The banning of ‘Jamaat-e-Islami’ in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize influence of OGWs.
Approach · directive: “examine / discuss”
What it asks · Explain what OGWs do for militant groups in insurgency-hit areas, why they are hard to counter, and what mix of security, legal and social measures can neutralise their influence.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Examine the role of over-ground workers in assisting terrorist organisations in insurgency-affected areas
- Discuss measures to neutralise the influence of OGWs
Open with · In 2019 the Centre banned Jamaat-e-Islami (J&K) as an unlawful association under section 3(1) of the UAPA, and in February 2024 extended the ban five years; the ban spotlighted the unarmed network that keeps militancy alive, the over-ground workers.
Cover
- Who: civilians living ordinary lives (relatives, sympathisers, drivers, shopkeepers, students) who covertly serve militants; Maoist areas have similar village networks.
- Logistics: shelter, food, medicines, transport, safe houses and couriers; local knowledge of terrain and patrols aids ambush and escape.
- Eyes, money and voice: tip-offs on security forces, hawala funds, propaganda, radicalising youth, mobilising crowds at encounter sites.
- Why hard to counter: unarmed and shielded by kinship, fear or sympathy; heavy-handed action alienates the community whose help is needed.
- Intelligence-led policing: MHA's J&K strategy names identifying 'the strategic supporters of terrorism' and investigating how they aid and abet as a core preventive operation (2023).
- Law with due process: UAPA (amended 2019 to designate individuals as terrorists), NIA action against financiers and unlawful associations, hawala tracking; no blanket detentions.
- Drain the pool: youth outreach, skills and jobs, counselling and de-radicalisation, rehabilitation for those who leave, swift and fair justice when forces overstep.
- Results: terrorist-initiated incidents in J&K fell from 228 (2018) to 43 (2023, to 30 November) and civilian deaths from 55 to 13 (CID J&K via MHA).
Close with · Neutralising OGWs is less about arrests than about legitimacy: precise intelligence, lawful pressure on networks and development that gives young people a stake leave militancy without the local sympathy it feeds on.
Add value (verified)
- PIB (MHA, 27 February 2024): Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir was declared an unlawful association for a further five years under section 3(1) of the UAPA, 1967.PIB: Government declares Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir an unlawful association for a further 5 years (2024) ↗“Government of India has declared ‘Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir’ as an 'Unlawful Association' for a further period of 5 years under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967.”
- PIB (MHA, Lok Sabha reply, December 2023): preventive operations in J&K include identifying the strategic supporters of terrorism and investigating their mechanisms of aiding and abetting it.PIB: Decline in Terror Incidents in Jammu and Kashmir (2023) ↗“preventive operations involve identifying the strategic supporters of terrorism and initiating investigations to expose their mechanisms of aiding and abetting terrorism, identifications of vulnerable spots to prevent terrorist attacks on civilians”
- PIB (MHA, 2023, source CID J&K): terrorist-initiated incidents fell from 228 in 2018 to 43 in 2023 (to 30 November); civilians killed from 55 to 13; security personnel killed from 91 to 25.PIB: Decline in Terror Incidents in Jammu and Kashmir (2023) ↗“Description 2018 2023 (upto 30 th November) Terrorist Initiated Incidents 228 43 Encounters 189 48 Civilians killed 55 13 Security personnel killed in action 91 25 (Source: CID, J&K)”
- PIB (24 July 2019): the UAPA Amendment Bill, 2019 aimed to speed investigation and prosecution of terror offences and to allow designating an individual as a terrorist, in line with international practice.PIB: Lok Sabha passes the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 ↗“the object of the proposed amendments is to facilitate speedy investigation and prosecution of terror offences and designating an individual as terrorist in line with the international practices.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 224words · Minimalist IAS
In 2019 the Centre banned Jamaat-e-Islami (J&K) under section 3(1) of the UAPA, a ban extended five years in 2024. It spotlighted the unarmed network behind militancy: over-ground workers.
Role of OGWs in assisting terrorist organisations
- Who: civilians living ordinary lives (relatives, drivers, shopkeepers, students) who covertly serve militants.
- Logistics: shelter, food, medicines, transport, safe houses, couriers; local knowledge of patrols aids ambush and escape.
- Eyes, money and voice: tip-offs on patrols, hawala funds, propaganda, radicalising youth, crowds at encounter sites.
- Why hard to counter: unarmed, shielded by kinship, fear or sympathy; heavy-handed action alienates the community.
- Sympathiser
- OGW
- recruit
- militant
- crowd at encounter
Measures to neutralise the influence of OGWs
- Intelligence-led policing: MHA's J&K strategy makes identifying 'the strategic supporters of terrorism' and exposing how they aid and abet a core preventive operation (2023).
- Law with due process: UAPA (amended 2019 to designate individuals), NIA action against financiers and unlawful associations, hawala tracking; no blanket detentions.
- Drain the pool: youth outreach, skills and jobs, de-radicalisation, rehabilitation for those who leave, fair justice when forces overstep.
- Results so far: terrorist-initiated incidents in J&K fell from 228 (2018) to 43 (2023), civilian deaths from 55 to 13 (MHA).
Neutralising OGWs is less about arrests than legitimacy: precise intelligence, lawful pressure on networks and a stake for the young leave militancy without sympathy to feed on.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
