Analyse the multidimensional challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also discuss measures required to be taken to combat these threats.
Approach · directive: “analyse / discuss”
What it asks · Analyse the state and non-state threats from outside to India's internal security across military, economic, cyber, social and coastal dimensions, and suggest measures.
It asks 3 things — answer each
- Analyse the multidimensional challenges from external state actors to India's internal security
- Analyse the challenges from external non-state actors
- Discuss the measures required to combat these threats
Open with · India's security is tested less by declared war than by what crosses its borders unseen: terrorists, drones, counterfeit notes, malware and narratives; BSF recorded 53 drone recoveries tied to arms and narcotics smuggling on the Punjab border in the three years to June 2023.
Cover
- State actors: proxy war through cross-border terrorism, infiltration, tunnels and drones dropping arms and narcotics.
- Economic subversion: counterfeit currency, narcotics and hawala; FATF kept Pakistan under increased monitoring from June 2018 to October 2022.
- Cyber, information and military pressure: attacks on infrastructure, disinformation on fault lines, border face-offs that embolden insurgents.
- Non-state actors: Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and insurgent camps abroad; cartels and coastal routes (Mumbai 2008); online radicalisation.
- Borders and coast: fencing, surveillance, CIBMS, anti-drone systems in Punjab, layered coastal security, Centre-State intelligence sharing.
- Law and finance: UAPA 2019 designates individuals as terrorists; NIA Act 2019 covers counterfeit currency, cyberterrorism and offences abroad; CFT Cell with FATF.
- Diplomacy and society: isolate sponsors at the UN and FATF, credible deterrence, border-area development, community policing and counter-narratives.
Close with · Secure borders, agile intelligence, firm law and diplomacy work only together, and only with development that denies external actors the grievances they exploit; keeping sponsors under FATF scrutiny, as Pakistan was in 2018-22, must be part of that whole-of-nation defence.
Add value (verified)
- MHA in Lok Sabha (1 August 2023): 53 incidents of recovery of drones used to smuggle arms and narcotics across the Punjab border were detected in the three years to 30 June 2023.PIB, Ministry of Home Affairs (1 August 2023): Smuggling of arms and narcotics (Lok Sabha reply) ↗“In last three years and till 30 th June, 2023, 53 incidents of recovery of drones involved in smuggling of Arms/Narcotics have been detected.”
- The same reply lists anti-drone systems deployed in Punjab's border areas and an anti-rogue-drone SOP for field units.PIB, Ministry of Home Affairs (1 August 2023): Smuggling of arms and narcotics (Lok Sabha reply) ↗“Anti-drone systems have been deployed in border areas of Punjab to counter the drone threats.”
- The Home Minister in Lok Sabha (July 2019): the UAPA amendment aims at speedy investigation and prosecution and at designating an individual as a terrorist, in line with international practice.PIB, Ministry of Home Affairs (24 July 2019): 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”
- PIB backgrounder on counter-terror policy: the NIA's jurisdiction extends to human trafficking, counterfeit currency, cyberterrorism and offences committed outside India; over 57 individuals have been designated terrorists since the 2019 amendment.PIB backgrounder: 12 Years of India's Zero Tolerance Against Terror ↗“investigate cases related to human trafficking, counterfeit currency, cyberterrorism and offences committed outside India affecting Indian interests. Since the amendment came into force, the Government has designated over 57 individuals as terrorists”
- FATF plenary outcomes (October 2022): Pakistan completed action plans on strategic deficiencies identified in June 2018 and June 2021 and left increased monitoring.FATF: Outcomes of the FATF Plenary, 20-21 October 2022 ↗“addressed technical deficiencies to meet the commitments of its action plans regarding strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in June 2018 and June 2021, the latter of which was completed in advance of the deadlines, encompassing 34 action items in total.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2021, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 368words · Minimalist IAS
India's internal security is tested less by declared war than by what crosses its borders unseen: terrorists, drones, counterfeit notes, malware and narratives. On the Punjab border alone, the Home Ministry told Parliament of 53 drone recoveries tied to arms and narcotics smuggling in the three years to June 2023, a measure of how external actors now reach inside.
Challenges from external state actors
- Proxy war: sponsorship of cross-border terrorism and infiltration; tunnels under the border and drones dropping arms and narcotics.
- Economic subversion: counterfeit currency, narcotics and hawala terror financing; the FATF kept Pakistan under increased monitoring from June 2018 to October 2022 for such deficiencies.
- Cyber and information: state-linked attacks on critical infrastructure and disinformation aimed at communal, caste and regional fault lines.
- Military pressure: border face-offs tie down forces and embolden insurgents with sanctuaries across the frontier.
Challenges from external non-state actors
- Terror groups: Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, and insurgent outfits with camps abroad, mount attacks and recruit locally.
- Crime networks: drug cartels and arms smugglers fund and equip violence; coastal routes stay vulnerable, as the 2008 Mumbai attack showed.
- Online radicalisation: propaganda and recruitment give external actors a foothold within society.
External threats to internal security: cross-border terrorism; drones, arms and narcotics; counterfeit currency and hawala; cyber attacks and disinformation; coastal infiltration; online radicalisation
Measures required to combat these threats
- Borders and coast: fencing, surveillance and the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System; anti-drone systems already deployed on the Punjab border; layered coastal security; Centre-State intelligence sharing.
- Law and institutions: the UAPA Amendment 2019 lets the Centre designate individuals, not only organisations, as terrorists, and the NIA's remit now covers counterfeit currency, cyberterrorism and offences committed outside India.
- Finance: FATF-aligned action on terror financing, curbs on counterfeit currency and monitoring of hawala and crypto channels.
- Diplomacy: isolate sponsors at the UN and the FATF, partner with friendly states and maintain credible deterrence.
- Society: develop border and insurgency-affected areas; counter radicalisation through community policing and credible counter-narratives.
Secure borders, agile intelligence, firm law and diplomacy work only together, and only with development that denies external actors the grievances they exploit; keeping sponsors under FATF scrutiny, as Pakistan was from 2018 to 2022, belongs in that whole-of-nation defence.
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.
