Speaking at the valedictory session of the Intelligence Bureau’s National Security Strategy Conference in New Delhi, Shah called for proactive measures against infiltration, terrorism, narcotics trafficking and emerging security threats. Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid out an expansive internal security vision for the next two decades, asserting that India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 rests on the foundation of strong internal security.
He argued that if previous governments had anticipated challenges such as narcotics trafficking, Naxalism and unrest in the Northeast before they escalated, the country would not have faced decades of security and governance challenges.
Linking national security with economic and social progress, the Home Minister said a developed India cannot be achieved unless internal security is strengthened further.
He said the fight can only be won through close cooperation between the Centre and every department of state governments. The Home Minister also highlighted efforts to strengthen border security. He urged all states to ensure that offenders hiding abroad are brought within the reach of Indian law.
He said the reforms are designed to ensure criminal cases can be resolved up to the Supreme Court level within three years while raising conviction rates by 25 per cent. Around 274 fugitives were extradited or deported between 2019 and 2026, according to him.
On criminal justice reforms, Shah said the government is aiming for full implementation of the three new criminal laws within the next year. He said the Centre had consulted all land border states over the past eight months and shared a comprehensive four-pillar border security framework with them. The objective, he said, is to make India free from illegal infiltration within a short period. The Home Minister also said the Modi government has strengthened mechanisms to bring economic offenders and fugitives back to India. Calling for a coordinated national effort, the Home Minister said India is capable of leading one of the world’s most successful campaigns against narcotics.
Stressing the need for long-term planning, the Home Minister urged intelligence and security agencies to focus on trends that could shape the country’s security environment over the next 15 to 20 years.
He said the National Security Strategy Conference should identify future challenges in advance and formulate strategies to neutralise them before they evolve into major crises.
