Defence and Internal Security: July 2024 to June 2026
Defence
Agnipath Scheme: Three Recruitment Cycles Complete
The Agnipath scheme (launched June 2022) recruited soldiers on a four-year short-service contract. By June 2026, three recruitment cycles are complete. Approximately 1.4 lakh Agniveers have been recruited. 25% are retained in regular service after four years. The scheme remains controversial: it significantly reduced the defence pension bill (from approximately ₹1.4 lakh crore in 2021-22 to around ₹1.0 lakh crore in 2025-26 as a percentage of the defence budget), but critics argue it creates a class of inadequately trained temporary soldiers who lack long-term career security.
The government has introduced several modifications:
- 25% retention rate guaranteed (up from the original "up to 25%")
- States have reserved quotas for Agniveers in police, paramilitary, and forest services
- Agniveers receive a "Seva Nidhi" package of approximately ₹11.71 lakh (tax-free) on completion of four years, of which approximately ₹5.02 lakh is the government's contribution
- An Agniveer who is killed in action receives approximately ₹1 crore in insurance and ex-gratia
Theatre Commands: The Long-Awaited Reform
India's most significant defence reform , the creation of integrated theatre commands , made slow progress. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan (appointed September 2022), has been the primary driver. The plan is to create three theatre commands:
| Command | Headquarters | Area of Responsibility | Status (June 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Theatre Command | Lucknow | The northern borders with China (Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh) | Inter-services study completed. AOR (Area of Responsibility) defined. Interservice disagreements on command structure and asset allocation persist |
| Western Theatre Command | Jaipur | The western border with Pakistan | Study underway. Less contentious because the threat is primarily land-based. The IAF has concerns about losing control of its air assets |
| Maritime Theatre Command | Karwar, Karnataka | The Indian Ocean Region, including the island territories | The least contentious. The Navy has traditionally had integrated command of maritime assets. The IAF and Army have accepted the Navy's lead |
The IAF's primary objection: theatre commands fragment the air force's assets. The IAF argues that air power is inherently flexible and cannot be tethered to a specific theatre. A fighter squadron assigned to the Northern Theatre Command today may be needed in the Western Theatre Command tomorrow. The CDS and the Army argue that centralised control and decentralised execution , "command by theatre, control by service" , resolves this. The debate is unresolved.
Border Infrastructure
The India-China border standoff (since May 2020) has driven a massive expansion of border infrastructure:
- Border Roads Organisation (BRO) : The BRO constructed a record 5,800 km of border roads in 2024-26. The Atal Tunnel (Rohtang, 2020, 9.02 km, the world's longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet) and the Sela Tunnel (Arunachal Pradesh, 2024, the world's longest twin-lane tunnel above 13,000 feet) are operational. The Shinku La Tunnel (connecting Himachal Pradesh to Zanskar Valley in Ladakh) is under construction (target: 2028)
- Vibrant Villages Programme: 650 border villages in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh are receiving infrastructure development (roads, connectivity, tourism). Counter to Chinese border infrastructure (China has built villages, dual-use roads, and airstrips within 50 km of the LAC)
- Arunachal Pradesh: The Frontier Highway (1,748 km, from Bomdila in the west to Vijaynagar in the east) is under construction. It will run parallel to the LAC. This is India's most strategically significant road project
Defence Indigenisation
The positive indigenisation list (411 items banned for import) has been progressively expanded. Key developments:
- Tejas Mk 1A: First squadron operational (2025). 83 aircraft ordered
- INS Vikrant: India's first indigenous aircraft carrier. Fully operational (2024)
- INS Arighat: Second Arihant-class SSBN commissioned (2024). India's nuclear triad is now fully operational
- Akash-NG: Indigenous surface-to-air missile. User trials completed (2025)
- GE F414 engine deal: 80% technology transfer. HAL facility in Bengaluru manufacturing components (2026)
- Shakti programme: India-France joint development of a next-generation fighter jet engine (announced 2024)
Defence exports: Crossed ₹21,000 crore in 2025-26. Largest order: BrahMos missiles to the Philippines ($375 million). Target: ₹35,000 crore by 2029.
Internal Security
Naxalism (Left-Wing Extremism)
The Maoist insurgency continued to decline. Key metrics:
| Indicator | 2010 (Peak) | 2022 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Districts affected | 126 | 53 | 38 |
| Violent incidents per year | 2,213 | 532 | 310 |
| Civilian + security force deaths | 1,005 | 145 | 98 |
The decline is attributed to three factors: (a) aggressive security operations (the Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh, the CoBRA battalion of the CRPF, and the state police forces in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand), (b) development interventions (road construction, mobile towers, and the Aspirational Districts Programme), and (c) a large number of surrendered Maoists (approximately 2,500 surrendered between 2020 and 2025, incentivised by surrender and rehabilitation policies).
Bastar (Chhattisgarh) remains the epicentre. The April 2024 ambush in Kanker district (29 Naxals killed in an encounter with the security forces) was the largest single-action success against the Maoists in a decade. The government's stated target is to eliminate Naxalism by March 2026. This target was not met, but the insurgency is at its lowest ebb in four decades.
Key organisations: CPI (Maoist) is the primary insurgent group. It was formed in 2004 through the merger of the CPI (ML) People's War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre. The "Red Corridor" stretches from Pashupatinath (Nepal border, Bihar) to Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). Key affected states: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra (Gadchiroli).
Jammu and Kashmir
The security situation in J&K has transformed post-Article 370 abrogation (August 2019).
- Terrorism: Incidents have declined significantly. Stone-pelting incidents are near zero (down from 1,767 in 2018 to single digits in 2025). The number of active terrorists is estimated at 60-80 (down from approximately 250 in 2018)
- Targeted killings: A new trend of targeted killings of civilians (particularly Kashmiri Pandits, non-local labourers, and political workers) emerged in 2021-22. The security forces responded with aggressive counter-operations. By 2025, targeted killings have declined significantly
- Assembly elections (September-October 2024) : The first assembly elections since 2014 were held. The National Conference-Congress alliance won a majority. Omar Abdullah was sworn in as Chief Minister. The elected government has limited powers: law and order and land are with the Lieutenant Governor under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019
- Pakistan: Pakistan continues to support cross-border infiltration and terrorism. The ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC), agreed in February 2021 between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan, continues to hold. This is the longest period without a ceasefire violation since the 2003 ceasefire
Northeast
The security situation in the Northeast has improved significantly:
- Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) : Partially withdrawn from Assam (2022), Manipur (2023), and Nagaland (2025). AFSPA is now applicable only in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur. The complete withdrawal of AFSPA from the Northeast remains a political demand
- Assam: The ULFA (Independent) signed a peace agreement with the government in December 2023. The group disbanded and surrendered arms. The NDFB, KLO, and other insurgent groups had signed agreements earlier
- Manipur: Ethnic violence between the Meitei community (valley) and the Kuki-Zo community (hills) erupted in May 2023. By June 2026, the violence has largely subsided but the underlying issues (land, identity, and the demand for Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis) remain unresolved. Over 60,000 people remain displaced. The Kuki-Zo community demands a separate administration. The government has not conceded this demand
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats evolved significantly:
| Threat | Details |
|---|---|
| Ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure | AIIMS (Delhi) ransomware attack (November 2022) was the most high-profile. The hospital's servers were encrypted, and patient data was held hostage. The attack lasted two weeks. AIIMS has since strengthened its cybersecurity. Attacks on state power grids, municipal corporations, and banks continue |
| Chinese cyber threats | CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) reported a 200% increase in cyber attacks originating from Chinese IP addresses between 2022 and 2025. The targets: defence, telecommunications, and government networks. The Galwan clash (2020) was followed by a significant escalation in Chinese cyber operations against India |
| Data breaches | Large-scale data breaches of Indian citizens' data (Aadhaar, COVID vaccination data, telecom subscriber data) were reported. The DPDP Act (2023) provides a legal framework for data breach notification (mandatory reporting to the DPBI within 72 hours) and penalties (up to ₹250 crore for failure to prevent a data breach) |
| National Cyber Security Strategy | India's National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) was released in 2024. Key proposals: (a) a National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) to coordinate cyber defence, (b) mandatory cybersecurity audits for critical infrastructure, (c) a Cyber Surakshit Bharat programme for capacity building in government, and (d) a Cyber Diplomacy framework for international cooperation on cybercrime and cyber norms |
Institutional framework: CERT-In (est. 2004, Ministry of Electronics and IT) is the nodal agency for cyber incident response. National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC, est. 2014, under the NTRO) protects critical infrastructure. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C, est. 2020, under the MHA) coordinates cybercrime investigation. The Defence Cyber Agency (est. 2019) handles military cyber operations.
Terrorism and Radicalisation
- ISIS: The Islamic State's territorial caliphate in Syria and Iraq was destroyed in 2019. However, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K, the Afghanistan-Pakistan branch) has grown. India has been on the periphery of ISIS attacks. However, ISIS-inspired lone-wolf attacks in India remain a threat. The NIA (National Investigation Agency) has arrested several ISIS modules across the country
- Khalistan: The Khalistan movement has seen a resurgence in the diaspora (Canada, UK, Australia). India's diplomatic tensions with Canada (over the Nijjar killing, 2023) and the UK are linked to Khalistan. Within India, the movement remains marginal. The NIA has designated several individuals and organisations as terrorist entities under the UAPA
- Radicalisation: Online radicalisation (through social media, encrypted messaging apps, and the dark web) is the primary challenge. The government has used Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 (now replaced by the Digital India Act, 2025) to block websites and social media accounts linked to terrorist organisations