India's rising stature would lead to national security challenges in years to come: Home Minister Amit Shah
Mr. Shah was speaking at the conclusion of the two-day 8th National Security Strategies (NSS) Conference-2025 organised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The Conference, held in hybrid format, was attended by around 800 police and intelligence officers from across the country.
He also instructed the involvement of young police officers in each State to brainstorm on national challenges and devise solutions to address them.
The Minister emphasised that the next 5-10 years would be very important for the development and security of the country. He said that internal security challenges would remain dynamic in view of India's geopolitical neighbourhood, asking State and Central security agencies to adopt the motto of 'Suraksha, Sajagta and Samanvay' (Security, Alertness and Coordination).
Action on drug cartels
He asked for strict action against big drug cartels, besides focusing on extradition of narco-offenders. The Director Generals of Police (DGPs) were directed to make anti-narcotics drive the prime agenda of the police for the next three years, pointing out that the police station was the focal point of intelligence collection.
Stressing upon the need for all-round development in Left-Wing Extremism affected areas, the Minister urged the DGPs to coordinate with State administrations to ensure the implementation of more than 300 Central and State development schemes at the grassroots level.
Underscoring the importance of securing smaller seaports, he emphasised on capacity building of State police to counter infiltration and smuggling activities. He also reviewed the counter terror initiatives and directed to take stringent legal action against repeat offenders.
The first day of the conference focused on the role of external actors who are inimical to the interests of the nation and their domestic linkages including involvement in narcotics trade; challenges posed by illegal use of encrypted communication apps, use of technology for crowd management and security of uninhabited islands. The issues related to financing of terror were also deliberated.
Mr. Shah directed dedicated measures to bring back fugitives involved in terrorist and smuggling activities with enhanced inter-agency coordination among Central and State law enforcement agencies.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs was asked to set up a forum with stakeholders across the spectrum to come up with solutions to counter the use of encrypted communication by terror networks. The Ministry was also asked to ensure that only indigenous technology is used by police organisations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
32 minutes ago
- News18
Parliament Monsoon Session Day 6 Live Updates: Fiery Op Sindoor Debate Begins In Lok Sabha Today
Parliament Monsoon Session Day 6 Live Updates: The much-awaited Operation Sindoor debate in the Parliament is all set to take the centrestage in the Parliamentary proceedings on Monday, as the Opposition demands answers from the government over India's May 7 to 10 operation against Pakistan. The Opposition also looks to corner the government over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed in cold blood. Top Ministers in the government, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Nishikant Dubey will take part in the Lok Sabha. LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to open the debate from the Opposition. The discussion in the Rajya Sabha will take place on Tuesday, July 29. Both Houses will hold 32 32-hour debate in all on the topic. India targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on May 7 operation.
Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Parliament set for heated debate on Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor
The first week of disruption in Parliament's Monsoon session is set to give way to a fiery debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor from Monday as the ruling NDA and the Opposition prepare to lock horns over the two issues steeped in national security and foreign policy imperatives. The BJP-led NDA and Opposition parties are expected to field their top guns during the discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be speaking on the issues amid indications that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may make an intervention to convey his government's 'robust' stand against terrorism. Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, may lead the charge against the government along with Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, besides a host of other members. The two sides have consented to a marathon 16-hour debate in each House, which invariably stretches longer in practice. Besides its battery of ministers and leaders like Anurag Thakur, Sudhanshu Trivedi and Nishikant Dubey, the ruling NDA is expected to field its members from the seven multi-party delegations that had travelled to over 30 world capitals to present India's case after Operation Sindoor. They include Shrikant Shinde of the Shiv Sena, Sanjay Jha of the JD(U) and Harish Balayogi of the TDP, among others. A big question mark is on whether Shashi Tharoor, who had led the delegation to the US among other countries, will be picked as a speaker by the Congress, as the seasoned Lok Sabha member's enthusiastic endorsement of the government's action following the terror attack has soured his ties with his party. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's decision to undertake a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi is likely to take up the matter in which the EC has justified its ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying it adds to the purity of the election by 'weeding out ineligible persons' from the electoral rolls. The poll panel, while justifying its June 24 decision directing the SIR, has said all major political parties were 'involved' in the exercise and deployed more than 1.5 lakh booth-level agents to reach out to eligible voters, but are opposing it in the apex court. 'The entitlement to vote flows from Article 326 read with Sections 16 and 19 of the RP Act 1950 and Section 62 of the RP Act 1951, which contains certain qualifications with respect to citizenship, age, and ordinary residency. An ineligible person has no right to vote, and thus, cannot claim a violation of Articles 19 and 21 in this regard,' it said. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma's plea seeking invalidation of a report by an in-house inquiry panel which found him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery row. A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih is likely to hear the matter. Justice Varma has also sought quashing of the May 8 recommendation by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, urging Parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against him. In his petition, Justice Varma submitted that the inquiry 'reversed the burden of proof', requiring him to investigate and disprove the charges levelled against him. Alleging that the panel's findings were based on a preconceived narrative, Justice Varma said the inquiry timelines were driven solely by the urge to conclude proceedings swiftly, even at the expense of 'procedural fairness'. The petition contended that the inquiry panel drew adverse findings without affording him a full and fair hearing. A meeting of the Telangana Cabinet will be held on Monday, where the expert panel report is expected to be a key agenda, official sources said. Telangana Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Saturday said the state Cabinet would meet to discuss the Independent Expert Working Group's (IEWG) report on the caste survey and determine the next course of action. The caste survey was held in two phases, employing over 1,03,889 enumerators and supervisors. The findings of the IEWG have not yet been made public. – With PTI inputs
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Exclusive: India works diplomatic hotlines from South Africa to Botswana to bring home next batch of cheetahs
Over the past two years, India has been working its diplomatic channels with Botswana, South Africa and Kenya as it navigates a complex set of negotiations to replenish its African cheetah population. Senior members of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have said that talks with South Africa, a key source country, have slowed down following the formation of a new political coalition after general elections there last year. At the same time, Botswana has formally committed to sending four cheetahs, and discussions are underway to finalise timelines. In Kenya, negotiations remain broad, centred on long-term collaboration rather than immediate translocation. As many as 20 cheetahs have already been brought to India as part of the country's ambitious translocation plans. Of these, eight were brought from Namibia in 2022 and 12 from South Africa in early 2023. They were all brought to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. In April this year, the Madhya Pradesh government announced that eight new cheetahs would be brought from Botswana and that the first four would arrive by May. That is yet to happen. A senior official from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said, 'We have sought an engagement to work out the logistics. Our High Commission is coordinating to arrive at dates of mutual convenience. The Union Minister concerned has been working on speeding up negotiations with the other countries.' Records of Cheetah Project Steering Committee meetings show that as early as December 13, 2023, the committee was apprised that 'steps have been taken for bringing further cheetahs from Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, and other range countries as well.' However, the NTCA has clarified that as of now, there is 'no arrangement with Sudan or Tanzania'. As for South Africa, with the translocation of 12 cheetahs having already taken place in 2023, experts from the country have been closely associated with India's Cheetah Project. However, the changes in government in the country have led to delays in further discussions to bring more cheetahs to India, officials said. 'In South Africa, there has been a significant change in the government since the last engagement. Hence, the processes are taking time. The new government is going through the nuances and understanding the project,' a senior NTCA official. In 2024, the ruling African National Congress lost its outright majority, which it had enjoyed for over 30 years, and has been in a shaky coalition with the Democratic Alliance that is under threat of collapse over sharp divisions between the two parties. As per the steering committee's meeting records from December 4, 2024, committee adviser S P Yadav said that 'bringing cheetahs from South Africa may take time beyond three months since negotiations are underway'. 'Cheetahs from Kuno National Park need to be translocated to the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary for fostering housekeeping practices. The fresh lot from South Africa are to be housed in Kuno,' Yadav told the committee. The DIG of the NTCA, Dr Vaibhav C Mathur, had in this meeting apprised the committee that a high-level delegation had visited Kenya 'for sourcing of cheetahs' and that action was underway 'for dialogue with governments of Botswana and South Africa on sourcing of cheetahs'. On February 19 this year, the State Chief Wildlife Warden, Shubharanjan Sen, again suggested to the committee that the cheetahs in Kuno be transported in order to 'bring new cheetahs from South Africa'. Mathur had apprised the committee that there was a 'deadlock with South Africa' and that officials were trying to address it. Mathur also told the committee that an MoU with Kenya would be signed in the first week of March. Unlike with Botswana, discussions with Kenya have remained 'generic and overarching', with the focus more on 'capacity building for their staff, use of technology for protection, and similar collaborative efforts,' an NTCA official said. The chairman of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee, Dr Rajesh Gopal, said, 'We are yet to get a fresh stock. In the last steering committee meeting, the Government of India informed us that discussions are ongoing. Several countries are being explored — we haven't narrowed it down to one yet. There are options on the table.' Madhya Pradesh wildlife officials are also involved in on-ground diplomacy. A senior state forest department officer, who was part of a delegation to South Africa, said, 'We have visited South Africa and held discussions with their team. We will soon issue an update after the NTCA delegation clears some issues… There are new officials and we are getting them up to speed with our preparations in Gandhisagar and our success with the project.' After a number of deaths and several births, the cheetah population in Kuno now stands at 26, including nine adult cheetahs (six females and three males) and 17 cubs born in India. Officials said all the remaining cheetahs, including the two males kept at Gandhisagar, are in good health.
