The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified national security guidelines barring renewable energy projects within 1 km of the international border. The measure sets the security interest of border zones against the rapid build out of clean energy capacity.
What do the new border guidelines mandate?
1 km ban: No solar, wind, or hybrid project is permitted within 1 km of the international border.
Clearance zone: Projects up to 50 km from the border need prior security clearance.
Which additional restrictions apply?
Foreign staffing: Personnel from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China face restrictions in these zones.
Land transfer: Curbs apply to land transfer near sensitive stretches.
Why is border area management the core concern?
Line of Control and LAC: The guidelines cover both the Line of Control (LoC) and the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Surveillance risk: Large installations near the border can aid hostile mapping or interference.
What is the trade off created?
Clean energy loss: High irradiance border districts lose out on renewable investment.
Execution friction: Layered clearances can slow project timelines.
“[2016, GS3, 12.5 marks] Border management is a complex task due to difficult terrain and hostile relations with some countries. Elucidate the challenges and strategies for effective border management.”
The Supreme Court passed an order on 4 August 2026 on the digital arrest scam. It directed banks, states and regulators toward faster action on mule accounts and cyber fraud. The scams persist because they are run largely from overseas hubs.
What is the digital arrest scam?
Definition: Fraudsters impersonate authorities and coerce victims into transferring money under threat of fake arrest. There is no legal basis or process called digital arrest.
Targets: Older victims fall prey through deference to authority and fear of legal trouble.
New targets: Scammers now also target youth and professionals, and senior citizens whom advisories have not reached.
Why are digital arrests keep happening?
Human Psychology & Social Engineering: Cybercriminals use social engineering tactics to manipulate people into revealing sensitive information. Fraudsters also exploit emotions like fear (threatening legal action), excitement (fake lottery wins), or urgency (fake emergency fund requests). Cybercriminals often impersonate trusted sources such as banks, government agencies, or even close friends.
Weak Cybersecurity Practices: Common weaknesses include weak password and credentials use, unpatched software and system and poor security hygiene.
Rapidly Evolving Cybercrime Techniques: Cybercriminals constantly evolve their methods to stay ahead of security measures.
Digital Payments & Financial Fraud Risks: With the rise of digital transactions, cybercriminals have developed sophisticated methods to exploit online payment systems like fake UPI requests & QR codes, card skimming & SIM swaps and crypto & investment scams.
Dark Web & Cybercrime Networks: The dark web serves as a marketplace for stolen data, malware tools, and illegal activities. Cybercrime has become an organized industry where criminals buy and sell stolen data and identity theft, organised cyber-crime syndicates and also offer Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) as well.
Lack of Strong Cyber Laws & Enforcement: Despite increasing cyber threats, many scams go unpunished due to slow law enforcements response, cross border crime challenges and lack of cyber crime awareness and policies.
What did the Supreme Court order?
Debit holds: It directed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to circulate a standard operating procedure for temporary debit holds on mule accounts.
State action: States must notify cybercrime coordination centres and operationalise electronic Zero FIRs.
Compensation: An inter departmental committee must examine a victim compensation framework.
Data cited: Complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal fell from 1,23,672 in 2024 to 16,377 in the first half of 2026.
Recovery: Money was restored in 36,290 cases involving Rs 18.05 crore.
What are the key terms in the response?
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C): the nodal body coordinating action against cyber fraud and running the reporting portal.
Mule account: a bank account used to receive and move fraud proceeds across states.
Zero FIR: a First Information Report that can be filed at any police station regardless of jurisdiction.
MuleHunter.AI: a detection system used in over 20 banks to flag mule accounts.
Why do these scams persist despite falling complaints?
Nimble methods: Fraudsters route calls through SIM boxes to mask origin and appear as Indian numbers.
Deepfakes: They deploy deepfakes on video calls to dupe victims and stay untraceable.
Few convictions: Convictions are rare as many schemes are run from overseas scam compounds.
Overseas hubs: Compounds operate in Myanmar, the wider Golden Triangle and Cambodia, some with official patronage.
Trafficking link: Indians are trafficked and coerced to run digital crimes against fellow citizens.
Conclusion
Detection systems and swift account freezes limit the damage even when perpetrators escape conviction. The core problem lies in overseas scam compounds beyond domestic law enforcement reach. New Delhi must use diplomatic pressure with China, the United States and ASEAN to compel host countries to act.
Back2Basics
Electronic-Zero FIR (e-zero FIR)
An e-Zero FIR is an automated digital system in India that converts high-value cyber financial fraud complaints (above ₹10 lakh) filed via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or the 1930 helpline directly into a Zero FIR. It eliminates jurisdictional delays during the critical “golden hour” for fund recovery
Key Features and Workflow
Automatic Registration: Eligible financial fraud reports trigger an instant e-Zero FIR without requiring an initial physical station visit.
System Integration: Combines the I4C portal, state e-FIR mechanisms, and the NCRB’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).
Auto-Routing: The system instantly routes the electronic document to the correct territorial cybercrime station based on the victim’s location.
Mandatory Follow-Up: Complainants must visit the designated local police station within three days to sign and convert the e-Zero FIR into a regular FIR under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2022] What are the different elements of cyber security? Keeping in view the challenges in cyber security, examine the extent to which India has successfully developed a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy.
Linkage: The PYQ tests India’s cyber security framework and response to cybercrime. The article highlights recent measures to strengthen India’s response to digital arrest scams and cyber fraud.
An analysis examines how crowd control weapons meant to be non lethal cause serious injury during protests. The tension is between the state’s duty to maintain order and its obligation to protect the right to protest safely.
What are less lethal weapons?
Non lethal intent:Less lethal weapons are meant to disperse crowds without killing, but can cause serious harm.
Common types: They include tear gas, pepper and PAVA spray, lathis, pellet guns, and shock batons.
Chemical agents: Tear gas is a riot control agent that irritates the eyes and respiratory tract.
Which are the types of less lethal weapons?
Tear Gas: A chemical riot-control agent that causes intense eye irritation, tearing, coughing, breathing difficulty, and temporary disorientation. Its main chemical compounds include CS Gas (2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile), CN Gas (Chloroacetophenone), OC Gas (Oleoresin Capsicum), CR Gas (Dibenzoxazepine) and Chloropicrin (PS).
Pepper Spray: An oleoresin capsicum (OC)-based spray that causes severe burning of the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract, leading to temporary incapacitation.
PAVA Spray: A synthetic pepper spray (Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide) that causes intense eye irritation and pain with a more controlled and consistent effect than natural pepper spray.
Lathi: A wooden or polycarbonate baton used by police for crowd control through physical force.
Pellet Guns: Firearms that discharge multiple small pellets to disperse crowds; they can cause serious injuries, particularly to the eyes. They are loaded with cartridges containing hundreds of small metal sub-projectiles.
Shock Batons (Stun Batons): Handheld electroshock devices that deliver a brief electric shock to temporarily immobilise a person through pain and muscle disruption.
Why do these weapons cause medical crises?
Misuse at range: Pellet guns fired at close range or at the head cause blinding injuries.
Enclosed spaces: Tear gas used in confined areas raises the risk of asphyxiation.
Vulnerable groups: Children and people with respiratory illness face higher harm.
What do international and domestic norms say?
Chemical Weapons Convention: Under the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons rules, the Chemical Weapons Convention bans tear gas in warfare while permitting it for domestic policing.
UN guidance: The United Nations Guidance on Less Lethal Weapons sets limits on their use.
Precedent: The 2016 pellet gun injuries in Jammu and Kashmir left many with permanent vision loss.
Conclusion
The weapons are lawful for policing yet routinely cause disproportionate harm in practice. The unresolved gap is enforceable standards on how and when they are deployed.
Back2Basics
The United Nations Guidance on Less Lethal Weapons
The United Nations Human Rights Guidance on the Use of Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement, released by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), provides international standards for the lawful design, testing, training, and deployment of less-lethal equipment to prevent unnecessary harm, abuse, and human rights violations during policing and assemblies.
Core Principles
Legality: Use must be strictly authorized by domestic and international law.
Necessity: Force is applied only when strictly necessary to achieve a legitimate law enforcement objective.
Proportionality: Harm caused must not outweigh the objective; excessive force is prohibited.
Accountability: States and agencies must track, record, and review every deployment of less-lethal systems.
Scope and Covered Equipment
Chemical Irritants: Regulations on tear gas and pepper spray deployment parameters.
Kinetic Impact Projectiles: Standards for rubber bullets and beanbag rounds to avoid lethal head or torso strikes.
Electric-Shock Weapons: Protocols for Tasers and other projectile stun systems.
Area-Effect Tools: Oversight on water cannons and acoustic disruption gear.
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2021] Though the Human Rights Commissions have contributed immensely to the protection of human rights in India, yet they have failed to assert themselves against the mighty and powerful. Analyzing their structural and practical limitations, suggest remedial measures.
Linkage: The PYQ examines India’s human rights protection framework and institutional accountability. The article highlights excessive use of less-lethal weapons and the need for stronger human rights safeguards and accountability.
A parliamentary panel warned a large social media company that its legal immunity could be withdrawn after a content takedown and content safety failures. The tension is between platform safe harbour and the state’s demand for accountability.
What is intermediary immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000?
Definition of intermediary: An intermediary is any person or entity that receives, stores, or transmits an electronic record on behalf of another person, or provides any service with respect to that record. It includes, Internet and telecom providers, Web-hosting and cloud service providers, Search engines, Online marketplaces and e-commerce websites, Social media and messaging platforms, Online payment and auction sites and Cyber cafes.
Safe harbour:Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 shields an intermediary from liability for third party content it hosts.
Conditions: This protection applies only if their function is limited to providing access to communication, and they do not initiate, select, or modify the content, and they comply with due diligence requirements (such as removing unlawful content upon receiving actual knowledge or a court order).
Intermediary test: The immunity depends on the platform qualifying as an intermediary rather than a content publisher.
What triggered the summons?
Video takedown: The platform briefly removed a video of the Prime Minister and later apologised.
Harmful content: The government flagged child sexual abuse material and deepfake content on its platforms.
Panel ultimatum: The Standing Committee on Information Technology sought testimony from the platform’s global head.
Why is the immunity in question?
Compliance failures: Officials argue the platform did not act on directives and grievances.
Definition dispute: Officials contended it may not fall within the intermediary definition.
Withdrawal threat: Loss of Section 79 cover would expose it to liability for user content.
Conclusion
The episode tests how far platform immunity survives repeated compliance failures. The next milestone is the platform’s response to the committee’s summons.
Back2Basics
Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology
It is a department-related parliamentary committee in India tasked with overseeing specific ministries, examining legislation, reviewing budget demands, and ensuring executive accountability. It was renamed from the Standing Committee on Information Technology in November 2021.
Structure and Composition
Total Members: 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha nominated by the Speaker and 10 from Rajya Sabha nominated by the Chairperson).
Leadership: The Chairperson is appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Tenure: The term of office for members does not exceed one year.
Ministers: Sitting ministers are barred from holding membership on this committee
Ministries under its Jurisdiction
Ministry of Communications (including the Department of Telecommunications and Department of Posts)
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)
Core Functions
Scrutinizing the annual Demands for Grants of the designated ministries.
Examining Bills referred to it by the Lok Sabha Speaker or Rajya Sabha Chairperson.
Considering national policy documents, performance reports, and long-term trends related to digital infrastructure, telecommunications, media regulations, and cyber security.
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2024] Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem.
Linkage: The PYQ examines the regulatory and legal measures to address the security and accountability challenges posed by social media platforms. The article highlights the limits of intermediary immunity under Section 79 and the need for greater platform accountability for harmful content.
The Supreme Court directed the Centre, States, and Union Territories to implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) within four weeks to curb digital arrest cyber fraud, including freezing mule accounts, strengthening grievance redressal, and improving cybercrime coordination.
What is a Digital Arrest Scam?
A cyber fraud where scammers impersonate police or enforcement agencies through video/audio calls.
Victims are falsely told they are under “digital arrest” and coerced into transferring money.
What is a Mule Account?
A bank account used to receive and transfer proceeds of cyber fraud.
Often opened by unsuspecting or paid individuals.
Banks can impose temporary debit holds to prevent fraudulent withdrawals.
What is the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)?
A nodal agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for coordinating India’s response to cybercrime.
Operates the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the 1930 Cyber Helpline.
Supreme Court Directions
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue SOPs for temporary debit holds on mule accounts.
States/UTs to operationalise:
State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres.
e-Zero FIR mechanism.
Strengthen grievance redressal, money restoration, and public awareness.
Challenges
Cross-border cybercrime networks.
Rapid movement of funds through mule accounts and cryptocurrencies.
Weak inter-agency coordination.
SIM spoofing and fake identities.
Low public awareness, especially among the elderly.
Value Addition
e-Zero FIR
Enables registration of a cybercrime complaint without jurisdictional barriers.
The complaint is later transferred to the appropriate police station.
Citizen Response to Financial Cyber Fraud
Call 1930 immediately.
Report the incident on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
Early reporting increases the chances of freezing fraudulent transactions.
Back2Basics: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
Parent Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Established: 2020.
Key Components:
National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
1930 Financial Cyber Fraud Helpline.
Mandate: Coordinate law enforcement, banks, telecom operators, and other stakeholders to prevent and investigate cybercrime.
“[2017] In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents? 1. Service providers 2. Data Centres 3. Body corporate (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyber threats have merged into a single, compounding security risk that traditional defences cannot contain. AI-powered malware now adapts on its own, autonomous agents undermine established protocols, and the newest models can find and exploit vulnerabilities faster than humans. The deeper conflict is that the technology capable of defending systems is the same technology enabling attacks, while the rules to govern it remain undeveloped.
What is Agentic AI?
Definition: Agentic AI refers to systems that act autonomously to pursue goals, taking sequential actions with minimal human prompting. It differs from Generative AI, which produces content in response to a user request.
Significance: Autonomous agents can perform complex tasks once reserved for people. As agentic operations grow more sophisticated, threat levels rise further.
Working
Perception: Gathers real-time data from tools, screens, or sensors.
Reasoning: Uses large models to break a big goal into small steps.
Action: Uses external software or APIs to complete the work.
Learning: Adapts its future choices based on past results
What is Zero Trust?
Definition:Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no user or device is trustworthy by default, verifying every access request continuously. It replaces the older assumption that anything inside a network is safe.
Erosion: Malicious autonomous agents are positioned to undermine Zero Trust protocols. This aggravates insider threat vectors within organisations.
How is AI transforming cyber threats?
Adaptive malware: AI-powered malware can adapt and evolve in response to its environment. This makes it harder for traditional anti-virus software to detect. Example: Self-Modifying Code: Rewrites internal structures or instructions continuously to change file fingerprints
Vulnerability discovery: The latest AI systems can detect zero-day vulnerabilities across major operating systems. A zero-day is a software flaw unknown to the vendor and unpatched at the time of attack.
Capability transfer: Newer AI machines let rogue groups demonstrate capabilities once limited to nation states. This lowers the barrier to sophisticated attacks.
Dual-use warning: The World Economic Forum warns AI will strengthen cyber defences while also enabling more sophisticated automated attacks. The same model can render current Zero Trust protocols ineffective.
How is AI reshaping warfare?
Precision targeting: AI-powered smart systems detect, track and predict missile trajectories with high accuracy. This was demonstrated in recent conflicts.
Autonomous munitions: Systems can independently identify and strike targets. This shifts elements of the kill decision away from human operators.
Multi-source intelligence: AI can fuse intelligence from photos, text, radio and electromagnetic signals. This denies adversaries a tactical advantage.
Cognitive core: Automated analytics platforms (such as Palantir Technologies or military software like Ukraine’s Delta) manage vast data inputs to recommend strikes and run logistics.
Drone accuracy: Software upgrades have pushed first-person view drone hit rates from roughly 30–50% up to 80%.
Where does the deeper tension lie?
Concentrated power: A handful of Western firms hold the most advanced models and behave as owners of future technology. Control over the mightiest technology is concentrating in a few private hands.
Governance vacuum: AI has the potential to become the dominant source of military and economic power. The rules to govern it remain in a fledgling state.
Escalating rivalry: The United States has accused China of stealing from its most advanced language model to build a rival. This reflects the intensity of the US-China technology competition.
What are the challenges to safe AI and cyber governance?
Hallucinations: Advanced models produce distortions and misleading outputs. Judgments built on them become unreliable and subjective.
Algorithmic bias: Biases creep into AI-driven decisions, including a bias towards national security framing. Unrestricted reliance on such outputs magnifies risk.
Algorithmic radicalisation: AI platforms can push opinion makers towards extreme views. Guarding against this requires active oversight.
Warning-understanding gap: In defence sensing, AI-dictated warnings can outrun proper understanding of reality. Acting on premature warnings carries strategic danger.
Loss of human control: Increasingly capable models and robots are replacing human roles in critical decisions. Keeping machines under human oversight is becoming harder.
Conclusion
The convergence of AI and cyber capability creates a civilisation-scale threat because the technology that defends systems is the same one that attacks them, and no adequate governance exists. The single most important precondition, human oversight backed by enforceable rules, is missing, and altruism from AI firms is not a substitute for it.
Back2Basics
CERT-In:
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team is the national nodal agency for cyber security incidents under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Statutory basis: Operates under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Generative vs Agentic AI
Generative AI
Agentic AI
Creates content (text, images, code, audio) from user prompts.
Performs tasks autonomously to achieve a goal.
Responds to instructions but does not independently plan actions.
Plans, reasons, makes decisions, and executes multi-step workflows.
Output-focused.
Outcome-focused.
Requires frequent human prompts for each step.
Needs minimal human intervention after receiving the objective.
Limited memory and action capability.
Can use memory, APIs, tools, and feedback to adapt actions.
Example: ChatGPT writing an essay or generating code.
Example: An AI assistant that books travel, compares prices, sends emails, and updates the calendar automatically.
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2022] What are the different elements of cyber security? Keeping in view the challenges in cyber security, examine the extent to which India has successfully developed a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy.
Linkage: UPSC has examined India’s cyber security architecture and the challenges in developing a comprehensive cyber security strategy. The article shows how AI-powered cyber threats and autonomous agents demand an AI-enabled, adaptive cyber security framework beyond traditional defences.
The West Bengal Cabinet approved the transfer of 31.905 acres of land at nine locations and 1.53 acres for three new Border Outposts (BOPs) to the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing and security infrastructure.
Why Does the Centre Need State Approval for Border Fencing?
Although border security is a Union subject, the land on which fencing and Border Outposts are built is administered by the State Government under State List Entry 18.
Therefore, the Centre must rely on the State for:
Transfer of government land.
Acquisition of private land.
Revenue and environmental clearances.
Compensation and rehabilitation.
Support from district administration.
Centre-State Disputes over BSF Jurisdiction
In 2021, the Centre extended the BSF’s jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km inside Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam (while reducing it in Gujarat).
Some States opposed the move, citing federalism and State autonomy.
2024 Supreme Court Judgment: Upheld the Centre’s notification, holding that it does not dilute the powers of State Police and is intended to strengthen border security.
What is the Border Security Force (BSF)?
Border Security Force (BSF): A Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Guards India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh during peacetime.
Prevents cross-border crimes and manages Border Outposts (BOPs).
Key Highlights
Land transferred for border fencing and construction of three new BOPs.
Implements the Calcutta High Court’s January 2026 directive.
Aims to strengthen border surveillance and security.
Why is West Bengal Important?
Shares 2,216.7 km of the 4,096.7 km India-Bangladesh border (about 54%), the longest among all States.
Around 569 km of the border remains unfenced, making it crucial for completing the national fencing project.
Key Agreements
Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), 2011: Framework for coordination between BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
Land Boundary Agreement (LBA), 2015: Resolved enclave exchange and adverse possession issues between India and Bangladesh.
Challenges
Riverine and marshy terrain limits conventional fencing.
Land acquisition and environmental clearances delay projects.
Border communities face livelihood and mobility concerns.
Persistent issues of smuggling, illegal migration and human trafficking.
[2016, GS3, 12.5 marks] Border management is a complex task due to difficult terrain and hostile relations with some countries. Elucidate the challenges and strategies for effective border management. [2026] Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct? 1. Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States. 2. Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States. 3. Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State. Select the answer using the code given below :
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed States and Union Territories to establish exclusive NDPS courts to tackle the backlog of nearly 39 lakh drug-related cases. However, 22 States are yet to comply.
What is the NDPS Act?
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 is India’s primary law to regulate and prohibit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is the apex agency for enforcement.
The Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) coordinates anti-drug efforts among Central and State agencies.
Why Exclusive NDPS Courts?
Speed up disposal of nearly 39 lakh pending cases.
Ensure specialised and faster trials for drug offences.
Improve conviction rates and reduce judicial delays.
Significance
Strengthens deterrence against drug trafficking.
Helps curb crimes linked to money laundering, organised crime and terror financing.
Enhances India’s internal security, especially along vulnerable border regions.
Challenges
22 States have not yet established exclusive NDPS courts.
Need for adequate judges, prosecutors and infrastructure.
Court reforms must be complemented by effective enforcement and rehabilitation.
Is it Mandatory?
Legally: The NDPS Act empowers State Governments to establish Special Courts, but it does not make exclusive NDPS courts mandatory in every district.
Administratively: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has strongly directed States and Union Territories to establish exclusive NDPS courts due to the huge backlog. While this directive is not directly enforceable like a statute, States are expected to comply in the interest of effective criminal justice and internal security.
Prelims Facts
NCORD was established in 2016 to improve inter-agency coordination against drug trafficking.
NDPS Act, 1985 replaced the Opium Act, 1857, the Opium Act, 1878, and the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1930.
The NCB functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
[2018, GS3, 15 marks] India’s proximity to two of the world’s biggest illicit opium-growing states has enhanced her internal security concerns. Explain the linkages between drug trafficking and other illicit activities such as gunrunning, money laundering and human trafficking. What counter-measures should be taken to prevent the same?”
PYQ Relevance [UPSC 2022] What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security. Linkage: It examines India’s maritime security challenges and initiatives to strengthen regional maritime governance.The article analyses SHANTI as India’s new framework to enhance maritime cooperation, security, and resilience in the Bay of Bengal through BIMSTEC.
Mentor’s Comment
The External Affairs Minister introduced Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity (SHANTI) on 13 July while launching India’s candidature for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 2028-29 term, naming the Bay of Bengal as the region to operationalise it first. The framework arrives in a region where growing naval and infrastructure capacity has outpaced any shared set of maritime norms among its littoral states.
What is SHANTI?
Full form and origin: SHANTI stands for Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity, introduced on 13 July alongside India’s UNSC candidature announcement.
Lineage: It builds on Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), articulated in 2015 around the idea of equity in development, and Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR), announced in 2025 to widen that vision to the interconnectedness of security across the Indo Pacific and the Global South.
Function: SHANTI is presented as a normative framework, offering shared principles for maritime security, disaster response, the blue economy and environmental resilience, rather than a new institution or treaty.
Rollout sequence: The Bay of Bengal is named as the first region where SHANTI is meant to move from principle to practice, before any wider application across the Indo Pacific.
What is BIMSTEC?
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, connecting South and Southeast Asia around the Bay of Bengal.
At its National Security Advisers’ meeting in New Delhi in July 2026, BIMSTEC members adopted common principles for maritime law enforcement and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. They also agreed to hold their first joint maritime security exercise in the Bay in November 2026.
Why is the Bay of Bengal treated as SHANTI’s proving ground?
Strategic centrality: The Bay links India’s Act East policy with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), gives access to the Malacca Strait, and connects the eastern Indian Ocean to major global trade and energy routes.
Comparative advantage: The western Indian Ocean is marked by active conflict and fragile economies. The Bay’s littoral states instead face similar, non military challenges such as cyclones, coastal erosion, fisheries management and undersea cable protection, which makes cooperation more feasible than confrontation.
Institutional gap: The region is not short of institutions but suffers from fragmentation among them, and SHANTI is framed as a common framework to align existing mechanisms rather than add another one.
Geopolitical pressure: China’s reliance on the Malacca Strait, often called its Malacca dilemma, has driven an expanding Chinese presence through ports and infrastructure projects in the same littoral states SHANTI seeks to anchor.
Can SHANTI move beyond being another acronym?
Fragmentation risk: The region’s stated problem is institutional fragmentation, and a new framework risks adding to that fragmentation unless it visibly aligns existing mechanisms.
Stewardship versus dominance: India’s convening role depends on being accepted as a preferred security partner and first responder, a position that rests on restraint rather than the naval and economic weight India commands in the region.
Early stage outputs: Concrete outcomes so far are limited to a declaration of common principles, a first joint maritime exercise scheduled for November 2026, and a white shipping information sharing agreement still under discussion, none of which are yet operational.
Norms without enforcement: SHANTI rests on shared principles rather than a binding treaty, leaving compliance dependent on the willingness of littoral states rather than an enforceable obligation.
What are the challenges to SHANTI?
Overlap with existing bodies: SHANTI must coordinate with, rather than duplicate, existing mechanisms such as BIMSTEC, the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, each with its own membership and mandate.
Financing gap: Disaster response, undersea cable protection and blue economy cooperation require capital that several BIMSTEC members cannot supply on their own, raising the risk that shared projects become dependent on Indian or external financing.
Limited replicability: The Bay of Bengal is easier ground precisely because it lacks the active conflict of the western Indian Ocean, so success there does not guarantee the same framework will work in more contested Indo Pacific waters.
Competing infrastructure presence: Continued Chinese port and infrastructure investment in the same littoral states complicates India’s claim to a natural convening role.
Dependence on voluntary compliance: Because SHANTI is a set of norms rather than a binding agreement, its durability depends on continued political will among BIMSTEC members rather than any enforcement mechanism.
Conclusion
SHANTI’s substance will not be judged by its acronym but by whether the Bay of Bengal’s BIMSTEC linked initiatives, the first joint maritime exercise due in November 2026 and the pending white shipping information sharing agreement, convert shared principles into functioning practice. Until those steps are completed, SHANTI remains a stated framework rather than a demonstrated one.
Back2Basics:
BIMSTEC
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation was formed in 1997 and renamed after Bhutan and Nepal joined in 2004, expanding it from its original five members to seven.
Its secretariat is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and its membership spans Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit, held in Bangkok in April 2025, adopted the Bangkok Vision 2030 and a Maritime Transport Agreement covering national treatment for vessels, crew and cargo among member states.
BIMSTEC connects South Asia and Southeast Asia and has expanded its cooperation beyond trade into security, disaster management, energy and connectivity.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that India became free from Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in March-April 2026, following sustained implementation of the National Policy and Action Plan (2015).
Key Highlights
No district is currently categorized as LWE-affected.
37 districts are now classified as Legacy & Thrust Districts for continued security and development support.
1 district remains a District of Concern for continued surveillance.
National Policy and Action Plan (2015)
Adopts a Whole-of-Government Approach focusing on: Security operations. Infrastructure and connectivity. Welfare and development. Protection of tribal rights. Good governance and financial inclusion.
Major Government Initiatives
Security Measures
Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme.
Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF).
Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS).
Assistance to Central Agencies for LWE Management (ACALWEMS).
Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Policy for Maoist cadres.
Development Measures
15,189 km roads constructed in LWE areas.
9,497 telecom towers commissioned.
179 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) functional.
47 ITIs and 49 Skill Development Centres established.
6,025 post offices with banking services opened.
Security camps are being converted into Jan Suvidha Kendras.
Other Initiatives
Special Central Assistance (SCA) for infrastructure.
Tribal Youth Exchange Programme (TYEP).
Civic Action Programme (CAP) to improve community engagement.
Distribution of over 21 lakh Forest Rights Act title deeds.
[2023] Consider the following statements: 1. According to the Constitution of India, the Central Government has a duty to protect States from internal disturbances. 2. The Constitution of India exempts the States from providing legal counsel to a person being held for preventive detention. 3. According to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002, confession of the accused before the police cannot be used as evidence. How many of the above statements are correct?
