Kautilya wrote in the Arthashastra that a state could be at risk from four different kinds of threats – internal, external, externally-aided internal, and internally-aided external. In the era of information and the digital age, both internal and external security threats are interrelated and cannot be seen in isolation from each other. India’s national security challenges make it imperative for the country to develop a technology-centric intelligence cadre, and nurture this cadre’s capabilities.

Rising Security Challenges

Internal Threats and Challenges

1. The internal security of the country presents a dismal scenario. We have a fractured landscape. Terrorist groups, indigenous and trans-national, are trying to destabilise the country.
2. There is a separatist movement in J&K fuelled by Pakistan. The northeast has multiple insurgencies. A vast swathe of Central India is in a state of turmoil due to Maoist violence.
3. Besides, the State has to contend with communal problems, caste tensions, inter-state disputes including those over sharing of river waters, illegal migrations from the East, and regional movements over a host of issues.
4. Huge diversity in geographical regions, ethnicity, religions, and languages coupled with social discrimination, inequality in human development indices (HDI), lack of inclusive growth, and mass unemployment among the youth make India vulnerable to internal armed conflicts.

External Threats and Challenges

1. Two neighbours of India—China and Pakistan—are not just the principal source of its external security threats, but are also nuclear-armed states who share a deep friendship.
2. The territorial disputes and external threats on our sub-continent are a result of its unique geostrategic location, its neighbourhood, its history, and the Partition.
3. Security of India’s long and porous coastline, offshore islands, exclusive economic Zone, and sea lines of communications in the Indian Ocean is another major external security challenge.

Hybrid Warfare: Emerging threat

1. It generally refers to the use of unconventional methods as part of a multi-domain warfighting approach. These methods aim to disrupt and disable an opponent’s actions without engaging in open hostilities.
2. Recently, a Chinese data company-Zhenhua has harvested information on millions of people, allegedly on behalf of Beijing’s intelligence services, possibly engaging in early stages of ‘hybrid warfare.

Govt Efforts wrt Intelligence apparatus:

1. Natgrid: The formation of an intelligence database designed to consolidate and make searchable data gathered by existing security and law enforcement agencies, will prove to be a vital link in India’s intelligence infrastructure.
2. Cctns: The Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and System (CCTNS) is an initiative of the MHA, to facilitate storage, transfer, and sharing of data and information between police stations.
3. Cert-In: It is responsible for the protection of cyber systems and it provides specific steps and countermeasures to patch the existing vulnerabilities and strengthen the security of these websites.

Need For Reforms In India’s Intelligence Apparatus

1. The paradigm shift in the nature of the security challenges facing the country lends urgency to the need for reforms in the country’s intelligence apparatus.
2. Currently, Decisions of national security are taken in individual silos rather than cross-domain exchange as subjects are interrelated.
3. There is opacity in the functioning of Intelligence agencies for instance there is no credible external audit that happens.
4. Substantial reforms are needed to improve the collection, processing, and dissemination of intelligence on a real-time basis.

Towards Reforms In The Country’s Intelligence Apparatus

1. Legal Status

1. A prerequisite is to pass specific legislation that would give India’s intelligence community a statutory basis and a charter, and provide it with institutional levels of accountability.

2. Recruitment, Deputation, Promotion, Training

1. India needs to have an open and separate direct recruitment mechanism for different intelligence agencies by using the existing mechanism of the Union Public Service Commission;
2. A lateral entry program of a few years can be offered to domain experts who work closely with intelligence agencies. This is one way to attract young technical talent.
3. The CIA and FBI ran the Cybersecurity Talent initiative which included two-year placements. Similarly, in the UK, the GCHQ has started a cyber programme for high school students.

3. Technology Upgrade

1. India’s intelligence agencies must act as venture capitalists and take ownership in the companies they will nurture and support. For example, In-Q-Tel is the CIA’s venture arm and has been investing in young companies since 1999.
2. The US NSA has also experimented with the same. More recently, the famed Israeli spy agency, Mossad, has launched an incubator, inviting applications from all over the world (in select technology areas).
3. A dedicated unit on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) must be created to collect and analyse the vast volumes of data that are now publicly available in the open domain. Commercial sensors and the internet have made this possible and it can often prove to be a treasure trove for intelligence operations.

4. Coordination Of Intelligence

1. Appointing a National Intelligence Coordinator/Director of National Intelligence to bring about better inter-agency coordination, to remove overlaps and duplications, end turf wars, and ensure better utilisation of national resources.
2. The Department of Atomic Energy, BARC, ISRO, DRI, the Economic Offences Wing, Department of Science & Technology, etc – should appoint intelligence liaison or nodal officers to interact on a regular basis with main intelligence agencies.
3. Heads of Mission of Indian legations abroad should be kept in the broad loop of the operational initiatives of intelligence agencies.

5. Accountability

1. Strengthen financial accountability of intelligence agencies; annual reports to go to Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) or NSA.
2. Providing for an in camera audit of Secret Service Funds;
3. Creating a separate intelligence ombudsman for IB, R&AW & NTRO;

It is absolutely necessary that the security architecture of the country is overhauled with appropriate institutional changes so that it is able to effectively deal with the emerging challenges which are going to confront us in the coming years. India has to use all instruments of its national power like political, economic, diplomatic, military, etc., in a coordinated manner to address its security concerns.