New Delhi, Oct 2 — The Indian security agencies carried out two major operations this week, which included the killing of a top Lashkar-e-Taiba operative and a huge drug bust to the tune of over Rs 3,000 crore.
The operations conducted in Jammu and Kashmir and Lakshadweep were both driven by Intelligence sharing and coordination. In both these cases, the Intelligence was precise and actionable, and this helped the agencies carry out the operations successfully.
An official explained that India’s Intelligence grid has come a long way. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been clear that India’s Intelligence systems must be constantly upgraded so that they keep up with the times and remain effective, the official said.
On Tuesday night, the Army’s 15 Chinar Corps responded immediately to actionable Intelligence about the presence of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa Ali Asif Fauji in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam. The entire operation was based on Intelligence inputs, and this led to the killing of the terrorist.
On September 25, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Gujarat ATS seized 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine worth Rs 3,000 crore after intercepting an Iranian dhow with five Pakistanis onboard at Lakshadweep. This operation too was based on actionable Intelligence.
Another official said that there has been a major revolution when it comes to Intelligence gathering and sharing. While ground-level Intelligence remains the biggest draw, there is solid integration of technology that has taken place. Terror threats are evolving, and hence it is important to keep up with the times. For instance, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by terror groups is a big challenge in the months to come, the official said.
With neighbours like Pakistan, India is bound to face challenges on a daily basis. Gone are the days when Intelligence units only dealt with terror groups and their traditional styles of operation. Today India deals with propaganda warfare, narrative battles, disinformation campaigns, narcotic smuggling and the use of drone technology, illegal immigration and infiltrations, just to name a few. To counter all these acts of terror against the country, Intelligence plays a major part, officials say.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that while technology is very important, ground-level intelligence is something that one cannot do away with. Operations against the naxalites and those that are carried out in Jammu and Kashmir are very ground-level driven. Unless one has their ears to the ground, it is hard to battle such issues, the official said.
Today, what is central to national security is the combination of ground-level and technological Intelligence. India has today adopted an intelligence-first model to counter the emerging threats.
Officials say that the Narendra Modi government has given maximum emphasis to national security. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval have given clear instructions about strengthening India’s Intelligence grid. India’s not just looking at the current situation, but is developing a system that would remain strong and secure even in 2047, officials say.
In the earlier days, the Intelligence agencies would gather, analyse, and then pass on information. Today it is also about data analysis, cyber monitoring, and predictive analysis.
Officials say that there have been technological advancements in the field of Intelligence. However, this cannot eliminate the need for human beings in this field. While the technology may help in identifying threats, it cannot interpret the consequences. This is where human judgment comes into play. If the interpretation of the Intelligence is not correct, then it could end up in escalation that could have consequences that are counter-productive to India’s national security, officials say.
At the recently held National Security Strategies (NSS) conference, Home Minister Shah directed the agencies to develop standard operating procedures to tackle the various national security challenges. He said that this should be done on the basis of AI-driven analysis of information that is available on the Multi Agency (MAC) platform.
Officials say that the evolution of Intelligence gathering has evolved considerably over the last five years. The MAC and military networks have integrated AI and machine learning software, which help in predicting risks of escalation, classifying signals, and also detecting threats.
Security analysts say that the bridging together of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) and Technological Intelligence (TECHINT) is the biggest shift that has been made by the Narendra Modi government, taking into account the various challenges. This means that both HUMINT and TECHINT are no longer running on parallel tracks, but are feeding one another, analysts say.
There is a bidirectional flow when it comes to Intelligence gathering and analysis. What the algorithm predicts is being validated by humans, and this allows the security agencies to outpace threats with high speed and verifiable decisions, an official said.