Security

Answer : The growth of Leftwing Militant Radicalism, known in the official documents and civil society discussion as the Naxalite movement, has acquired considerable prominence in the public policy discourse, media coverage and interaction with the social scientists. The government’s policy to deal with it has also polarised thinking on how it should be understood and characterised and what would be the most appropriate approach to neutralise its influence. The security establishment and those supporting its view- point represent one pole of this intellectual divide, while the social scientists, activists and those engaged in working with and for the tribals constitute the other pole. The former group advocates strong police (armed) action to eliminate the ‘menace’ which is viewed as the greatest internal security threat to the country, while the latter group stresses on removing the root causes of alienation of the tribals by pursuing a comprehensive agenda of social justice, inclusive development and responsive governance which would end the influence of the Naxalities. The unaddressed grievances of the tribals, which have caused this alienation, those relating to alienation of their land, involuntary displacement, loss of forest rights are well documented in official reports as well as academic works.

• One issue which has rarely figured in this discourse is the insensitivity to and non-recognition of community land rights, their appropriation by the State in diverse ways and the failure to restore them despite assurances. The resulting loss of rights has been attributed to governance failure which encompasses both policy and implementation. All organs of governance-legislature, executive and judiciary have contributed to this process. The tribals being a numerical and cultural minority are powerless in the system to stem this tide. The structure of institutional democracy has also demonstrated inadequacy to represent their interests much less to protect them from erosion.
• In these circumstances, the tribals get attracted to Maoism which promises to protect them against structural violence of the majority community and State agencies as well as protect their land rights from assault by the State and corporates. The voice of the civil society is ignored by the State as it opts for armed operations instead of dialogue with the Maoists and shrinks the democratic space in the face of peaceful protest.

The Way Forward

• The government should review its current policy perspective and strategy of tackling Maoism with predominantly security operations to eliminate the Naxalites and instead reorient it for implementation of a comprehensive agenda of protection and affirmative action which would wean away the tribals from the influence of the Maoists.
• It should disband vigilante groups like Salwa Judum, withdraw draconian provisions of law and regulate security operations to prevent collateral damage and undertake a fair enquiry into the acts of violence suffered by the tribals.
• Top priority should be given to providing efficient, effective and responsive governance in the affected areas. The development and economic policies which adversely affect tribals should be reversed/appropriately changed.
• The community in tribal areas should be recognised as land and land based resource-owning person and Tribal Community Rights over land should be restored.
• The protection afforded to the tribals in respect of land etc. should not be negated by the Land Acquisition Act. PESA, FRA, Land Alienation and Money Lending Laws, Atrocities Act should be strengthened and effectively enforced.
• The multiple insecurity haunting tribals should be addressed by a wide ranging policy instruments in connection with their leaders and experts with knowledge and experience of their conditions.
• The civil society has an important role in exerting pressure on the government to undertake these measures so as to resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner.

Answer : Role and Requirement of PPP in Ensuring Cyber Security

• The governments around the world have increasingly used private sector involvement in developing, financing and providing infrastructure be it road or health or even education and service delivery through public private partnerships (PPPs). Reasons for this uptake are manifold ranging from rising expenditures for refurbishing, maintaining and operating public assets, and increasing constraints on government budgets stifle, seeking innovation through private sector acumen and aiming for better risk management. Now with the increased use of cyber space by the government for providing services to the citizens and attached vulnerabilities to it emanating from state and non-state actors along with its ever increasing scope in terms of diversification to all the fields which are critical to the security and development of the nation, it is imperative to have a collaboration with the private sector.
• Today, cyber security is a national priority as the government is looking to cyberspace as a major enabler of its many initiatives, from governance to education to financial inclusion. Delivery of many of these services is in partnership with the private sector which makes a close partnership with the private sector also crucial to securing cyberspace. Effective cyber security calls for a close partnership between the government in its role as custodian of the nation's security, and the private sector.
• Even though India is leading in Information Technology still there are very few companies that work on cyber security products and services. Even the few cybersecurity companies that are there sometimes combine the twin roles of producing own products while also being vendors of foreign products. Ironically, many foreign cybersecurity companies have R&D facilities in the IT hubs of Bengaluru, Pune and Gurgaon.

Answer : A common gender-neutral cadre needs to be created for all ranks so that promotional opportunities are evenly available. Women should be routinely and readily considered for front-line postings at cutting edge levels based on their competence and experience. Resource centres for mentoring, creating awareness about opportunities and prospects, and helping with career planning and training and coping with workplace challenges are essential. Women have a role in making up for the lack of training and sensitisation of the force in general in dealing with crimes against women. At the same time, women constables and officers should not be ghettoized into dealing only with such crimes. As the experience in many countries of the world shows — New York City had its first policewoman as early as in 1845 — there is no policing function that women cannot perform. Given the prevalence of sexist attitudes within the bureaucracy and police, an organisational response from the force is needed to enable women to realise their full potential. The Ministry of Home Affairs should set targets for individual police forces and create a mechanism to monitor female advancement. Grants should be linked to progress achieved. Integrating women in the force should become an essential component of the process of police reform in India, enabling them to become real change agents. Having more women in the force should not be seen as just an expression of the formal fulfillment of sexual equality, important though that goal is. Rather, the contemporary needs of policing also demand it.

Answer : India is a study in contrasts, if not contradictions. Extreme poverty and lack of opportunities coexist with rapid economic growth and obscene wealth, creating what commentators have often conceptualized as “two Indias.” These discrepancies, compounded by a wide range of external and internal destabilizers, produce enormous potential for discord as well as a number of enduring internal conflicts. The state’s responses to existing and emerging challenges of internal security have been marked by a high measure of incoherence, structural infirmities, and a growing crisis of capacities. Despite these deficits and vulnerabilities, India has extraordinary experience in defeating some of the most virulent insurgent and terrorist movements. Unfortunately, the lessons of successful counterinsurgency (CI) and counterterrorism (CT) campaigns have not been transferred efficiently to other theaters. While rapid economic growth has increased state resources, the policy environment remains crippled by the lack of a strategic culture and foresight. Nevertheless, there is increasing awareness of the urgency of a coherent strategic response. Ultimately, India’s political environment has demonstrated tremendous resilience, justifying the expectation that, in spite of its difficulties, the country will sustain its positive trajectory.

Policy Implications: A coherent policy framework is a precondition to the resolution of India’s internal security challenges.

• India’s enduring conflicts must be assessed and countered within a protracted-war paradigm, not the present and dominant emergency-response paradigm.
• A police-led response has been the most successful template in CI-CT campaigns, which are small commanders’ wars. The challenge for policy and generalship is to develop comprehensive response capabilities.
• While extreme inequalities are major sources of tension, the developmental deficits in the country are too great to allow developmental interventions to play any defining role in the resolution of existing and protracted conflicts within a reasonable time frame.

Answer : Recent events underscore the persistent and global nature of today's terrorist threat. Without question, transnational terrorism endangers international peace and security and therefore lies squarely under the UN's purview. No longer are groups such as Islamic States, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Hizballah, Hamas, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia focused solely on local issues; rather, their worldwide reach necessitates UN attention.

• History of Terrorism: Terrorism first appeared on the international agenda as a by-product of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Indeed, the Palestinians' near-monopoly on terrorism during the 1960s led the UN to treat the problem as a local issue. High-profile acts of terrorism did not extend beyond these bounds until July 1968, when members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked El Al Flight 426, which carried scores of non-Israeli citizens -- an incident that effectively laid the foundation for al-Qaeda's September 11 attacks decades later. Yet even after a series of plane hijackings in September 1970 and the murder of eleven athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics, the UN Security Council (UNSC) still refrained from passing a resolution to crack down on terrorist groups. Not until the end of the Cold War, the drafting of the Oslo Accords, and the rise of al-Qaeda in the 1990s did the UN begin to view terrorism as something more than an Arab-Israeli issue.
• UN Response Post September 11 Attacks: The international geopolitical environmental that emerged after the September 11 attacks spurred the UNSC's broadest counterterrorism initiatives. For example, Resolution 1373, adopted soon after the attacks, was an impressive measure that outlawed terrorism and terrorism financing and provided an unprecedented mandate for UN action. The resolution's shortcomings remain glaring, however: it is reactionary, not preventive (i.e., it can be invoked only in situations in which a terrorist act has already occurred), and it fails to define terrorism, leaving each signatory to rely on its own interpretation of the term and act accordingly.
• Where UN has failed? The UN faces notable challenges in its efforts to counter terrorism. One such challenge remains the body's inability to hold member states accountable for failing to pursue designated terrorist organizations and additionally so far the definition of terrorism is not adapted by the UN.

Answer : The Government's approach is to deal with Left Wing Extremism in a holistic manner, in the areas of security, development, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities, improvement in governance and public perception management. In dealing with this decades-old problem, it has been felt appropriate, after various high-level deliberations and interactions with the State Governments concerned, that an integrated approach (Integrated action plan) aimed at the relatively more affected areas would deliver results. With this in view, a detailed analysis of the spread and trends in respect of Left Wing Extremist violence has been made and 106 districts in nine States have been taken up for special attention with regard to planning, implementation and monitoring various interventions. However, 'Police' and 'Public Order' being State subjects, action on maintenance of law and order lies primarily in the domain of the State Governments. The Central Government closely monitors the situation and supplements and coordinates their efforts in several ways. These include providing Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA); sanction of India Reserve (IR) battalions, setting up of Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorism (CIAT) schools; modernisation and upgradation of the State Police and their Intelligence apparatus under the Scheme for Modernization of State Police Forces (MPF scheme); re-imbursement of security related expenditure under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme; filling up critical infrastructure gaps under the Scheme for Special Infrastructure in Left Wing Extremism affected States; providing helicopters for anti-naxal operations, assistance in training of State Police through the Ministry of Defence, the Central Police Organisations and the Bureau of Police Research and Development; sharing of Intelligence; facilitating inter-State coordination; assistance in community policing and civic action programmes etc. The underlying philosophy is to enhance the capacity of the State Governments to tackle the Maoist menace in a concerted manner. The Division also monitors the implementation of Integrated Action Plan for LWE affected Districts (now called Additional Central Assistance to LWE affected districts) and various other development and infrastructure initiatives of Govt. of India.

• Indian approach to COIN has been a mix of political accommodation, economic development and the use of force. Demands for secession or independence from the Union are put down firmly and not accepted. India is willing to wear down the insurgents until this demand is dropped or modified. India is willing to talk to separatist groups and its neighbors even though they support cross border terrorism and insurgency.
• While India is willing to create new states within the Union to accommodate ethno-nationalist aspirations and tribal boundaries, it is not willing to create additional states based solely on any one religion. India has been very particular not to use indiscriminate force, aerial bombardment and heavy firepower in COIN despite its conventional and nuclear superiority in the region. India COIN approach follows the strategy of 'an iron fist in a velvet glove,' adopting an aggressive military approach towards hard-core insurgents and a humane face towards the local population.
• India's COIN approach has been aimed at using the security forces to create conditions for a political solution to restore normalcy in the insurgency affected area.
• Human rights and weaning the population away from supporting the insurgents is the major plank of India's COIN operations. To achieve this a multi-dimension approach to include, people-centric civic action programs, economic development, perception management programs, cultivating a responsible media, training of troops for COIN operations, force modernization, good governance, the rule of law, accountability and transparency, diplomatic and international cooperation and support, and a functioning corruption free democracy form parts of the comprehensive Indian approach to COIN operations.
• India has the capability to stay the course and fight an insurgency in a protracted low intensity conflict to wear down the insurgencies and its supporters however, it prefers to resolve the legitimate grievances and welcome its citizens into the democratic process as quickly as possible.
• The current Indian approach to COIN operations has evolved over decades of its experience in fighting insurgency and terrorism. Kashmir has taxed the recourses of India like no other COIN campaign. External support to the insurgents and their religious fervor make winning the COIN war against them a very difficult and protracted operation. India has both the will and the staying power to continue fighting; keeping the paramount principles of its approach to COIN- minimum force and acting in good faith.,
• The Naga Peace Accord, a framework agreement as it has been termed, signed between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and the Government of India in August is significant for several reasons because, Insurgency in Northeast India involves multiple armed factions operating in India's northeastern states, which are connected to the rest of India by the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of land as narrow as 14 miles (23 km) wide. Some factions favour a separate state while others seek regional autonomy. Some extreme groups demand complete independence. Northeastern India consists of seven states (also known as the Seven Sister States): Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland. Tensions exist between these states and the central government as well as amongst their native tribal people and migrants from other parts of India.
• Firstly, it shows the flexibility and realism of the NSCN-IM in terms of the willingness to alter the goals, from complete sovereignty and Greater Nagalim to acceptance of the constitutional framework albeit with a provision for the grant of greater autonomy to the Naga inhabited areas outside of Nagaland through the establishment of autonomous district councils. This indeed had been a sticking point in negotiations as Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur had categorically stated their opposition to any territorial division. It is pertinent to note here that a similar proposal called the 'supra-state structure' was offered by the Government of India's negotiators in 2011. This involved the grant of greater autonomy for the Naga areas without a territorial division of the other states involved
• Second, the signing of the accord at this moment in time discloses that the platform of social support for the NSCN-IM comprising of Naga civil society groups are insistent on a peaceful path to conflict resolution. Naga civil society groups like the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, Naga Hoho, Eastern Naga Peoples' Organisation, Naga Mothers' Association, Naga Students' Federation and the specific Hohos of the 14 Naga tribes have been regularly holding consultations with the NSCN-IM and the government officials. The accord arrived at now ends the ceasefire process in existence since 1997 and locks in the NSCN-IM's commitment to a peaceful dialogue.
• Third, the leaders of the NSCN-IM, Thuinga-leng Muivah and Isak Chisi Swu (who has been unwell for some time now), have been forthcoming since 2011 to sign a framework agreement that pledges to preserve the culture, history and traditions of the Nagas and grants greater autonomy to the Naga inhabited areas outside of Nagaland.
• Another fact that sets this accord apart from all others signed earlier is the timing. The geo-political situation today is vastly different from what prevailed in the region over the last six decades. Today, the Indian Government has established far closer economic and diplomatic relations with China, a country that has had a history of offering overt and covert support to various insurgent factions operating in the North-East.
• The pact between government of India and NSCN-IM can improve the internal law and order conditions in the state and it also enhance the development plan for the state. Success of accord is depending upon the attitude of government towards the development of north eastern states and inclusion of people in the main stream of development.

Answer : ISIS is a group which wants to spread its empire to the entire world and take the fight to the very end of days. To full-fill its ambition, it will surely have to confront India as India poses a challenge to it, both ideologically and geopolitically.

Also, India has a large population of Muslims who have always acted as an example against the radical ways of the terrorist organisation. Even though people have joined these groups in large numbers from the western countries, Indian Muslims have not only refrained but have actively voiced against such groups. ISIS would surely want to break this trend and induce radicalism in India. "Though joining the fight against ISIS would benefit its image globally, as an active participant in world affairs and help it cement its seat in UNSC, the war may take heavy toll on it, both financially and in terms of manpower. Even a power like USA could not finish affairs in Afghanistan despite heavy spending. Also, it would act as an active invitation to ISIS to turn its full attention to India. So, for the time, country should repose faith in its minority and just wait and watch.

To tackle these problems the following suggestions are made.

1. Crowdsourcing- getting services, usually online, from crow of people, online police portals could be the effective tools to countering the online IS propaganda.
2. Proposed National Cyber Cooperation Centre could be the effective tool to counter the extremism by screening the data and coordinating it with the intelligence gathering activities of other agencies.
3. Engaging humanistic Muslim welfare bodies in devising government strategies.
4. Structural conditions for the growth of Naxalism like poverty, livelihood issues, education, good governance and effective redressal mechanism could be addressed.
5. Strengthened the grassroots intelligence gathering of the police force by providing world-class technology equipment and management initiatives.
6. India must ensure that countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar are not used by insurgent groups as launching pads for violence in its border states. Dialogue mechanism in all three countries need to be institutionalized and activated
7. Being the most vulnerable and easily succumbed to the radicalism the youth could be provide with motivated livelihood options and employment.

The immunity and insularity of Indian youth from international extremist vagaries is robust and time-tested. The mutual cooperation between government and citizens further cements this belief and augments internal security and external safe outlook. The proper confidence building approach is required for coordination between all security officials like IB, RAW and NIA etc.

Answer : The proper management of borders is vitally important for national security. Different portions of our extensive borders have a variety of problems specific to them which have to be appropriately addressed. These problems have become aggravated in recent times with Pakistan's policy of cross- border terrorism, along with its intensely hostile anti-India propaganda designed to mislead and sway the loyalties of the border population. The intensification of cross-border terrorism, targeted to destabilize India, has thrown up new challenges for our border management policy.

• The term border management must be interpreted in its widest sense and should imply co-ordination and concerted action by political leadership and administrative, diplomatic, security, intelligence, legal, regulatory and economic agencies of the country to secure our frontiers and sub serve the best interests of the country. From this perspective, the management of borders presents many challenges. The dynamic nature of the problems concerning management of borders is brought out by the manner in which the sensitivity of India-Nepal border has changed over a period of time. This border, which has been an open one, was once peaceful and trouble-free. However, with the increasing activities of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Nepal, the nature of the border has changed completely.
• The concept of border security has undergone a sea change with the growing vulnerability of the coastline and also of the airspace. In response to the gradual expansion and strengthening of security so far, mainly along what has long been perceived as a sensitive land border, the transgressor is already on the look-out for soft gaps, either on the land or along the coast and if need be, from the air. The Purulia incident of 1995 has already demonstrated our vulnerability from the air. The transgressors, with unprecedented money power, access to latest technology, organizational strength, maneuverability and scope for strategic alliances with other like-minded groups, can select their theatre of action for surprise strikes. While land borders have from time to time received Government's attention primarily because of the wars with Pakistan and China and the problems of insurgency, illegal migration from Bangladesh and smuggling activities, the same cannot be said of our coastal areas or of our airspace.
• India has been grappling with the problem of devising an efficient border management strategy that would prevent the entry of dangerous elements while at the same time allowing the legitimate flow of goods, services and people. Given that it has always been vulnerable to cross-border threats and challenges such as illegal migration, drug and human trafficking, gunrunning, smuggling of commodities and cross-border terrorism, India has taken a largely unilateral approach towards border management whereby security of the borders is accorded primacy over the free movement of people and goods. However, as the Indian economy is growing and fast integrating itself with the economies of the region, there is a consequent increase in trade and cross-border flow of people. It has to jettison its unilateral approach towards border management and adopt a cooperative approach along the lines of the 'smart border' approach of the United States.

Development of Integrated Check Posts: Brief on Integrated Check Posts (Icps)

• Good Border Management is mandated by India's security concerns and therefore it is necessary to install systems which address these concerns while also facilitating trade and commerce. There is several designated entry and exit points on the international borders of the country through which cross border movement of persons, goods and traffic takes place. Existing infrastructure for discharge of various sovereign functions at these points are neither adequate or integrated nor coordinated and no single agency is responsible for coordination of various Government functions and services at these points. These functions include those of security, immigration, customs, human, plant and animal quarantine etc., as also the provision of support facilities for both the Government personnel and the immigrants such as warehousing, parking etc.
• The establishments of integrated check post will enhance the capability of our armed forces because at single point they can make check and balance on all illegal activities, and they can also coordinate properly.

Answer : In cutthroat competition and rapidly changing technical environment, there is more economic uncertainty and complexities affecting the nation. Currently, security has imperative role to protect data and relevant and secret information from growing internet attacks on computing and communication systems with the support of continuous innovative solutions. It is therefore necessary to provide a means for researchers in this domain to encourage quality publications of their work. Security is described by experts as ensuring protected communication among computing/communication systems and user applications across public and private networks, is essential for guaranteeing confidentiality, privacy and data/information protection.

• It has been universally observed that there are large numbers of recent threats and incidents reported to CERT therefore security in networks and distributed systems has gradually become a global challenge. To deal with such debilitating issue, it is critical to design and develop security solutions from different viewpoints including that of end-to-end. Other than these threats, the growing need of wireless, ad-hoc and sensor networks also create hazards of a new dimension. Another significant technical feature that creates risk is the communication speed in networks versus complex and time consuming cryptography/security mechanisms and protocols.
• India's internal security threats Earlier it was not major challenge in India with respect to an internal security viewpoint. The new types of the threats that India undergo need very active security governance. Internal security in India is considered as the national subject that covers many multifaceted individual subjects, across the centre, state and local jurisdictions, defined by the borders of the homeland yet challenged by exceptional local conflicts of the country's huge and diverse landscape. In present condition, internal security is dealt by numerous executive bodies with intricate functional and reporting relationships. Law and order is a state subject and the state police are accountable for maintaining the internal security. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been charged for internal security, management of paramilitary forces, border management, centre-state relations, administration of union territories and disaster management.

Answer : Some facts

• India has 14,880 kms of land border running through 92 districts in 17 States and a coastline of 5,422 kms touching 12 States and Union Territories (UTs).
• India also has a total of 1,197 islands accounting for 2,094 kms of additional coastline.
• In fact, barring Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Delhi and Haryana, all other States in the country have one or more international borders or a coastline and can be regarded as frontline States from the point of view of border management.

Initiatives: With the coordinated efforts of all the concerned security forces and related departments the government has placed adequate measures to gear up overall maritime security much stronger than pre 2008 attacks.

• At the apex level the National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS), headed by the Cabinet Secretary, coordinates all matters related to Maritime and Coastal Security.
• Joint Operations Centres (JOCs), set up by the Navy as command and control hubs for coastal security at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Port Blair are fully operational. These JOCs are manned 24×7 jointly by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police.
• Coastal patrolling by Navy, Coast Guard and marine police has increased sharply over the last few years. At any given time, the entire west coast is under continuous surveillance by ships and aircraft of Navy and Coast Guard. As a result, potential threats have been detected and actions have been taken to mitigate them in good time.
• Inter-agency coordination, between nearly 15 national and state agencies has improved dramatically, only due to regular "exercises" conducted by the Navy in all the coastal states. Nationwide, over 100 such exercises have been conducted till date since 2008, and this has strengthened coastal security markedly.
• In addition to continuous patrolling by Navy and Coast Guard, modern technical measures have also been implemented for coastal surveillance, by way of a chain of 74 Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers, for gapless cover along the entire coast. This is complemented by a chain of overlapping 46 coastal radars in the coastal areas of our mainland and Islands. A second phase of coastal radars is also being implemented to plug the small gaps in some places.
• To enhance Maritime Domain Awareness the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence Network (NC3I) was recently started. This over-arching coastal security network collates data about all ships, dhows, fishing boats and all other vessels operating near our coast, from multiple technical sources including the AIS and radar chain.
• Issue of ID cards to all fishermen with a single centralised database, registration of over 2 lakh fishing vessels operating off our coast and equipping fishing boats with suitable equipment, to facilitate vessel identification and tracking are some of the other steps taken.
• The Navy and Coast Guard have also provided periodic maritime training to marine police in all coastal states.
• Additionally, in order to be better prepared to prevent a 26/11 incident from the sea, the Indian Navy, along with the Coast Guard and Indian Air Force are currently conducting the annual Defence of Gujarat Exercise for five days.

Conclusion: Since 2008, coastal and maritime security has been strengthened substantially by successful implementation of technical, organisational and procedural initiatives, by all maritime security agencies. Plugging gaps, where identified, is continuous process that is being addressed appropriately.

Answer : They derive funding from variety of criminal activities:

• Smuggling of narcotics
• Bank robberies
• Vehicle thefts
• Fake currency or state sponsored activities in failed states

Global Response

• International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism
• Formation of domestic Financial Intelligence Units by individual countries and Financial Action Task Force
• G8 established a Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG)
• Cooperation on terrorist financing has become a permanent part of the agendas of regional organizations such as the EU, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the African Union
• Comprehensive convention on International terrorism (yet to be adopted by the UN)

What is required to be done?

• Placing systematic safeguards within countries
• Targeted economic sanctions based on credible counter terrorism intelligence

Answer : Crime and terrorism can potentially have a very close linkage. While there may or may not always be a linkage between the two, however, both international case studies and those in India do point towards it. If we look at some of the regions in the country affected by terrorism, this linkage becomes apparent. In the Northeast, extortion is the fundamental basis for funding all forms of terrorism. In addition to this, kidnapping has been used extensively for spreading terror and raising funds. Human trafficking, drug trafficking and gun running are some of the other criminal activities that have been common in these areas.

• In J&K, counterfeit currency has been a major source of funding terrorism.
• In the Maoist terror movements, extortion is yet again a common phenomenon. They have also indulged in robberies of banks to fund their movement. There have also been reports of cuts being enforced on drug yielding crops in the region. The Indian Mujahideen has also resorted to crime to raise funds. This includes robberies, kidnappings, etc. There are also a number of insurgent groups which over a period of time have morphed into crime syndicates. What began as an ideological movement is now merely a means of generating profit. This is especially the case with insurgent groups in Northeast India.

Answer : Once India's former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said "To be safe on land, we must be supreme at sea". Much has been said about the Indian Navy's blue water aspirations over time. However a number of experts have already described the Indian Navy as being a blue-water navy and the intentions of developing blue-water capabilities were outlined under the 2007 Maritime Capabilities Perspective Plan. In the recent times India has built one of the largest and most powerful navies in the world with an indication towards major possibilities of further growth. It has 2 conventional Aircraft carriers, 1 amphibious transport dock, 50 Frigates, Destroyers and Corvettes one nuclear-powered and14 conventionally-powered attack submarines and a many other naval ships including around 100 armed patrol ships with the Indian Coast Guards.

• At the moment, only the U.S. Navy brings that sort of capability to Asia. Although it is coming five years late - the original delivery was scheduled for 2008 - the Vikramaditya will give India the ability to project raw naval power in "near abroad" as well as in its extended neighborhood. With a capacity to carry two dozen Mig-29 K fighter jets and 10 Kamov helicopters at any given time on board and fitted with the latest sensors and missiles, the brand-new aircraft carrier will boost the Indian Navy's firepower significantly.
• But the Vikramaditya is not the only reason why the Indian Navy feels upbeat about its future capabilities. Naval aviation, long treated as a poor cousin of surface combatants in the Indian Navy, is exhibiting some new chutzpah of late.
• Recently, Defence Acquisition Council approved the purchase of four more Boeing P8I maritime patrol and antisubmarine aircraft in addition to the eight already contracted.

Why Blue Water Capabilities?

• Ability to operate across the deep waters of open oceans along with the maritime expeditionary capabilities is required to be a Blue Water Navy. Blue Water capability is required to project the power of India's area of strategic interest in the Indian Ocean. It is marked by the increased presence of the Indian Navy in the Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa to the Strait of Malacca, and it also conducts anti-piracy operations and partnership building exercises with other major navies in the region.
• "Blue water capability is necessary to shift the balance of power to an extent in India's favor and is also fueled by Beijing's "String of Pearls" strategy in the Indian Ocean. China's intention in building of maritime facilities in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar can be seen as an encirclement in the Indian ocean which can have serious outcomes in the coming future. True Blue Water capabilities not only protect India's own territory but also enables to project power beyond it.
• The Nuclear Triad: Delivery of a nuclear arsenal through strategic bombers, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), and submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) is termed as a nuclear triad. The purpose of having a nuclear triad is to increase the second strike capability and the nuclear deterrence. A three-branched nuclear capability significantly reduces the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a nation's nuclear forces in a first-strike attack. India maintains a no first use nuclear policy as a part of its credible minimum deterrence doctrine. India has surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles such as Agni missile system with a range of 5000-8000 kms which can be tipped with the nuclear warheads and forms the land based part of the nuclear triad. It can deliver nuclear warheads through air with the help of strategic bombers like Jaguars, SU-30MKI and Dassault Mirage 2000H. India operates a nuclear-powered missile submarine, INS Arihant which is capable of launching nuclear capable K- family missiles like Sagarika and K-4 which has a range up to 5000kms. Once deployed in 2016 India will complete its nuclear triad to be a true Blue Water Navy.

Answer : Cyberspace as an independent theatre of war is about attacks that compromise the capability to use these facilities: they cannot be prevented by the security services in isolation.

• The defence of cyberspace necessarily involves the forging of effective partnerships between the public organisations charged with ensuring the security of cyberspace and those who manage the use of this space by myriad users like government departments, banks, infrastructure, manufacturing and service enterprises and individual citizens. Thedefence of cyberspace has a special feature. The national territory or space that is being defended by the land, sea and air forces is well defined. Outer space and cyberspace are different. They are inherently international even from the perspective of national interest.
• The recent revelations of Pakistan-based websites unleashing doctored pictures of alleged atrocities against Muslims in order to inflame passions in India has once again drawn attention to the enormous potential of the Information Age to challenge our security assumptions.
• The computer is the instrument of our age; cyberspace is the oxygen of the internet. So much in our interconnected, globalised, and technologically advancing world depends on cyberspace. From our mundane emails to social networking to high priority banking services, government systems, communications, transport, and perhaps most important, our military organisations, all increasingly place reliance on the World Wide Web and everything connected to it.

As a Weapon: Cyber-attacks are already happening daily, and, as we are getting more and more 'connected' the threats also becoming more complex. Symantec, a leading international cyber security company, recorded that in 2010 alone there were three billion malware attacks. Of these one stands out especially, pointing to the possible use by legitimate governments of cyber weapons. This was the case of Stuxnet, which attacked five Iranian organisations, all reportedly connected with their uranium enrichment and nuclear programmes.In those cases, the United States is the likely suspect, but though nothing can be conclusively established, China has consistently topped the list of official suspects in the world of cyber-attacks.

India's Response System: There are no easy responses to all these phenomena. The U.S. has created CYBERCOM in 2009 as a military command dedicated to cyber warfare. In the civilian arena few countries have a credible equivalent.

• India's own style of dealing with cyber threats leaves much to be desired. It is relatively chaotic and there is a constant insecurity that our cyber-defences are insufficient. This perception has been underscored by frequent reports of successful invasions of Indian cyberspace. Our approach appears so far to have been ad hoc and piecemeal. There are some 12 stakeholders in protecting the cyber defences of India, including the Home Affairs Ministry, the National Disaster Management Authority, National Information Board and a motley crew of others. They are together responsible for the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, which is the principal national agency. Such a large number of bosses, I would argue, is not conducive to efficiency. We must be vigilant, but we must also ensure our security measures do not compound the threat. As someone once asked, if Tim Berners-Lee had to ask for permission, would the World Wide Web have been invented? Would Google have been perceived as a security threat right at the start and been prohibited? Would Wikipedia have come into existence? The chances are they would not have been allowed.
• The freedom of cyber space is just as crucial to the debate as its protection is. This is why policy on cyber security is too important to be left to the cyber security experts and too valuable socially to be left to the police. It is not for the gunsmiths to decide who should use the gun and how. The key to cyber space should never be given to those who would place a lock on it. It should be held by the larger moral force of society.
• There is increasing concern in the strategic community and the general public about cyber security and we are in the final stages of preparing a whole-of-government cyber security architecture. Equally, intelligence and espionage increasingly rely on what are euphemistically called national technical means, namely cyber penetration and surveillance. The same technologies also empower the state in terms of its capacity for internal surveillance, interception and so on.
• The government is in the process of putting in place the capabilities and the systems that will enable us to deal with this anarchic new world of constant and undeclared cyber threat, attack, counter-attack and defence. We need to prepare to deal with both threats to cyberspace and risks arising through cyberspace.

Proactive policy: There is only one part of the IDSA Task Force's recommendations with which I have a difference of emphasis. It speaks about "proactive diplomatic policy" on cyber security, and suggests that multilateral efforts for international internet governance are useful. The Report itself recognises that most proposals for international internet governance are thinly masked efforts to control or shape the internet, and that some are ideologically driven. Inter-governmental rules of the road are certainly desirable. No one can argue against them. But we must be clear that they will not have practical effect or be followed unless they are in the clear self-interest of those who should be following them. Let us, therefore, concentrate on putting our own cyber security house in order. That should be our first priority.

Answer : We do not believe that a nuclear war should be fought and we do not believe that a nuclear war can be won.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Disarmament initiatives have been an important element of India's foreign policy from the beginning. For instance, in 1954 India under Nehru's leadership was the first country to propose an agreement to ban nuclear weapons tests, which ultimately culminated in 1963 in the Treaty Banning Nuclear Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water (Partial Test Ban Treaty) (PTBT). Though this was only a partial triumph, Nehru was rightly recognized for his leadership of the global campaign that led to the PTBT. Even as he remained opposed to weaponization, Nehru's vision of India's future did involve the robust use of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes. Historically, some of the country's most accomplished diplomats have been associated with India's disarmament diplomacy. Although India took the lead in many of these issues, it nevertheless found itself at a disadvantage in many cases, most obviously with regard to the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). India chose to stay out of the NPT regime and in the years that followed, there was perhaps an unstated shift of policy from nuclear abolition to ambiguity. Two important moments in the 1990s mark a watershed in India's long association with arms control and disarmament: rejection of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996, and the overt weaponisation of India's nuclear deterrent in 1998.

• The Indian approach to nuclear disarmament and global arms control issues and also to explore how India should move forward, if there is a need for a new approach or if the country needs to expend more effort. The focus will be on four important trends and developments during the last decade.
• India's approach to nuclear disarmament is going through a definite shift. India has been calling for global nuclear disarmament since independence. Although, at present, India continues to express its support for any initiative that can lead up to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, the factors that contributed to its strong support for nuclear disarmament are gradually evolving. Consequentially, this will require India to reconsider its position on nuclear disarmament, a task that New Delhi continues to evade for now. But this change of factors and its consequential impact on India's commitment to nuclear disarmament is not really a new development. An examination of the development of India's nuclear weapons programme captures situations that question India's commitment to nuclear disarmament
• Another development that should question the sanctity of India's commitment to nuclear disarmament has been its gradual integration into the global nuclear architecture. India received a waiver from the NSG regarding the requirement to put its entire nuclear programme under IAEA safeguards in 2008. Following the separation of its weapons and civilian energy programmes, that waiver in effect captured an informal acceptance of India as a nuclear weapon state. Meanwhile, there have been efforts led by the United States and other like-minded countries to get India into the NSG and other similar export control bodies. India remains far away from being recognized as a NWS. But this gradual shift closer to the group of nuclear haves will definitely make the politicians and bureaucrats in India reconsider their traditional view of nuclear non-proliferation regimes as discriminatory and will therefore require them to reconsider India's position on nuclear disarmament.

Answer : Answer can be framed on the following lines:

• Nation is an abstract concept. It does not mean possession of territories, buildings, or other assets but it is formed only as a result of lengthy and systematic intercourse, as a result of people living together generation after generation.
• So if any of these communities feels that now they do not belong to such a group owing to any reason be it lack of social or economic or even political development, they may try to dissociate. This may pose serious threatfor theunity or integrity of the nation
• North east tribesstanding up in arms against India demanding autonomy are the products of exclusionary policy continued for a long time along with other factors
• Same is the case with minorities who falls astray after being felt neglected and left out. Also sometimes being driven away from themainstream path, sense of belonging get tarnished and thus negative repercussions have to be borne
• Also the majority populace should give space to the minorities in socio-eco-politico spheres so that they do not develop the feeling of being unwanted, not worthy of being cared for.

Answer : The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also sometimes referred to as the Al-Tawhid or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a militant jihadist outfit predominantly active in Iraq and Syria. The main ambition of the group is to create a united, transnational pan-Islamic state, a sharia-based caliphate, stretching mainly across Iraq and the Levant region. This includes parts of Syria, Israel, Jordon, Lebanon, Egypt, south Turkey, and the Palestinian territories. The foundations of the ISIS can be found in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq, when this offshoot of the al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) formed its agenda to promote insurgency in the region through guerrilla warfare. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the newly named Caliph of the Islamic State formed by the ISIS. In the recent time Iraq has been in on the verge of a civil war due to this challenge posed by the ISIS.

ISIS a threat to India: At first look it may seem that apart from concerns over fate of the nationals in Iraq, India is not at immediate threat from the ISIS. The group only seems keen on carving out a caliphate along the Iraqi-Syrian border and in the Middle East. A closer look, however, reveals that the threat is a more imminent one. ISIS has global ambitions which include carving out an Islamic World Dominion. India will be a prime threat in the achievement of these ambitions.

• After the declaration of the caliphate, the newly-named Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi addressed jihadists the world over and said, “Muslims’ rights are forcibly seized in China, India, Palestine, Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, Sham (the Levant), Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Ahvaz, Iran, Pakistan, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco, in the East and in the West”. The address explicitly mentions India as one of the prime targets of the ISIS. In its recently released world map of the planned dominion areas, ISIS also marks out parts of north-west India. The outfit plan to include many north-western provinces of our country including parts of Gujarat in the planned Islamic caliphate of Khorasan that ISIS aims to achieve.
• India is agreeably distant in the scope of the militant outfit’s ambitions. What cannot be ignored, though, is the fact that ISIS has spelled out India’s name as one of its prime targets outside Iraq, Syria, and the Levant. Ignoring the ISIS will only be at our own peril. India has already faced the painful consequences of terrorist attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba, South Asia’s most active terrorist outfit that shares ISIS’ ambitions too. Nonetheless, evidence suggests that ISIL has grown faster and stronger than anyone anticipated. That it felt confident enough to spurn al-Qaida’s diktat in Syria and call on Islamist groups the world over to pledge allegiance to it is ominous.

Strategy for tackling the threat: Tackling this threat requires a new security strategy. Government of India must seek to forge an anti-terror coalition against ISIL and other jihadi threats emanating from the Middle East and North Africa region. Countries such as Morocco have been deploying interesting anti-terror strategies including fighting extremism through moderate theology. With reports emerging of Indians having travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside ISIL, such strategies are worth exploring in addition to hardnosed security measures. Also, establishing security links with West Asian and North African countries through the platform of South-South cooperation needs to be taken up on a priority basis.

Answer : Economic liberalization which began in the early 1990s has accelerated India’s growth rate to an average of 7% per year since 1997, up from 3.5% in the 1970s. During this period India transformed itself from an agricultural economy to a service economy. Services now form 55% of the Indian economy. The growth and development of the Information Technology and Information Technology enabled Services have had a significant role in changing the face of the economy. The good news does not end here. The growth rate for India is expected to overtake China’s double digit growth rate in the next few years.

This news however, hides some alarming trends. Growth continues to bypass a large section of people. A large majority of Indians live in the villages and they have been excluded from India’s growth story. Rural India is facing endemic problems – land holdings are shrinking, slow growth in agricultural production and limited social and economic infrastructure. Women, Children, backward castes & classes and other minorities often are excluded from the growth story. The rise of grass root militant movements which plague nearly one-tenth of India is a direct result of this economic exclusion and the unfulfilled aspirations of the bottom billion.

The following problems are the major concerns for developing countries like India to achieve the inclusive growth. They are:

1. Poverty
2. Employment
3. Agriculture
4. Problems in Social Development
5. Regional Disparities

India has been endowed with some of the world’s most essential minerals, beautiful places, diverse cultures and capable and talented people. It is time we stop squandering this advantage and make the most of what most countries can never even dream to have. There is much to be done, but if done and done correctly then nothing can stop us from reaching the pinnacle of the world.

SUGGESTIONS

1. Equity is important for economic development so it should be preferred.
2. Agricultural Development is necessary for economic development.
3. Economic reforms are important. But macro-poor policies (fiscal, trade, financial, monetary etc.) should have pro-poor focus.
4. Structural change should have followed agriculture-industry-services sequence.
5. Development of manufacturing sector is important for creation of productive employment.
6. Equality of opportunities (education) should be given.
7. South East Asian and East Asian experience can be used.
8. Shift focus of reforms to delivery systems
9. Importance of women’s economic and social empowerment
10. Decentralization
11. Economic reforms in relation to socio-political environment

Answer : The debate on the use or non-use of certain forces has centred on the fear of collateral damage, to the total exclusion of the psychological impact of the Naxal affected area. The air element has a great psychological effect on the adversary as it can raise the morale of our own forces while lowering that of the adversary.

The battle has to be fought on five fronts simultaneously: Economic, political, psychological, social, and military. Use of force is thus only one of the fronts, and to be successful it has to be in consonance with the other four. This has to be clear right at the outset. That does not mean force is unimportant. In fact, in order to get the other measures and strategies in place, control over violence is a pre-requisite.

• The element of air power that would be extremely useful in this fight is surveillance and detection. Technological advancement made it possible to track groups of people moving even through jungle terrain. This will mitigate somewhat the lack of intelligence that the security forces face. The area of Naxal operations is very sparsely populated. With weapons of greater accuracy and precision available today, it should be possible to avoid collateral damage and innocent civilians becoming victims. In the strategy of area domination, the police forces would be located in and around population centres. Thus, use of airpower would be against the isolated Naxals. The use of surveillance and tracking will also force the Naxals to break up into smaller groups, making it that much difficult to stage attacks.
• For instance, if armed helicopter support was indeed available to the hapless Central Reserve Police Force men, then the moment they came under fire from hilltops, the helicopters could have come to their help by machine-gunning the Naxals located on hilltops.
• Thus, limited use of airpower would improve intelligence, force the Naxals to operate in small groups (and thus reduce the threat to larger bodies of paramilitary forces) and in conjunction with area/population domination, isolate them from their support base. But the biggest gain would be the rise in the morale of our forces and the lowering of the Naxals' since they have no counter to armed helicopters.
• The aim of counterinsurgency is to bring about a behavioural change in the targeted population. In short, move them away from armed politics to peaceful participation. It is also called a struggle for hearts and minds of the people.
• There is a common perception that 'one man's terrorist/insurgent is another man's freedom-fighter'. This is moral relativism at worst. If a State is 'legitimate', then an armed challenge to it is illegitimate. The twin bedrock of the State's legitimacy are democracy that guarantees individuals fundamental rights and freedoms, and the second is the federal principle that grants the right to groups/tribes/sects/faiths cultural expression and freedom to practice their faith, use their language and lead a collective life of their choice.
• When a State meets these two basic criterion, it has unmatched legitimacy and the use of force to overthrow it is insurgency/terrorism.
• Ideologically, the counter-insurgents are always at a disadvantage. The insurgents can promise a socialist utopia. While the counter-insurgents become either status-quo supporters or hark back to the status quo ante, neither of this can compare with the dream of mythical 'Shangri-La' that the insurgents paint and many of their urban arm-chair supporters swallow. This underscores the importance of propaganda and psychological aspects of counter-insurgency. But none of this would be of any use unless there is honest governance and genuine efforts to help out the tribals.
• If the twin measures of developmental effort and show of force are implemented simultaneously, the situation can indeed be brought under control quickly. The armed air operations could then well be suspended if the Naxals show an inclination to come to the negotiating table and agree to give up violence.

Answer : Nature and Causes of North East Insurgency

• Northeast region comprises of eight states – a region connected poorly to the Indian mainland by small corridor and surrounded by neighbouring countries is the setting for a multitude of conflict.
• Naga insurgence, which started in the 1950s, known as the mother of the Northeast insurgencies, is one of the oldest unresolved armed conflicts in the world. In total, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Tripura have witnessed scales of conflict that could, at least between 1990 and 2000, be characterised as low intensity conflicts. The reasons for the respective conflicts are wide ranging from separatist movements, to inter-community, communal and inter-ethnic conflicts.
• It is ethnically, linguistically and culturally very distinct from the other states of India. Though cultural and ethnic diversity per say are not causes for conflict, but one of the major problem areas is that the Northeast is territorially organized in such a manner that ethnic and cultural specificities were ignored during the process of delineation of state boundaries in the 1950s, giving rise to discontentment and assertion of one’s identity.
• There has been criticism for India’s Look east policy in which it has been looking at the Northeast as an issue of territorial security rather than development per say. The fear of a growing Chinese influence, as well as, increasing cross-border terrorism (Myanmar, Bangladesh) in the region are some of the factors cited as reasons for limiting India in its attempt to open the region.
• The politico-administrative arrangements made by the Centre have also been lacking. For instance, the introduction of the Sixth Schedule Autonomous Councils (currently there are ten such Councils in the region and many more demanding such status) ended up creating multiple power centers instead of bringing in a genuine process of democratization or autonomy in the region. The AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act) for instance, shows the inability and reluctance of the government to solve the conflict with adequate political measures.

Insurgency in Jammu & Kashmir: The insurgency in Kashmir or the Kashmiri Insurgency is an internal conflict between Kashmiri insurgents and the Government of India. Some of the insurgents favor Kashmiri accession to Pakistan, while others seek Kashmir's complete independence. Since 2002, skirmishes with the local insurgents have constituted the main conflict in the Kashmir region.

• The roots of the conflict between the Kashmiri insurgents and the Indian Government are tied to a dispute over local autonomy. Democratic development was limited in Kashmir until the late 1970s and by 1988 many of the democratic reforms provided by the Indian Government had been reversed and non-violent channels for expressing discontent were limited and caused a dramatic increase in support for insurgents advocating violent secession from India.
• In 1987, a disputed State election created a catalyst for the insurgency when it resulted in some of the state's legislative assembly members forming armed insurgent groups. In July 1988 a series of demonstrations, strikes and attacks on the Indian Government began the Kashmir Insurgency which during the 1990s escalated into the most important internal security issue in India. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan has been accused by India of supporting and training Mujahideen to fight in Jammu and Kashmir.

Answer : India’s cyber security scenario is that India ranks 3rd in terms of the highest number of Internet users in the world after USA and China but at the same time India secures a spot amongst the top 10 spam-sending countries in the world alongside USA.

Protection of information and information infrastructure is now a key factor to our national security and the four binding pillars of information security i.e. Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability and Non-repudiation are the prerequisite to achieve it. Confidentiality is among the key factors especially in relation to defence systems and the emphasis is always on strong crypto-logical i.e. encryption systems.

• Apart from targeting all the three components i.e. the technology, people and processes to develop a secure cyber ecosystems, a strategic aspect that India needs to put its emphasis on, is development of indigenous fabrication and production capability. The threats in cyberspace have manifested now to a level where they are considered as a threat to our national security.
• The growth of cyber-crime and its ugly mutation, the cyber warfare i.e. state sponsored manifestation, has resulted in the herald of need for new era of need for security in the information technology field in India. Although there is a gamete of factors associated with this phenomenon, however lack of indigenous development/production and consequently supply chain infection emerges out to be the most notable. This is the Achilles heel of Indian ICT ecosystem.
• Unfortunately, India missed the race of silicon revolution involving the development of technologies, systems, fabrication and production of microelectronics and allied systems; which in-hitherto resulted in its extensive dependence on imported systems and technologies. This aspect of “import driven” approach for addressing majority of the need both in the Defence and the Civilian sector has resulted in inducing a strategic vulnerability; not only the lack of support for development of indigenous capability, but due to the imminent threat of supply chain infection especially involving advanced embedded and software based malwares. There have been multiple instances around the world where counterfeit hardware had entered into the crucial military industrial complexes via supply chain infection.

Critical assessment of National Cyber Security Policy 2013

• With an aim to monitor and protect information and strengthen defences from cyber-attacks, the National Cyber Security Policy 2013 was released on July 2, 2013 by the Government of India. The purpose of this framework document is to ensure a secure and resilient cyberspace for citizens, businesses and the government. With rapid information flow and transactions occurring via cyberspace, a national policy was much needed.
• The Cyber Security Policy aims at protection of information infrastructure in cyberspace, reduce vulnerabilities, build capabilities to prevent and respond to cyber threats and minimize damage from cyber incidents through a combination of institutional structures, people, process, technology and cooperation.
• The objective of this policy in broad terms is to create a secure cyberspace ecosystem and strengthen the regulatory framework. A National and sectoral 24X7 mechanism has been envisaged to deal with cyber threats through National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC). Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has been designated to act as a nodal agency for coordination of crisis management efforts. CERT-In will also act as umbrella organization for coordination actions and operationalization of sectoral CERTs. A mechanism is proposed to be evolved for obtaining strategic information regarding threats to information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, creating scenarios of response, resolution and crisis management through effective predictive, prevention, response and recovery action.
• The release of the National Cyber Security Policy 2013 is an important step towards securing the cyber space of our country. However, there are certain areas which need further deliberations for its actual implementation such as:
• The provisions to take care security risks emanating due to use of new technologies e.g. Cloud Computing, has not been addressed
• Another area which is left untouched by this policy is tackling the risks arising due to increased use of social networking sites by criminals and anti-national elements.
• There is also a need to incorporate cyber-crime tracking, cyber forensic capacity building and creation of a platform for sharing and analysis of information between public and private sectors on continuous basis.
• Indigenous development of cyber security solutions as enumerated in the policy is laudable but these solutions may not completely tide over the supply chain risks and would also require building testing infrastructure and facilities of global standards for evaluation.
• Thus, the key to success of this policy lies in its effective implementation. The much talked about public-private partnership in this policy, if implemented in true spirit, will go a long way in creating solutions to the ever-changing threat landscape.

Answer : India’s internal security landscape in recent decades has undergone a paradigm shift. The conventional pattern of civil disorders, communal disturbances, social and economic turmoil, political conflicts etc. have seized to be the nation’s primary internal security concerns. They have been substituted by externally sponsored covert offensives by hostile powers targeting country’s internal fault lines to achieve their strategic objectives. While country’s democratic polity, economic growth, and social transformations are steadily bringing down conventional threats, except probably the Left Wing Extremism, the external factor has been an important catalytic factor in promoting terrorism, insurgencies, espionage, subversion, cyber space violations, currency counterfeiting, Hawala transactions, demographic invasion etc. India considering its Comprehensive National Power (CNP), has failed is politically and diplomatically leverage it to its best security advantage.

• The threats from various non-state actors have posed severe challenge to the state overshadowing the traditional military threats to India’s territorial integrity from Pakistan and China. What is at stake today is the stability and integrity of the nation. The ISI of Pakistan with covert assistance from Bangladesh & Nepal, have been training, funding & equipping the separatist groups in Kashmir, various home grown ‘Jihadi’ terror cells in different parts of the country and the insurgents in the North-East. There are reasons to believe that the so-called ‘left extremists’ are also receiving arms, equipment & support from our neighbourhood. These persistent security threats are core issues needing urgent attention from the Government because India’s much vaunted march forward as a regional power will depend on whether or not we succeed in overcoming the challenges.
• It is important to note that nearly all our internal security problems have external dimensions, one way or the other. A large multi-ethnic, multi-religious, diverse country with hundreds of castes and tribes has inherent potential for intra-state conflicts. The problem has become all the more acute because the state, even after sixty seven years freedom from colonial rule, has failed to deliver social and economic justice to vast majority of its citizens despite tall promises made in the constitution.
• The resultant alienation and despair amongst sizeable segments of the population have provided huge window of opportunity to hostile neighbouring countries to foment trouble by supporting various disgruntled groups and neglected elements in the society. A democratic, free, liberal country like ours is especially vulnerable because it offers endless opportunities to terrorists and insurgents to operate, establish bases, raise funds, procure weapons, communicate and mobilize support from the civil society.
• The ruling political elite and corrupt, inefficient bureaucracy have not only failed to govern and deliver the core services, they have also demonstrated lamentable lack of will and courage to adopt strong measures and tackle headlong the growing threats to security. The political leaders in power have politicized the response to terror. They remain ever reluctant to adopt strong legal measures for fear of losing at the hustings because tough terrorism-specific laws, though passed in many democratic countries in the west, would be unpopular among a section of India’s population.

Answer : Media is the most powerful tool of communication. It helps promoting the right things on right time. It gives a real exposure to the mass audience about what is right or wrong. Even though media is linked with spreading fake news like a fire, but on the safe side, it helps a lot to inform us about the realities as well. Media, the means of communication that reaches or influences people widely has a significant place in the statecraft machinery especially in the age of information revolution.

• It is the source of information for a society regarding any issue is it local, regional or global, people rely and even trust on what is presented to them by media. Therefore, this dimension / value of media increases its significance as an influential and instrumental tool with regards to building confidence or promoting mistrust among people on issues related to national security.
• This significance of media can be witnessed at the times of crisis of national level. It turns out to be evident that governments desperately need enhanced media support for projection of their clear stance and moral dominance. Thus, the obvious answer is that in the contemporary technological era, the media would continue to be a tool to pursue the national interests effectively.
• Media is regarded as fourth estate or fourth Pillar which helps the state to further its interests, objectives and goals. Since the dawn of information revolution and the use of media for 'attaining war objectives by other means,' media is an important element in opinion making/building, creating heroes & villains, and creating monsters and enemies.
• The immense power of media in creating popular/mass image has been used successfully by states to offset their enemies and foes, internally and externally. But, regardless of the degree of independence and impartiality available to the media, it has been widely seen that in matters of national security and interests, media follows the nationalistic lines. Increasingly, now nation states and non-state political actors have recognized the immense power of media and its use for their objectives.
• Media and National Security The term 'national security' has long been used by politicians as a symbolic phrase and by military leaders to describe a policy objective. National security has a wide meaning and all-embracing dimensions. Threat posed to any element of national power creates security problems. The role of media in war is not just to project the developing activities in a particular area but to offer a comprehensive picture, encompassing all aspects of the policies of the country. Currently, the war is not only fought by the armed forces but the whole nation is engaged in the economic, scientific, political and social endeavours and production in all feasible fields. It is a viable objective, which is achieved through the information and dissemination process of the media.

Answer : The use of the internet for raising money, propagate terror ideology and engineer recruitment is another significant aspect of modern day terrorism. The internet is widely used for purposes of propaganda, recruitment, information, and intelligence. It has become like a virtual sanctuary for cell based terrorism which is not territorially bound like the al Qaeda. Terror handbooks, videos, and propaganda are uploaded into the internet for wide dissemination and publicity. Websites carry the message of terror groups to a wider audience and generate funds and recruits to their cause. Terrorists are also increasingly using the internet chat rooms to “share information, coordinate attacks, spread propaganda, raise funds, and recruit. The use of the internet serves the purpose of terrorist groups because they operate in small cells and are not based in a single geographical area. Hence, for operational planning, the internet, satellite and mobile phones are being used extensively. This easy communication through the internet brings in the transnational character of terrorism. Terrorists can be anywhere and yet stay wired using technology. Even during attacks, the leader of a particular terror attack can give instructions via satellite phone. During the Mumbai attacks in 2008, the 10 LeT men broke up into small teams and were in touch with each other through the cell phone devices like Blackberries. They used the Global Positioning System (GPS) to steer their boat towards Mumbai. During the attacks at the Taj Hotel, the terrorists were continuously being instructed via satellite phone by their Pakistan based controllers.

• It is also easier for the terror groups to spread their radical ideologies, make financial transfers as well as coordinate small cells in India through the internet. This is an aspect that would need to be grappled with and recognized as the next big challenge for the counter-terror forces in India. Besides this, there is another motive of terrorists using cyber. Terrorists aim to target critical infrastructure like transportation networks, banking and finance, fuel production, military complexes, etc. In achieving this end, the terrorists use Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS). Cyber-attacks are also low cost as malicious software is easily available on the internet, and the added anonymity of the attacks creates a low risk situation
• Thus, it is quite evident that some form of restriction on internet and cyberspace is necessary for maintaining internal security in a diverse nation like India.

Answer : OPERATION STEEPLECHASE- Naxalism gets its name from May 1967’s peasant uprising at Naxalbari in Darjeeling, West Bengal, which led to the founding of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist). It still thrives in the new avatar of Left-wing extremism. It started when three sharecroppers lifted 300 mounds of paddy from the granary of a jotedar with the support of 150 CPI (M) workers armed with lathis, bows and arrows. The initial dithering of the authorities added momentum to the Naxalite movement, which lasted 52 days before the state came down heavily on the radicals, killing 20 of them. With the Chinese communist newspaper, People’s Daily, eulogising it as “spring thunder” over India, the movement spread to new areas in other states. While sustained and strong police action kept it under check in West Bengal, the release of the Naxalite leaders after the CPI (M) tasted power at the ballot for the first time in 1969, gave the movement a fresh lease of life. On May Day in 1969, Sanyal announced the birth of CPI (ML). In July 1971, however the government mobilised the Indian Army against the Naxalites and launched a colossal combined army and police counter-insurgency operation, termed "Operation Steeplechase," killing hundreds of Naxalites and imprisoning more than 20,000 suspects and cadres, including senior leaders. The paramilitary forces and a brigade of para commandos also participated in Operation Steeplechase.

• This, coupled with Mazumdar’s death in police custody a year later, destroyed Naxalism in West Bengal. Sanyal, who had fled to Andhra Pradesh, made it clear that the Naxalite movement was “an armed struggle not for land but state power”. The party programme, adopted in 1970, made no mention of the struggle for the socio-economic uplift of the poor, and focused instead on guerrilla warfare. The issues of landless labourers and poor peasants were a plank for the Naxalites to build up a support system. The debate on the use of firearms in advancing the Naxalite ideology resulted in the formation of many splinter groups. By 1980, in the effervescence that followed the Emergency, there were 30-odd Naxalite groups bearing such names as the pro- or anti- Lin Piao factions and the People’s War Group.
• In 2004, the two violent factions— the Maoists’ Communist Centre and the People’s War Group—joined hands to form the CPI (Maoist). Since, Maoists have been operating as a unified force, setting off landmines, leading jailbreaks, assassinating politicians in and out of power and resorting to other extreme forms of lawlessness and violence. They adopt practices like torture, mutilation and killings after trials in kangaroo courts or the Jan Adalats. They are a regular force with squads patterned on army platoons.
• The 15,000 Maoists in India, with about 10,000 firearms, pose a big internal security challenge. They are active and wield influence in 170 of the 602 districts spread over 16 of the 33 states. The backing of local tribes makes it difficult for the government to contain them. With the radicals developing military capabilities like mobile guerrilla warfare, potential investment destinations—particularly for the mineral extraction industry—situated in Naxalite-dominated areas in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal may become unviable.

OPERATION BARGA- Operation Barga was a land reform movement throughout rural West Bengal for recording the names of sharecroppers (bargadars) while avoiding the time-consuming method of recording through the settlement machinery. It bestowed on the bargadars, the legal protection against eviction by the landlords, and entitled them to the due share of the produce. Operation Barga was launched in 1978 and concluded by the mid-1980s. Introduced in 1978, and given legal backing in 1979 and 1980, Operation Barga became a popular but controversial measure for land reforms. The ultimate aim of these land reforms was to facilitate the conversion of the state's bargadars into landowners, in line with the Directive Principles of State Policy of the Indian Constitution (Art. 34). To date, Op Barga has recorded the names of approximately 1.5 million bargadars. Since then, it has been marked as one of the more successful land reforms programs in India.

• Operation Barga (and West Bengal's land reforms in general) have been criticized for their small scope and inability to solve all the major problems. This criticism has been mainly due to policies not accounting for the high landmass-population ratio in Bengal (the highest in the country), the small and highly segregated land holding patterns and failure of the Government to develop agri-industrial markets for farm produce. These failures, critics contend, have distributed poverty rather than creating prosperity. They point out that in spite of these measures, Bengal’s agricultural infrastructure and financial situation is no better than in most other states. Additionally, there are reports that have indicated that the success of Operation Barga has not continued after its demise. The National Sample Survey (NSS) data of 1999 has reported that only 30.6 per cent of all sharecroppers were registered, and that there was a “distinct class bias”. Such a class bias, and the involvement of only the more influential among the agricultural class, has led to a creation of "rural rich", while the poorer sections and backward castes have been comparatively marginalized in terms of effectiveness of this program. Studies have also noted that the landlords continued to own the largest holdings in the villages and the value of their holdings increased substantially.
• An unanswered question mark in India’s democratic polity, Naxalism is not merely a law-and-order problem. It has to be addressed simultaneously on the political, security, development and public-perception management fronts in a holistic manner. But as the government grapples with the challenge, Naxalites strengthen their sway.

Answer : Organized crime and terrorism result from ineffective governance and have developed a symbiotic relationship; nevertheless, it is essential to differentiate them. Neither are all terrorist acts organized crime, nor are all organized criminal acts terrorism; in most developed countries, organized crime thrives with little or no terrorist activities, and in most developing countries, terrorism exists along with varying levels of organized criminal activity.

• Difference between Organised Crime and Terrorism: Terrorism aims to overthrow the existing government by altering the status quo. Organized crime, on the other hand aims to form a parallel government while coexisting with the existing one; any change in the status quo is only circumstantial and born out of convenience rather than zealous revisionist policy. Secondly, terrorism primarily uses violent means, whereas organized crime prefers to be non-violent notwithstanding odd resort to belligerence. Third, terrorism is driven purely by political objectives despite exploitation of regional, national and religious sentiments to achieve their ends; conversely, economic objectives are the operational determinants of organized crime.
• Linkages between terrorism and organized crime: While organized crime involves many activities, its linkages with terrorism stem from illegal trafficking of drugs, arms and human beings and money laundering. Terrorist groups, whether indigenous or sponsored by outside states, need arms and money for their fight against the security forces. Organized crime conglomerates need a clientele and couriers who can smuggle drugs, arms and human beings across the countries and regions.
• In India, the linkages between the two exist at national and transnational levels. At the national level, both terrorists and those involved in organized crime are within India. At the international level, collaboration exists between transnational syndicates and terrorists from inside and outside India.
• In India’s northeast, almost all the militant groups run a parallel government or have their areas of influence and are involved in collecting money directly from the people. Much of the government funds reach the militants indirectly due to mis-governance.
• In Kashmir, the linkages between terrorists and organized crime exist at a different level. Unlike the northeast, reliance on funds from extortion and other related means is minimal. There is no parallel government in Kashmir and government resources do not reach militant hands. However, external funds compensate for inadequate internal mobilization. External funds reach the militant organizations fighting in Kashmir through various means.
• Another significant relationship between organized crime and terrorism, especially in Kashmir, is through the spread of counterfeit currency. Terrorists are the main couriers of Indian counterfeit currency inside Kashmir, which then spreads all over India. Even guides for the militants from across the border are paid with counterfeit money. In fact, when some of the ‘indigenous’ militants were also paid with counterfeits, it resulted in squabble between them and the so-called guest militants.
• Besides Kashmir and the northeast, sporadic incidents in other parts of India like the Bombay blasts, for instance, have exposed the connection between terrorism and organized crime. This is distinct from the traditional linkages flourishing between organized crime syndicates and local criminals.

Answer : The important objectives of land reform measures in India were:

1. To enhance the productivity of land by improving the economic conditions of farmers and tenants so that they may have the interest to invest in and improve agriculture
2. To ensure distributive justice and to create an egalitarian society by eliminating all forms of exploitation
3. To create a system of peasant proprietorship with the motto of land to the tiller
4. To transfer the incomes of the few too many so that the demand for consumer goods would be created

On the recommendation of Central Land Reforms Committee, Government of India issued a guideline in 1972 which was a follows:

• The ceiling for double cropped irrigated land was to be 10-18 acres; it was 27 acres for single crop and 54 acre for inferior dry lands.
• Ceiling was to be applicable for a family of Unit 5 members (Husband + Wife + 3 Children).
• In distribution of Surplus land, priority was to be given to landless labourers belonging to SC/ST.
• Many states passed revised legislations for land ceiling. Resistance to ceiling laws increased which resulted in filing of several cases. 7.3 million acres of land was declared surplus of which 5 million acres was distributed.
• Compensation has to be well below market price.
• The process involved in the distribution of surplus land was complicated and time consuming thanks to the intervention of the court. Many land owners surrendered but only inferior and uncultivable land. The allottees, in many cases, could not make proper use of the land as they did not have the money to improve the soil.
• There are many factors responsible for the tardy progress but important among them are the lack of adequate direction and determination, lack of political will, absence of pressure from below, inadequate policy instrument, legal hurdles, absence of correct-up-dated land records and the lack of financial support. Result, land reforms remain incomplete and unfinished.

Answer : Provisions of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996

• The Act begins with redefining the village in terms of habitations that comprise a community.
• There is a basic difference between 'Gram Sabha' under PESA and Gram Sabha in General areas.
• Article 40, 243G, 243A envisages 'endowments of powers as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government.
• Two specific functions are expected at villa level: Management of Community resources and Resolution of disputes
• The most crucial task in the implementation of PESA is to redefine the village and redraw the village map
• The legislation has potential of containing Naxalism due to following factors.
• The act has the provision of using the competency of community
• The act envisages command over and management or resources which is the root cause of Naxalism.
• GS has been empowered under PESA for prevention of land alienation
• GS has been given the power and authority to control the markets
• Tribal community has been given access and right over forest and minor forest produce.
• State governments should take initiatives for subordinate legislation to facilitate the above provisions.

PESA Act 1996 has a great potential to wipe out Naxal violence, preserve forests and ecology, and to assimilate 8 crore tribal into the national mainstream. But state governments lack will power to implement the PESA act honestly.

The main hurdle in the proper implementation of PESA comes from the nexus of bureaucrats and politicians who would lose authority in tribal areas. They have always subordinated the welfare of poor tribals in favor of the rich or the powerful. Giving real autonomy to Gram Sabhas, as envisioned in the Act, would leave them without much influence.

Economic liberalization has brought the corporate giants into the region hunting for minerals for their mega size industrial exploits. Industry is wreaking havoc with the living conditions of the tribals under the liberalization regime. Their acts force the helpless tribals to leave the land they have known to be their own since ages. Compensation and rehabilitation plans are hardly ever implemented with honesty and dignity.

Looking at the performance of State governments in implementation of PESA and their tendency to by-pass it, the Central government should issue a notification that all other laws will be subordinate to PESA in the fifth schedule (or PESA) areas.

PESA has the real potential to deal a fatal blow to the leftwing extremists thriving on their backwardness, ignorance, and isolation. The “Original Indian People” of India deserve a life free of exploitation, poverty, and fear.

Answer : Women are soft targets and most of the cases instituted have not been properly investigated.

• There are various crimes against women that come under IPC, Dowry Prohibition Act, and Domestic Violence Act etc. investigating machinery do not adopt scientific tools like forensic support, DNA technology in investigating such crimes.
• Conviction rates are very poor due to poor evidences etc. It also takes many years in conclusion of trial. Most of the cases against women are not reported due to social stigma involved.

Effective steps needed to prevent crime against women

• In every district there should be government prosecutors especially for disposal of women related crimes.
• There is a need to give proper representation of women in police force especially at officer level.
• Special courts should be setup with the provision of speedy trial.
• There is need of stringent law against rape and other crimes against women.

Answer : Potential Threats from 'Cyber Crimes'

• Harassing anyone with a use of a computer that could be via e-mail, Cyber-stalking. The most important Cyber Crime known today is dissemination of obscene material.
• Computer vandalism, transmission of harmful programmes etc.
• Data diddling is a common computer related crime which involves changing data prior to or during input to a computer.
• Other Cyber Crimes are Trojan horse attacks, Logic bombs, Impersonation, Computer Virus etc.
• Cyber Crime is a newly specialised field and there is absolutely no comprehensive law on cybercrime in India. The investigating machinery finds difficulty in charging the offenders. The police require training and capacity building to meet the growing challenges of cybercrimes.

There are many drawbacks which prevent cybercrimes from being solved in India. Firstly, most people in India prefer not to report cybercrimes to the law enforcement agencies because they fear it might invite a lot of harassment. Secondly, awareness of cybercrime is extremely low. Thirdly, the law enforcement agencies in the country are not well equipped and knowledgeable enough about cybercrime. “There is an immense need for training the law enforcement agencies. Very few cities have cybercrime cells. Under the IT Act, the relevant officer entitled to investigate a cybercrime is a deputy superintendent of police, but most DSPs are not well equipped to fight cybercrime. “There is a need for dedicated, continuous, updated training of the law enforcement agencies. There is also a lack of dedicated cybercrime courts in the country where expertise in cybercrime can be utilized. The problem is that awareness of people about cybercrime is still very low and so we need to take many steps to invigorate the legal scenario. There is a need for a distinct law on cybercrime and appropriate changes should be made in the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. “Uniform guidelines on cyber forensic tools and strategies should be circulated among investigating officers of cybercrime in the country. There is also a need to expedite cybercrime trials. We further need to learn constantly from the ever-growing developments in cybercrime all across the world.

Answer : Salient Features of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act 1958

• The Act applies to Army, Air Force and CPMF
• The special provisions include:
• Power to use force including firing if prohibitory order is in force in disturbed area.
• Power to destroy hideout, training camps etc.
• Power to arrest without a warrant.
• Power to enter and search premises without search warrant.
• Arrested person to be handed over to nearest police station.
• Armed forces have immunity from prosecution except with previous sanction of Union Govt.

Safeguard Needed

• Act should not be applicable in whole of the state, rather only in affected part.
• It should be only enforced for a limited period (say 6 months)
• Human-Rights violation cases must be investigated and responsibility fixed.

Answer : Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act 1999. (MCOCA) defines organized crime as any continuing unlawful activity by an individual, or in group, by use of violence or other unlawful means with the objective of gaining any benefit or advantage for himself, or any other person or promoting insurgency. Organized crime includes extortion, kidnapping for ransom, gunrunning, money laundering.

• Organized crime includes both violations of personal life and liberty and economic offences. The globalization of the economy has helped the crime syndicates carry out their illegal activities across the borders.

Under MCOCA

• There is provision for enhanced punishment for organized crime.
• Special Courts have to be created for speedy trial
• There is also provision of interception of communication under which security agencies can very effectively intercept such communications. Sufficient safeguards have also been incorporated to prevent misuse of such power.
• Certain confessions have been made admissible if they are made before an officer above the rank of SP.
• Protection of witness has also been ensured.
• In certain cases onus lies on the accused for proving his innocence.
• Thus it is evident that the Act has provided for a very elaborate mechanism to tackle organized crime. Based upon usefulness of this law, some of the states like Karnataka, A.P., and Delhi have also enacted such acts.

Answer : An ongoing separatist struggle has continued in the region since the late 1940s, making it the longest running separatist struggle in South Asia. There are multiple parties involved in the struggles including different ethnic groups and states, some of whom want total independence from India while others call for a restructuring of the states.

• The Northeast states have accused New Delhi of ignoring the issues concerning them. A feeling of second-class citizenship meted out to them by mainland Indians has led the natives of these states to seek greater self-governance. There are also existing territorial disputes within the Northeastern states, including between Manipur and Nagaland, Nagaland and Assam, Meghalaya and Assam, and Mizoram and Assam. These are often based on historical border disputes and differing ethnic, tribal or cultural affinities. There have been a number of insurgent activities and regional movements in all parts of the northeast, often unique in character to each state. Military action by the armed and paramilitary forces and political action have led to the intensity of these insurgencies fluctuating and to the resolution of the insurgency in Mizoram.
• India’s ‘look east policy’ which was formulated in 1991 on the heels of India’s economic liberalization, was a foreign economic policy initiative towards South East Asia. The Northeast which is geographically situated between mainland India and Southeast Asia is supposed to have had immense developmental benefits as a result of this initiative and hence, have synergy effects on reducing poverty in the region; as well as on insurgency and armed conflict. The region’s diverse natural resources, rich bio-diversity and enormous hydro-electricity potential, among others, could also help to overcome the widespread feeling of backwardness among the inhabitants of the Northeast. But there is also increasing argument made that the impact of increased introduction of market imperatives in the traditional society of the region would have irreversible impact on the people’s culture and life and it would also lead to increased settlement of mainland people to the northeast. Thereby it is of high importance, that the announced opening will take place in a regulated frame and through cooperation with the local people, otherwise it could aggravate the tensions between the center and the region.
• The government has also faced criticism in the way in which it has been looking at the Northeast as an issue of territorial security rather than development per say. The fear of a growing Chinese influence, as well as, increasing cross-border terrorism (Myanmar, Bangladesh) in the region are some of the factors cited as reasons for limiting India in its attempt to open the region.

Answer : The Assam Rifles created in 1835 is the oldest Central Para Military force. The force was raised in the background of protecting the Assam plains against the unruly tribes inhabited around the area. The force is also known as “sentinels of the North – East” and “Friends of the Hill people”.

• It has played an important role of anti-insurgency operations under overall control of army.
• It is commanded by an officer of the rank of Lt General of the Indian Army.
• Its headquarters is located in Shillong, where HQ Director General of Assam Rifles is stationed.
• The next in hierarchy is the Inspector General Assam Rifles and is commanded by an officer of the rank of Major General from the army.
• During peace and 'proxy war', it ensures security of the Indo-China and Indo-Myanmar borders. It takes over from central paramilitary forces guarding Tibetan border if the situation cannot be handled by it properly.

Answer : CBI derives power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. Section 2 of the Act vests DSPE with jurisdiction to investigate offences in the Union Territories only. However, the jurisdiction can be extended by the Central Government to other areas including Railway areas and States under Section 5(1) of the Act, provided the State Government accords consent under Section 6 of the Act. The executive officers of CBI of the rank of Sub Inspector and above exercise all powers of a station office in-charge of the police station for the concerned area for the purpose of investigation. As per Section 3 of the Act, Special Police Establishment is authorised to investigate only those cases, which are notified by the Central Government from time to time.

• The Central Bureau of Investigation has emerged as a premier investigating agency of the country which enjoys the trust of the people, Parliament, Judiciary and the Government. In the last 65 years, the organisation has evolved from an anti-corruption agency to a multifaceted, multidisciplinary central police law enforcement agency with capability, credibility and legal mandate to investigate and prosecute offences anywhere in India. As on date offences under 69 existing Central and 18 State Acts, 231 offences under the Indian Penal Code have been notified by the Central Government under section 3 of the DSPE Act.

Suggestions for CBI with Functional Autonomy

The officers for the cadre of CBI it was suggested that the present system of having a mix of permanent cadre along with officers on deputation can be continued with modification that the CBI Director be allowed to induct officer till the rank of S.P. and not till inspectors. It will allow the officers from CBI cadre to man the top positions in the CBI and the involvement of officers on deputation from the states would ensure active participation of state police machinery in investigation in different states.

The next suggestion is that long pending demand of CBI to have its own panel of lawyers thereby giving it greater autonomy, especially in politically-sensitive investigations. Also, the following proposal of Central Government made in the affidavit before the Supreme Court, were:

1. CBI budget may be separately put up directly to Department of Expenditure through the minister.
2. The CBI Director is given a minimum 2 years term.

Answer : Pakistan poses the most serious threat to India's national security. India's unresolved issues with Pakistan are well known like Kashmir, Siachen, Afghanistan and the nuclear issue.

• Pakistan provides covert support, money, training and sophisticated weaponry to secessionists which has become an issue of grave concern for India. In sponsored terrorism, criminal elements like smugglers, history-sheeters, join to make quick money.
• In Kashmir, there is an attempt to revive the movement for self-determination and simultaneous rise of Islamic fundamentalism and separatist sentiments. ISI had repeatedly expanding terrorist training system and has suitably integrated them with Madarsas in Pakistan. The ISI operations in India involve North east insurgency, militancy in Punjab and J&K and repeated bomb-blast in different parts of the country.
• Several Pan-Islamic international terrorist groups in active collaboration with ISI are running a number of training camps in Taliban controlled areas in Afghanistan for carrying subversive activities in J&K.

Answer : Under the ambit of new police reforms, investigation of cases has been separated from law and order, security and other duties, which will improve overall performance of police in the province. Other advantages are:

• Police under the safety net of the judiciary
• Greater scrutiny and supervision by the magistracy and public prosecutors
• Increase conviction rates
• Speedy and thorough investigation
• Increase expertise in prevention and detection of crime
• Better rapport with people
• An overall increase in staff at Police Station levels.
• Pave the way for a federal agency for investigation

Answer : A Bill for the formation of the National Investigation Agency was passed by Parliament in December 2008. As per the Bill, NIA has concurrent jurisdiction which empowers the Centre to probe terror attacks in any part of the country, covering offences, including challenge to the country's sovereignty and integrity, bomb blasts, hijacking of aircraft and ships, and attacks on nuclear installations.

Mission of NIA:

• In-depth professional investigation of scheduled offences using the latest scientific methods of investigation and setting up such standards as to ensure that all cases entrusted to the NIA are detected.
• Ensuring effective and speedy trial.
• Developing into a thoroughly professional, result oriented organization, upholding the constitution of India and Laws of the Land giving prime importance to the protection of Human Rights and dignity of the individual.
• Developing a professional work force through regular training and exposure to the best practices and procedures.
• Displaying scientific temper and progressive spirit while discharging the duties assigned.
• Inducting modern methods and latest technology in every sphere of activities of the agency.
• Maintaining professional and cordial relations with the governments of States and Union Territories and other law enforcement agencies in compliance of the legal provisions of the NIA Act.
• Assist all States and other investigating agencies in investigation of terrorist cases.
• Build a data base on all terrorist related information and share the data base available with the States and other agencies.
• Study and analyse laws relating to terrorism in other countries and regularly evaluate the adequacy of existing laws in India and propose changes as and when necessary.
• To win the confidence of the citizens of India through selfless and fearless endeavours.

Answer : The increasing communal tensions and riots during the early nineties had been putting a serious strain on the secular structure of Indian Society. Consequently the Government took a well-considered decision to set up a special anti-riot force which could reach the place of occurrence with the quickest possible speed and deal with communal riot or riot-like situation in an absolutely objective and non-partisan manner.

• Recently RAF has announced to use only 'nonlethal weapons' to control riots and unrest in the country to ensure minimum loss during operations across the country.

Answer : Till 1965 India’s borders with Pakistan were manned by the State Armed Police Battalion. As a result of the recommendations of the Committee of Secretaries, the Border Security Force came into existence on 01 Dec 1965, and Shri K.F. Rustamji was the first chief and founding father.

The tasks of the BSF are divided as follows:

1. Peace Time:

• Promote a sense of security among the people living in the border areas.
• Prevent trans-border crimes, unauthorized entry into or exit from the territory of India.
• Prevent smuggling and any other illegal activity.
• In the last few years the BSF has, in addition to their duties, been deployed for counter insurgency and internal security duties

2. War Time:

• Holding ground in less threatened sectors.
• Protection of vital installations.
• Assistance in control of refugees.
• Anti-infiltration duties in specified areas.

Answer : SPG is responsible for the protection of the Prime Ministers, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members. The force was established in 1985 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It provides proximate security to protectees, including protection provided from close quarters, journey on foot, road, rail, aircraft, watercraft or any other means of transport, and includes places of functions, engagements, residence, etc.

Answer : Constituted by upgradation/conversion of 8 battalions of CPMF and CISF. These battalions have been presently stationed at eight judiciously selected places.These units will work under the general Superintendence, direction and control of NDMA. States have also been advised to setup their own Specialized Response Teams.

Answer : Indo-Tibetan Border Police was conceived on October 24, 1962. ITBP was initially raised under the CRPF Act, however in 1992, the parliament enacted the ITBPF Act and rules there under were framed in 1994.

ITBP is a multidimensional force. Presently Battalions of ITBP deployed on Border Guarding Duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jelep La in Arunachal Pradesh covering 3488 KM of India China Border are manning Border Out-Posts at an altitude ranging from 9000’ to 18500’ in the Western, Middle & Eastern Sector of India China Border.

Functions & Tasks:

1. Vigil on the northern borders, detection and prevention of border violations, and promotion of the sense of security among the local populace.
2. Check illegal immigration, trans-border smuggling and crimes.
3. Security to sensitive installations, banks and protected persons.
4. Restore and preserve order in any area in the event of disturbance.

Answer : Since 1990, India has been the victim of cyber-attacks from Pakistan and China. There are increasing evidences of resources being taken by terrorists to the cyberspace domain. In early March 2013, suspected Chinese hackers breached the computers of India's top military organisation, the DRDO. India faced a severe test of its cyber security during the 2010 Commonwealth games when cyber-attacks from Pakistan and China sought to damage information systems.

India has the following Cyber threats:

• Traditional threats
• Irregular threats
• Catastrophic threats
• Disruptive threats
• Natural threats

Section 66A of IT Act, 2008 provides for punishment for sending offensive messages through communication services. This provision is widely held by legal experts to be unconstitutional as it violates freedom of speech guaranteed by article 19(1) of the Constitution.

• Factors that determine foreign investment : Foreign investment in a country is determined by several factors including- economic prospects as reflected by macroeconomic indicators, size of the market, purchasing capacity of the people, business environment, government economic policies and the level of infrastructure development.
• Why China gets more investment: China is the fastest growing economy of the world. The size of the market is big. The purchasing capacity of the people is increasing. China is a more stable economy due to its sustained economic growth and certainty in government policies. The macroeconomic parameters of China such as GDP growth rate, fiscal deficit, inflation, trade surplus etc. are positive and managed well. The business environment of China and government’s economic policy is conducive and investment friendly. Labour and wage policy of the country is favourable. The country has a fast and transparent single window clearance system for different investment proposals. The infrastructure development of the country is better. The country has a communist system of governance where there is less scope for policy differences and decisions taken are fast.
• Why India is not able to compete with China for foreign investment: The post economic phase has seen increase in foreign investment from $10 billion in the eighties to $20 billion in the nineties and to $40 billion in the new millennium as compared to more than $ 120 billion in China. Inflow of foreign investment in India is marked by fluctuations and slow rate of growth due to unstable macroeconomic parameters, uncertainty in government policies, policy paralysis, unstable business environment, delays in clearance of the investment proposals, inflexible labour laws, inadequate infrastructure etc. Despite being a more open economy and a prospective market than China, India gets lesser foreign investment.

Answer : The State Armed Police Forces are organisations which provide the state with policing in particularly violent or serious situations. Such forces are often involved with combating banditry and Naxalites. Like the Central Armed Police Forces, they are sometimes known unofficially as "paramilitary forces".

• Each state police force maintains its own State Armed Police Force (known by names such as Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Special Armed Police, etc.) which is responsible for emergencies and crowd control issues.
• They are generally activated only on orders from the Additional Commissioner of Police, and higher-level authorities. The armed constabularies do not usually come into contact with the general public unless they are assigned to VIP duty or to maintain order during fairs, festivals, athletic events, elections, and natural disasters.
• They may also be sent to quell outbreaks of student or labour unrest, organised crime, and communal riots; to maintain key guard posts; and to participate in anti-terrorist operations. Depending on the type of assignment, the Armed Police force may carry only lathis or lethal weapons.

Answer : Revenue deficit is the difference between expenditure on revenue account of the budget and receipts on the revenue account of the budget. Effective revenue deficit is equal to revenue deficit minus capital grants by the central government to states or PSUs.

• FRBM Act proposes to reduce effective revenue deficit to zero level by 2016, because it is pure consumption expenditure on the part of government in excess of its receipts. Government is not so worried about grants for capital.

Answer : Both the poorest as well as the more prosperous ‘Green Revolution’ states of Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have recently witnessed a slow-down in agricultural growth and it ultimately led to farmer’s suicide. Some of the reasons for low growth are:

1. Public spending on agricultural subsidies is crowding out productivity-enhancing investments such as agricultural research and extension.
2. Over-regulation of domestic trade has increased costs, price risks and uncertainty, undermining the sector’s competitiveness.
3. Inadequate infrastructure and services in rural areas.
4. Inequitable allocation of water.
5. Deteriorating irrigation infrastructure.
6. Stringent land regulations discourage rural investments.
7. Poor credit facility.

Steps taken by the government are:

• The NFSM, launched in 2007, is a crop development scheme of the Government of India that aims at additional production of 10, 8, and 2 million tonnes of rice, wheat, and pulses respectively.
• Macro Management of Agriculture scheme provides assistance in the form of grants: loan to the states/UTs on 90:10 ratio bases, except in case of the north-eastern states where the central share is 100 per cent grant. The MMA Scheme was revised in 2008 to improve its efficacy in supplementing/complementing the efforts of the states towards enhancement of agricultural production and productivity. It also provides opportunity to draw upon agricultural development programmes out of ten sub-schemes relating to crop production and natural resource management, and give it the flexibility to use 20 per cent of resources for innovative components.
• The RKVY was launched in 2007-08 with an outlay of 25,000 crore in the Eleventh Plan for Incentivizing states to enhance public investment to achieve 4 per cent growth rate in agriculture and allied sectors.

Answer : It acts as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency. The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states.

• The Agency came into existence with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008. The Agency has been empowered to conduct investigation and prosecution of offenses under the Acts specified in the Schedule of the NIA Act.
• A State Government may request the Central Government to hand over the investigation of a case to the NIA, provided the case has been registered for the offenses as contained in the schedule to the NIA Act.
• Central Government can also order NIA to take over investigation of any scheduled offense anywhere in India.

Answer : Near field communication (NFC) is a set of standards for smart phones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more than a few inches.

• Present and anticipated applications include contactless transactions, data exchange, and simplified setup of more complex communications such as Wi-Fi.

Answer : The Department of Border Management was created in MHA in January 2004 to pay focused attention to the issues relating to management of international land and coastal borders, especially the internal security aspect.

• The Border Area Development programme is implemented by the newly created department which includes expeditious construction of fencing, flood-lighting and roads along Indo- Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders, setting up integrated check posts construction at strategic roads, etc.

• Sagar Prahari Bal (SPB) is a unit of Indian Navy which was formed in March 2009. It consists of 1000 personnel and is equipped with 80 patrol boats.
• The main duty of the force is to guard against the terrorist attacks by patrolling the coastline and also to conduct search and rescue operations.
• The SPB maintains security at all major and minor ports in India and carries out round the clock patrolling.

• 26/11 attacks on Mumbai led to the exposure of several weaknesses in India's intelligence gathering and action networks. Hence the idea of National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) was proposed.
• It is an attached office of the Home Ministry with a mandate to link databases, for collecting actionable intelligence to combat terrorism and internal security threats.
• The NATGRID will pool information from 21 categories of database, including rail and air travel, income tax, bank accounts details for ready access by intelligence agencies.
• This combined data will be made available to 11 central agencies, including the RAW, NIA, CBI, DRI, IB, to help them prevent terrorist attacks and other criminal activities.

Answer : Operation Green Hunt describes the operation launched by Government of India's paramilitary forces and the state's forces against the Naxalites in Red Corridor.

• About 100,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed by the Indian government in its anti-Maoist operations from the CRPF, Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and COBRA.

• The Indian Coast Guard is the maritime Para Military Force (PMF) of the Union of India.
• Its mission is the protection of India's maritime interests and enforcement of maritime law with jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including contiguous zone & exclusive economic zone.
• The Indian Coast Guard organization is headed by the Director General (DG ICG) assisted by four Deputy Director Generals of the rank of Inspector General, and other senior officers heading various staff divisions.

Answer : The Special Protection Group (SPG) is the executive protection agency of the Government of India.

• It is responsible for the protection of the Prime Minister of India, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members.
• The force was established in 1985 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

Answer : It was created on 14th November, 1962, near the end of Indo-China war. Its main goal was to conduct covert operations behind the Chinese lines in the event of another Indo-China war. Its headquarters is in Chakrata, 100 km from Dehradun.

• By early 1984, the SFF elite special group became the primary counter-terrorist force in India. They participated in the Golden Temple anti-terrorist operation.