'Can't Operate in Silos': Experts on PRAHAAR, India's First Anti-Terror Doctrine

'PRAHAAR doesn't create existing powers, it organises them coherently into a single framework,' say experts.

PRAHAAR, which stands for Proactive, Responsive, and Holistic Approach to Addressing Asymmetric Risks, reaffirms India's "zero tolerance" approach to all forms of terrorism.

(Photo: iStock)

"PRAHAAR is a formalisation of existing practices into one legal framework. It does not seem to create new powers; it organises them coherently."

Brig Kuldip Singh (retd) to The Quint

The Union Home Ministry on Monday, 23 February, unveiled India's first national counter-terrorism doctrine, titled 'PRAHAAR', which lays out a comprehensive strategy to tackle evolving terror threats—from cross border terrorism and drone-based smuggling to cybersecurity challenges, cryptocurrency funding, and the misuse of nuclear and chemical materials.

PRAHAAR, which stands for Proactive, Responsive, and Holistic Approach to Addressing Asymmetric Risks, reaffirms India's "zero tolerance" approach to all forms of terrorism.

While India already has robust legal frameworks like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the National Security Act (NSA), PRAHAAR is the country's first comprehensive and long-term counter-terrorism doctrine.

The Quint spoke to retired military officials and cybersecurity experts to understand the significance of the doctrine.

Understanding PRAHAAR

PRAHAAR aims to consolidate India’s counter-terror efforts across agencies and central authorities. The strategy builds on existing security structures while introducing formal protocols for intelligence sharing, coordination between the armed forces, paramilitary units, police, and rapid operational response during crises.

The policy acknowledges that contemporary terrorism operates across multiple domains. In addition to conventional militant threats, it addresses urban networks and cyber-enabled operations, noting how technology and encrypted communication tools have become embedded in terrorist methods. In response, PRAHAAR integrates digital intelligence and cyber defence into the broader national security planning framework.

"PRAHAAR encompasses a seven-stage framework which entails ‘intelligence-guided' prevention of terror attacks, a speedy response by central forces and the states, employment of the latest technology, strongly confronting radicalisation, especially among the youth, coordinating with friendly foreign institutions and, importantly, following human rights and rules-based processes," says Lt Gen Kamal Davar (retd), former Director General of India's Defence Intelligence Agency, while speaking to The Quint.

Gen Davar adds that the doctrine also highlights that apart from terror masterminded from across the border, some nations and criminal hackers continue to target India through cyber attacks.

Unfortunately, technology is being used for all sinister purposes, and I strongly feel that security institutions will have to conceive of and put into place electronic safeguards.”

Lt Gen Kamal Davar (retd)

Why PRAHAAR Was Needed

The rationale for a formal doctrine stems from shifts in the threat landscape of India. While India has faced terrorism for decades, the methods and reach of attackers have evolved. In the past, militant groups often trained abroad and returned with limited networks. Today, lone-wolf attacks and cyber-enabled operations have made prevention more complex.

Speaking about why a doctrine like PRAHAAR was necessary in the current climate, Brig Kuldip Singh (retd), ex-Principal Director (Defence & Intelligence), National Security Council Secretariat, told The Quint:

“Terrorism is not a new phenomenon; it is ages old and an enduring reality. Geopolitical shifts change the actors who employ terrorism as a tactic; the objectives, modus operandi and technology utilised evolve. The partial shift in our context from traditional cross-border-operated terrorism/militancy to lone-wolf/self-radicalised, technologically savvy actors made it necessary to formalise into a coherent doctrine what was already being practised in the field by the intelligence agencies and security forces.”

Formalising these procedures reduces ad hoc decision-making and clarifies responsibilities among central and state agencies and security forces, the document states, adding that it aims to prevent coordination failures and information gaps, which have historically undermined operational effectiveness.

Inter-Agency Mechanisms and Technical Architecture

Technically, PRAHAAR introduces standardised SOPs (Standard Operation Procedures) for information sharing. Intelligence inputs are categorised by threat type, urgency, and operational relevance to ensure prioritised circulation. Data streams from state police forces and national intelligence agencies are consolidated into an integrated threat monitoring interface accessible to authorised officials at both central and state levels, the document states.

This centralised architecture is designed to create a unified operational picture. Predictive analytics models, continuously updated with field intelligence and digital monitoring inputs, assess potential attack vectors and identify emerging risk clusters, the doctrine says, adding that the objective is to enable calibrated, preemptive action rather than post-incident containment.

"In combating terrorism, synergy, interoperability, and cooperation among the Centre and states and among our intelligence agencies are most important. Sharing information in a timely manner with no one-upmanship is critical to operational effectiveness. You cannot operate in silos," says Lt Gen Davar.

Additionally, PRAHAAR mandates joint training exercises across forces to simulate hybrid and cyber threat scenarios. These exercises test command hierarchies and technological interoperability across agencies. By stress-testing coordination mechanisms before a crisis occurs, the framework seeks to minimise friction during real-time operations.

International collaboration is also embedded within the doctrine. Coordinated counter-radicalisation initiatives and joint cybersecurity exercises aim to anticipate cross-border, transnational threats, including recruitment pipelines and digital financing networks that operate beyond territorial boundaries.

The Cyber Dimension

PRAHAAR also addresses the growing role of cyber threats. However, experts say that more needs to be done to tackle the challenges of modern warfare.

Karan Saini, an independent security researcher from New Delhi, told The Quint, “India's last public cybersecurity policy was released in 2013. The threat landscape has evolved significantly since then. The inclusion of cyber within India's counterterrorism strategy is a welcome acknowledgement of its strategic significance, but the strategy itself remains high-level and does little to address the challenges it identifies."

"Further, in the absence of an updated National Cyber Security Strategy, it remains unclear how the two might align and possibly overlap. Without this clarity, avoiding duplication of efforts across agencies will remain difficult," he adds.

Advocate Prashant Mali, cyber law expert, told The Quint that while PRAHAAR's cyber elements are a progressive acknowledgement of hybrid threats, yet they reveal structural silos, legal ambiguities, and technical dependencies that could undermine its ambitions.

"In my area of expertise, PRAHAAR aligns well with the IT Act’s cyber terrorism 66F provision but lacks specificity on regulatory updates, such as harmonising with Digital Personal Data Protection Act or addressing crypto regulation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This could hinder enforcement, as India’s regulatory framework remains reactive, with gaps in real-time data sharing mandates."

Prashant Mali

The doctrine also calls for enhanced digital monitoring of improved cyber forensics capacity and structured incident-response protocols for attacks targeting critical infrastructure. It integrates cyber intelligence with conventional human intelligence streams to create a layered threat detection mechanism.

How PRAHAAR Changes Counter-Terror Operations

The PRAHAAR doctrine states that it aims to move India toward prevention and preparedness while maintaining a capacity for rapid response. It lays out protocols for early warning, tactical coordination during attacks, and post-incident evaluation. Multi-agency collaboration, including paramilitary forces, police, intelligence agencies, and cyber specialists, is central to the doctrine.

"The modus operandi of the forces operating on the ground (i.e., the intelligence agencies and the security forces) and terrorist tradecraft never remain static but evolve continually in tune with technology and measures and countermeasures put in place by each side. Hence, in the field, there is already good coordination between various forces. PRAHAAR is a formalisation of existing practices into one legal framework. It does not seem to create new powers; it organises them coherently. Where there are glitches, those glitches happen on account of personalities, biases, and turf issues," says Brig Kuldip Singh.

A distinctive feature of PRAHAAR is its focus on hybrid threats and cyber operations. Lt Gen Davar said that PRAHAAR highlights that apart from terror masterminded from across the border, some nations and criminal hackers continue to target India through cyber attacks.

"Unfortunately, technology is being used for all sinister purposes, and I strongly feel that security institutions will have to conceive of and put into place electronic safeguards," he says, adding:

"In combating terrorism, cooperation among the intelligence agencies of friendly foreign nations must also be endeavoured. In addition, strict monitoring of money transfers coming into India should be carried out. Importantly, all efforts by both the Centre and States to discourage creeping radicalisation among some sections of our youth are sine qua non."

Lt Gen Kamal Davar (retd)

This doctrine further recognises that terrorism is a political and social phenomenon, not merely a military one. It says that counter-terror measures must therefore integrate civil administration and international collaboration.

The Long-Term Significance of PRAHAAR

The long-term goal of PRAHAAR is to create a coordinated and technologically adaptive counter-terror ecosystem. By formalising rapid response protocols and integrating cyber defence, the strategy minimises operational vulnerabilities and strengthens India’s credibility in international intelligence collaboration. This doctrine balances operational security with transparency, prevention with response, and conventional threats with digital-age risks.

PRAHAAR does not promise to make terrorism predictable or preventable. Instead, it provides India with a strategic, structured framework for tackling threats across cyber and social domains. If implemented effectively, it could shape the country’s counter-terror posture for decades, bridging past experience with modern challenges.

Brig Kuldip Singh, however, highlights several issues that the country needs to confront when it comes to terror threats.

"We need to note three issues: first, that many countries, including the US, Russia, UK, France, Germany, Pakistan, South American, African countries, et al, have sponsored or patronised terrorist entities to further their own national interests, and that propensity is expected to continue. Second, that traditionally, terrorism has been a tactic of the weak, i.e., for those who lack the power to impose their political will through ordinary political or military means; that’s why terrorists tend to focus on soft, civilian targets rather than more difficult-to-attack military targets. And third, that domestically, no amount of rules, surveillance, resources or force can restrain a person who decides that he/she is grossly aggrieved, rightly or wrongly, from turning to terrorism. Thus, domestically, political solutions and good governance are as important as operational ones."

Brig Kuldip Singh

(The Quint has reached out to the Union Home Ministry. This article will be updated as and when they respond.)