotion of Border Tourism- Develops “Border Haats” and tourism circuits

    Digital Connectivity- Implementation of e-Chaupals and Wi-Fi hotspots

    Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme

    For the period 2021-22 to 2025-26 with an outlay of .

    Central Sector Scheme (100% funding by MHA) focused on “Hard Security Infrastructure” and technological modernization.

    Smart Fencing (CIBMS)- uses laser walls, thermal imagers, and unattended ground sensors to detect intrusions.

    All-weather Connectivity- Construction of strategic roads and tunnels by the Border Roads Organization (BRO). Eg- Sela Tunnel and Shinku La Tunnel.

    Frontier Highways- Eg- 1,800 km Highway in Arunachal Pradesh

    Creation of new Border Outposts (BOPs) and Company Operating Bases (COBs) with advanced “hard-kill” anti-drone systems.

    The integration of modern technology with civil-military cooperation is essential to create “Multi-layered Security Shield.”