India’s Security Blind Spots

The Delhi blast, Pakistan’s accusations, and shifting regional alliances show that India’s counter-terror strategy must evolve — through diplomacy, tech-enabled intelligence and urgent police reforms

- JOHN FELIX RAJ & PRABHAT KUMAR DATTA

India's response must be equally multidimensional, backed by political will, international cooperation and consistent policy

Terrorism is emerging as a growing and challenging global issue, fostering instability, bloodshed, and chaos.

In the nuclear age, it poses a significant threat to global security and stability. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), over 2 billion people reside in countries with endemic conflict and violence, accounting for 88 per cent of terrorist acts and 98 per cent of terror-related activities in 2022.

From an economic perspective, terrorism has severe consequences, including forced displacement, capital flight, and economic decline. In a multicultural and multi-religious country like India, it negatively impacts interpersonal relations and hinders social cohesion. Administratively, it erodes trust in governance.

South Asia is a hotspot for terrorism, with 123 active terrorist and insurgent groups, accounting for over 27 per cent of terrorist attacks. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has expressed concern about growing cross-border terrorism, citing attacks in Pahelgam, India, Jaffar Express, and Khuzdar, Pakistan.

India has been a target of Islamic militants for quite some time. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed over 200 people, are a stark reminder of this. Recently, a car explosion in Delhi on November 10, 2025, claimed the lives of over 8 people, and the Government of India has declared it a terrorist incident. The alleged involvement of a female doctor has added a new dimension to the case.