India's Comprehensive Counter-Terrorism Transformation Over 12 Years
The Indian government has implemented a comprehensive zero-tolerance counter-terrorism policy over the past 12 years, transforming the national security architecture from reactive responses to proactive prevention. This whole-of-government approach has yielded measurable improvements in internal security indicators through strengthened legal frameworks, institutional reforms, intelligence integration, and enhanced diplomatic efforts.
Legislative Empowerment and Legal Reforms
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 empowered the Central Government to designate individuals as terrorists, with over 57 individuals designated including Masood Azhar (JeM), Hafiz Saeed (LeT), and Dawood Ibrahim. The National Investigation Agency Amendment Act, 2019 expanded NIA's jurisdictional mandate to investigate terror-related offences committed outside India. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which came into force on 1 July 2024, defines terrorism for the first time and prescribes death penalty or life imprisonment where terrorist acts result in death. The Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019 introduced stricter punishments for illicit arms trafficking.
Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Enhancement
The National Investigation Agency's budget allocation grew from ₹91.32 crore in 2014-15 to ₹394.66 crore in 2024-25, representing a fourfold increase. The agency established 47 Special NIA Courts in States and 6 in Union Territories, with 21 branch offices across the country supported by zonal offices in Jammu and Guwahati. NIA registered 32 cases of terror financing after 2014, compared to zero cases before 2014, and achieved a global conviction rate of 92.70%. The Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) coordinates 28 central and state agencies with Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centres (SMACs) across states, recently upgraded with ₹500 crore capital investment for AI and ML-enabled analytical tools. The Cyber Multi-Agency Centre (CyMAC) was established on 22 January 2025 to address cybersecurity threats. NATGRIT connects 11 Central User Agencies, police forces of all 28 States and 8 Union Territories, and 11 data-providing organizations through a secure intelligence-sharing platform. India is investing over ₹6,300 crore between 2021-2026 to modernize police and security forces, including ₹4,846 crore under the Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police (ASUMP) scheme and ₹1,523 crore under Modernisation Plan-IV for Central Armed Police Forces.
Operational Achievements and Strategic Doctrine Shifts
India conducted surgical strikes on 29 September 2016 in response to the Uri terrorist attack, followed by the Balakot airstrike on 26 February 2019 after the Pulwama attack, and Operation Sindoor on 7 May 2025 following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. These operations marked a fundamental shift from strategic restraint to proactive deterrence-based approach.
Measurable Security Outcomes
Jammu and Kashmir witnessed dramatic security improvements with terrorist incidents declining from 7,217 during 2004-2014 to 2,242 during 2014-2024. Terrorist-initiated incidents dropped from 228 in 2018 to just 12 in 2025. Civilian casualties declined from 55 in 2018 to 28 in 2025, while security force fatalities fell from 91 in 2018 to 16 in 2025 (82% decline). Stone-pelting incidents, which averaged 2,654 annually between 2010-2014, declined by over 87% by 2020 and remained near-zero since 2022. Organized strikes and shutdowns declined from 52 incidents in 2018 to zero from 2023 through April 2026. The region attracted nearly ₹18,000 crore investment between 2016-17 and 2025-26, compared to approximately ₹8,000 crore over seven decades prior. Tourist arrivals reached 2.3 crore in 2024, the highest ever recorded, while over 41,000 government jobs were created between 2019 and May 2026 with self-employment opportunities extended to 9.81 lakh persons in the last 4 years alone.
Diplomatic and Multilateral Achievements
India secured the UN Security Council designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist in May 2019 after over a decade of Chinese vetoes. Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 26/11 Mumbai attack accused, was extradited from the United States to India in April 2025. India maintains Joint Working Groups on Counter-Terrorism with 27 countries and 5 multi-lateral forums (SCO, BIMSTEC, BRICS, EU, QUAD-CTWG). India hosted the 3rd 'No Money for Terror' Ministerial Conference in New Delhi (18-19 November 2022) and achieved adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes by the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee on 29 October 2022 under India's chairmanship.