NIA's Anti Terror Conference ends after brianstorming sessions on counter terrorism, national strategies
HM Amit Shah calls for national counter terrorism policy and strategy
New Delhi, November 11
The Anti Terror Conference 2024 ended after several brainstorming sessions and and discussions on counter terrorism.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had inaugurated the first day of the two days Anti Terror Conference on September 7-8.
The NIA stated that the conference concluded with a consensus among various central and state agencies and police forces on the need for stronger collaborative efforts backed by a standardised strategy to combat the menace of terrorism, particularly with respect to cybercrime and financial terrorism.
During the conference, there was a broad consensus that while UAPA is a powerful legal tool to tackle terror, it should be applied carefully and judiciously to avoid potential misuse and ensure its effectiveness in combating terrorism. The conference focused on the need for a unified approach to deal with terrorism across states in the interest of national security. Consensus emerged during the sessions on the importance of a holistic, well-rounded strategy, encompassing the entire national framework extending from the government down to the lowest levels of policing and investigation.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan stated to send competent officers to the NIA which would not only help steer the agency’s growth but also enrich the investigation culture back home when the officers return to their state.
In his concluding remarks, Mohan called for enhanced capacity-building at the state- level to fight terrorism. The NIA will be conducting several more capacity-building sessions for states, he said, adding that more National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campuses and CFSLs were also in the pipeline.
The Home Secretary spoke extensively on the role of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) in dealing with financial and cyber-related crimes in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. Taking off from the Union Home Minister’s comments, he reiterated need for all police and investigative agencies and forces to work together.
The session on case studies in terror investigations proved to be an extremely interesting aspect of the conference, with most participants keenly following the narrative of the high-profile Rameshwaram café blast, officials further added.
