India’s federalism puzzle, counter-terrorism challenge and NCTC debate

Abstract

ABSTRACT Terrorism has been considered an unprecedented threat to national security and regional stability, and one which requires an equally complex response. The lack of effective institutional capacity to prevent and to manage the consequences of terrorist attacks has compounded India’s security challenges. This article shows that while some progress has been made since the 2008 Mumbai attacks in enhancing institutional capacity, no serious attempt seems to have been made to overhaul its counter-terrorism capacity. The prime example of this neglect has been the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) which is still on the backburner due to political bickering. This article holds that the prevailing mistrust in centre-state relations, differing political ideologies, and the ad-hoc nature of the crisis response mechanism are primarily responsible for this delay. It further recommends several measures to overcome these obstacles.