NIA’S ANTI-TERROR CONFERENCE UNDERLINES IMPORTANCE OF STANDARDIZED STRATEGY TO FIGHT TERROR

| 08 Nov 2024 121
CENTRAL & STATE AGENCIES AGREE ON STRONGER COLLABORATION ON CYBERCRIME & FINANCIAL TERROR   New Delhi, 8th November 2024 The National Investigation Agency’s (NIA’s) two-day Anti-Terror Conference concluded on Friday with a consensus among various central and state agencies and police forces on the need for stronger collaborative efforts backed by a standardized strategy to combat the menace of terrorism, particularly with respect to cybercrime and financial terrorism.   The conference focused on the need for a unified approach to deal with terrorism across states in the interest of national security. Consensus emerged during the sessions on the importance of a holistic, well-rounded strategy, encompassing the entire national framework extending from the government down to the lowest levels of policing and investigation.   The tone of the conference, which saw intense discussions on key terror related topics and concerns through five thematic sessions, was set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the start of the conference on Thursday.   The Union Home Minister announced several far-reaching measures to make India’s anti-terror fight more impactful. The Ministry of Home Affairs, he announced, will soon formulate a National Counter-terrorism Policy & Strategy to fight the entire 'ecosystem' of terrorism. Underlining the government’s commitment to creating a strong ecosystem against terrorism and eliminating it, he emphasised the need for adoption of a coordinated approach, from police stations up to DGP office, to deal with new challenges like terror financing and crypto.   The Union Home Minister’s emphasis on a coordinated strategic approach to tackle terrorism found resonance with the participants, who, during the course of various sessions, underscored the need for closer cooperation and enhanced coordination among the agencies and state forces. The Union Home Minister pushed for transformation of the "need to know" approach into a "need to share" and ultimately a "duty to share" culture, in order to foster a robust ecosystem against terrorism. To win the fight against terrorism, a "Whole of Government Approach" is essential, he stressed, pinpointing the need to create an integrated, actionable system.   Urging all states to consider the fight against terrorism as their own, he said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs will create an ecosystem with a strong resolve to fight terrorism, deliver results, and successfully root out this menace.   In his concluding remarks on Friday evening, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan called for enhanced capacity building at the state level to fight terrorism. He urged states to send competent officers to NIA, and added that this would not only help steer the agency’s growth but also enrich the investigation culture back home when these officers return to their states. The NIA will be conducting several more capacity building sessions for states, he announced, adding that more NFSU campuses and CFSLs were also in the pipeline to promote the quality of digital evidence as a means to make prosecution in terror cases more effective.   The Home Secretary spoke extensively on the role of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Government of India in dealing with financial and cyber related crimes in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. Taking off from the Union Home Minister’s comments, he reiterated the need for all police and investigative agencies and forces to work together in the spirit of sharing of data and information.    NIA’s growing importance in the emerging security environment was highlighted by both the Union Home Minister and the Union Home Secretary during their speeches. It is worth mentioning that NIA has delivered a remarkable conviction rate of 95.14%, with 499 chargesheets filed, at the back of the adoption of advanced, cutting-edge technologies to enhance investigative methodologies, strengthening the agency's capacity to counter emerging threats.   The inaugural session was attended by 39 heads of State Police/CPOs/CAPFs in addition to over 150 delegates from 29 state/UT police and 31 central organisations who attended two-day conference. The conference was marked by a series of brainstorming sessions focused on ‘Prosecution and evolving legal framework in CT investigations’; Significant case studies in terror investigations - learnings, experiences and innovations’; ‘Emerging technologies: Challenges and opportunities’; ‘Dismantling terror eco system’; and ‘Comprehensive  CT strategies’.   Participants shared their thoughts and opinions on these critical topics, which have assumed major significance in the changing legal dynamics involved in fighting terrorism. There was a broad consensus that while UA(P)A is a powerful legal tool to tackle terror, it should be applied carefully and judiciously to avoid potential misuse and ensure its effectiveness in combating terrorism.   Participants called for global cooperation to tackle em misuse of social media by terrorists amid divergent content moderation policies. The session on case studies in terror investigations proved to be an extremely interesting aspect of the conference, with most participants keenly following the narrative of the high-profile Rameshwaram Café blast.   In the backdrop of the emerging technologies, the conference underscored the need for unified frameworks to tackle the resultant challenges. The need for pooling of resources to overcome cyber and tech constraints was sharply highlighted during the sessions.   Apart from state representatives, the conference was attended by delegates from key agencies such as the BSF, NCB, NATGRID, FIU, NTRO, I4C, MeitY, CTCR, NSG, among others.   The event was marked by the unveiling of NIA’s motto by the Union Home Minister, who additionally launched the Handbook of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) specifically designed for investigations under the UA(P) Act.  Investiture Ceremonies were held on both days, with the Union Home Minister and the Union Home Secretary honouring 11 and 30 police personnel respectively for their services.

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