India’s rising stature would lead to national security challenges in years to come: Home Minister Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday (July 26, 2025) that India’s rising stature would lead to increasing national security challenges in the years to come. He said such challenges need to be addressed through better coordination for which “homogenous teams of Central and State agencies should be formed”.

Mr. Shah was speaking at the conclusion of the two-day 8^th National Security Strategies (NSS) Conference-2025 organised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

The Conference, held in hybrid format, was attended by around 800 police and intelligence officers from across the country.

He also instructed the involvement of young police officers in each State to brainstorm on national challenges and devise solutions to address them.

The Minister emphasised that the next 5-10 years would be very important for the development and security of the country. He said that internal security challenges would remain dynamic in view of India’s geopolitical neighbourhood, asking State and Central security agencies to adopt the motto of ‘Suraksha, Sajagta and Samanvay’ (Security, Alertness and Coordination).

Action on drug cartels

He asked for strict action against big drug cartels, besides focusing on extradition of narco-offenders. The Director Generals of Police (DGPs) were directed to make anti-narcotics drive the prime agenda of the police for the next three years, pointing out that the police station was the focal point of intelligence collection.

Stressing upon the need for all-round development in Left-Wing Extremism affected areas, the Minister urged the DGPs to coordinate with State administrations to ensure the implementation of more than 300 Central and State development schemes at the grassroots level.

Underscoring the importance of securing smaller seaports, he emphasised on capacity building of State police to counter infiltration and smuggling activities. He also reviewed the counter terror initiatives and directed to take stringent legal action against repeat offenders.

The first day of the conference focused on the role of external actors who are inimical to the interests of the nation and their domestic linkages including involvement in narcotics trade; challenges posed by illegal use of encrypted communication apps, use of technology for crowd management and security of uninhabited islands. The issues related to financing of terror were also deliberated.

Mr. Shah directed dedicated measures to bring back fugitives involved in terrorist and smuggling activities with enhanced inter-agency coordination among Central and State law enforcement agencies.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs was asked to set up a forum with stakeholders across the spectrum to come up with solutions to counter the use of encrypted communication by terror networks. The Ministry was also asked to ensure that only indigenous technology is used by police organisations.