Security Forces and Agencies, Media, Social Media and Radicalisation

Constitutional basis

• Public order and police are State subjects (List II, entries 1 and 2).
• The Union has the duty to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance (Article 355). It can deploy armed forces and CAPFs in aid of the civil power (Union List entry 2A).
• Defence, the armed forces and central intelligence are Union subjects.

This split explains why internal security needs Centre–state cooperation.

Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)

The CAPFs fall under the Ministry of Home Affairs:

The Rapid Action Force (CRPF) handles riot control. The Indian Coast Guard (1978) falls under the Ministry of Defence.

Intelligence agencies

• Intelligence Bureau (IB): internal intelligence. It is India's oldest agency (1887), under the MHA, and runs the Multi-Agency Centre.
• R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing, 1968): external intelligence, under the Cabinet Secretariat, reporting to the PM and NSA.
• NTRO: technical intelligence, under the NSA.
• Defence Intelligence Agency (2002) and the service intelligence directorates.
• NATGRID: a database integration platform. DRI, the ED and the FIU-IND handle economic intelligence.

Oversight: intelligence agencies in India have no statutory charter and no parliamentary oversight, unlike in the US and the UK. Reform proposals include a statutory basis and a parliamentary committee.

Investigation agencies

• CBI: derives from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946. It needs state consent (general or case-specific), and several states have withdrawn general consent. The Supreme Court has called it a "caged parrot" (2013). Its Director is chosen by a committee of the PM, the Leader of the Opposition and the CJI.
• NIA: a statutory agency under the NIA Act 2008. It has concurrent jurisdiction over scheduled offences without needing state consent.
• ED, NCB and SFIO (corporate fraud).

National security apparatus

• National Security Council (1998): chaired by the PM.
• National Security Advisor (NSA), supported by the NSCS.
• Strategic Policy Group and the National Security Advisory Board.
• Chief of Defence Staff (2019): heads the Department of Military Affairs.
• Cabinet Committee on Security.

Police reforms

The problems:

• India has about 150–155 police per lakh people against a sanctioned 195 and the UN's often-cited 222;
• large vacancies;
• poor training and forensic capacity;
• political interference;
• an outdated Police Act 1861;
• low public trust;
• custodial violence.

Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006): the Supreme Court issued seven directives:

1. a State Security Commission, to shield police from political pressure;
2. a minimum two-year tenure and merit-based selection of the DGP;
3. a minimum two-year tenure for IGs, SPs and SHOs;
4. separation of investigation from law and order;
5. a Police Establishment Board for transfers and postings;
6. Police Complaints Authorities at state and district level;
7. a National Security Commission for CAPF chiefs' selection.

Compliance has been patchy. Most states passed laws that dilute the directives.

Other reports: the National Police Commission (1977–81), the Padmanabhaiah Committee (2000), the Malimath Committee (2003) on criminal justice and the 2nd ARC (5th report). The Model Police Act 2006 (Soli Sorabjee) has been followed by only some states.

Recent changes:

• new criminal laws from 1 July 2024: the BNS, BNSS and BSA, which replaced the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act. They mandate forensics in crimes punishable by 7+ years, allow e-FIR and zero FIR, and use electronic evidence;
• the SMART policing concept (2014);
• CCTNS and the ICJS to link police, courts, prisons and forensics;
• the National Forensic Sciences University.

Media and social media in internal security

Positive uses: public warnings, policing outreach, crowdsourced information and countering rumours (fact-check units).

Threats:

• Fake news and rumours, which have caused mob lynchings (WhatsApp rumours in 2018), communal riots and panic.
• Radicalisation and recruitment online. ISIS recruited a small number of Indians online, and ideological propaganda spreads among youth.
• Hate speech.
• Coordinated influence operations by foreign actors, including cognitive warfare.
• Encrypted communication used to plan attacks.
• Live coverage of operations. During 26/11, live TV helped handlers in Pakistan, which led to restrictions on live coverage of anti-terror operations.

Regulatory tools:

• Section 69A blocking orders (upheld in Shreya Singhal);
• the IT Rules 2021;
• the Sahyog portal for takedown requests;
• internet shutdowns: India has had the most in the world in several years. In Anuradha Bhasin (2020), the Supreme Court held that indefinite shutdowns are not allowed, that orders must be published, proportionate and reviewed, and that shutdowns fall under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services Rules;
• the Cable TV Networks Act and the Programme Code.

Balancing: security must be balanced against Article 19(1)(a) free speech, privacy (Puttaswamy 2017) and press freedom. Overbroad blocking and shutdowns harm the economy and rights. The courts insist on proportionality.

Radicalisation and de-radicalisation

Drivers: identity grievances, perceived injustice, online echo chambers, unemployment, and charismatic recruiters.

Indian approaches:

• community-based, family-led counselling by state police (Kerala's Operation Pigeon, Maharashtra's de-radicalisation programmes);
• sports and education programmes in J&K;
• surveillance of online recruitment;
• involving religious leaders for counter-narratives.

India has no national de-radicalisation policy. Experts recommend one built on prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration.

Common prelims traps

• Assam Rifles is under dual control: administrative with the MHA, operational with the Army.
• R&AW is under the Cabinet Secretariat, not the MHA.
• The CBI needs state consent; the NIA does not for scheduled offences.
• Prakash Singh (2006) gave seven directives.
• Anuradha Bhasin (2020) concerned internet shutdowns.

Quick self-test

1. *Why is police reform called the "mother of all reforms" in internal security?* The police are the first responders to every threat, from terror and riots to cyber crime, and their capacity and neutrality determine outcomes.
2. *Why separate investigation from law and order?* To create specialised, professional investigators and improve conviction rates.
3. *What is cognitive warfare?* Using information to shape perceptions and behaviour so as to weaken a society's cohesion and decision-making.

Practice: Mains question

*"Social media is a force multiplier for both the state and anti-national elements." Discuss the challenges it poses to internal security and suggest a regulatory approach that respects fundamental rights. (250 words)*

Analysis: CAPF issues

Working conditions: CAPF personnel face long deployments away from family, high stress, and suicides and fratricide incidents. There are long-standing demands on promotions and cadre structure. In 2023 the Supreme Court upheld the grant of Organised Group A Service status to CAPF officers, while deputation of IPS officers to senior posts remains contested.

Overuse: states over-rely on CAPFs instead of building their own police capacity, which keeps central forces stretched.

Reforms suggested by parliamentary committees include:

• better rotation and leave;
• mental health support;
• modern equipment;
• a clearer division of roles between CAPFs and state police.