India to roll out Prahaar counterterror strategy in phases, government tells Parliament

New Delhi: India will progressively implement its Prahaar counterterror strategy, initially concentrating on integrating institutions, intelligence systems and operational responses, the ministry of home affairs told Parliament on Wednesday. The phased rollout is intended to allow the government to assess the framework’s effectiveness through multiple layers of monitoring before expanding its implementation.

The minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai, disclosed the approach in a written reply to members of the Rajya Sabha. He said Prahaar provided an intelligence-led and proactive national framework for preventing terrorism, countering radicalization and coordinating responses across the government and society.

Unveiled on February 23, 2026, the National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy is built around seven interconnected principles whose initials form the name Prahaar. These cover prevention, swift and proportionate responses, aggregation of national capabilities, adherence to human rights and the rule of law, attenuation of conditions enabling terrorism, international cooperation, and recovery and resilience. The policy document is available on the MHA website. [pdf]

Rai said the strategy sought to move India from reacting to terrorist attacks towards identifying and disrupting threats before they materialized. Its operational elements include real-time intelligence sharing through the Multi Agency Centre, protection of critical infrastructure and a coordinated chain of command linking state police forces with specialized central units such as the National Security Guard.

The framework also calls for the use of advanced technology and community-supported counter-radicalization programmes while retaining human rights and the rule of law as central safeguards. According to the government, these measures are intended to weaken the wider support system that enables terrorist recruitment, propaganda, financing and logistical operations.

Prahaar places particular emphasis on emerging channels of terror financing, including cryptocurrency wallets and fundraising conducted through the dark web. It envisages closer financial tracking, asset seizures by central agencies and the use of international agreements to disrupt cross-border and state-sponsored funding networks in accordance with Financial Action Task Force standards.

The policy’s threat assessment extends beyond conventional terrorist organizations to the use of encrypted communications, social-media platforms, drones, robotics and organized criminal networks. It also identifies the possible misuse of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive and digital materials, as well as cyberattacks by state and non-state actors, as areas requiring sustained preparedness.

Implementation will be evaluated through regular reviews and layered oversight, with the National Investigation Agency’s annual anti-terror conference serving as a key assessment forum. The conference brings together intelligence officials, security forces, police officers, policymakers and legal experts to examine operational shortcomings and recommend legal, institutional and policy changes.

The government has described Prahaar as a consolidation of counter-terror capabilities developed over the past decade rather than a replacement for existing mechanisms. A Press Information Bureau assessment said the doctrine brought preventive operations, intelligence coordination, terror-financing investigations, cross-border responses and international engagement under a single national framework.