Analyse the complexity and intensity of terrorism, its causes, linkages and obnoxious nexus. Also suggest measures required to be taken to eradicate the menace of terrorism.
Approach · directive: “analyse / suggest”
What it asks · Analyse why terrorism is complex and intense, its causes, and its links with crime and other actors, and suggest measures to eradicate it.
The question has 4 parts — answer each
- Analyse the complexity and intensity of terrorism
- Analyse its causes
- Analyse its linkages and the crime-terror nexus
- Suggest measures to eradicate terrorism
Open with · Terrorism combines ideology, grievance, external sponsorship and crime, which is why it is hard to contain and harder to end.
Cover
- Complexity: religious, ethnic and political ideologies, state sponsorship, lone-wolf and online radicalisation, and shifting tactics from bombs to fidayeen attacks and drones.
- Intensity: attacks on civilians, security forces and symbolic targets, such as Parliament (2001), Mumbai (2008) and Pulwama (2019), cause casualties and fear.
- Causes: alienation, poverty and unemployment, regional or communal grievances, ideological indoctrination, weak governance and external sponsorship.
- Linkages: arms and drug trafficking, hawala, counterfeit currency and crypto or cyber channels finance and supply terror groups.
- Nexus: terror groups with criminals, smugglers and corrupt officials, backed by cross-border havens and sponsors, blur the line between crime and terror.
- Measures: intelligence integration and police reform, NIA, border and coastal security, UAPA and financial controls, and speedy prosecution.
- Long-term: deradicalisation, community policing, inclusive development, education and counter-narratives, plus global action against sponsors, including a UN convention on terrorism.
Close with · Terrorism needs a firm security response together with attention to its causes: justice, inclusion and global cooperation against sponsors.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2021, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 260 words (UPSC limit 250) · Minimalist IAS
Terrorism is organised violence against civilians and the State for ideological or political ends; in India it blends external sponsorship, local grievance and organised crime, which makes it complex to read and intense in effect.
Complexity and intensity
- Many faces: religious, ethnic and political ideologies, state sponsorship, lone-wolf actors and online radicalisation, each needing a different response.
- Shifting tactics: from bombings to fidayeen attacks and drones; targets range from civilians to security forces and symbols of the State.
- Intensity: the Parliament attack (2001), Mumbai (2008) and Pulwama (2019) caused heavy casualties, fear, economic loss and India-Pakistan crises.
Causes
- Alienation, poverty and unemployment; regional or communal grievances; ideological indoctrination; weak governance; and external sponsorship that exploits all of these.
Linkages and the nexus
- Finance: drug trafficking, hawala, counterfeit currency and crypto or cyber channels fund and supply terror groups.
- Nexus: terrorists work with criminals, smugglers and corrupt officials, backed by cross-border havens and sponsors, blurring the line between crime and terror.
- Cyber: encrypted communication, propaganda and recruitment give the networks reach.
Measures to eradicate terrorism
- Security: intelligence integration, police reform and modernisation, a strong NIA, border and coastal security and counter-drone capability.
- Legal and financial: effective use of UAPA, controls on terror financing, action against hawala and counterfeit currency, and speedy prosecution.
- Preventive: deradicalisation, community policing, counter-narratives, education, jobs and inclusive development in affected regions.
- Global: isolate sponsors, cooperate on intelligence and extradition, and press for a comprehensive UN convention on terrorism.
Terrorism yields to a firm security response only when paired with justice, inclusion and global action against its sponsors.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify). UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.