Technical Seminar on Internal Security

 

India’s Deputy National Security Advisor, Mr. Shekhar Dutt, SM, former Defence Secretary, who had also served earlier in the Army, stated that security today has a far more comprehensive connotation than being a purely military or law and order construct. The civil society also conceives itself as an equal and complementing matrix of national security and therefore, policies and strategies need to prepare for the future and not merely address the present. From box-based planning, we need to orient towards a transformational mode where activity and time lines are well defined. For achieving a competent position globally, he mentioned that the industry should intensify R&D with regard to security technology. He urged for a better instrumentation of security environment, by linking the economy with science in a manner which is structured and easy to monitor. He also opined that internal security involves human beings who value their own freedom as much as they value the national security. Therefore, while technology is a tool, the essential driver remains human mind. India is witnessing a transition from a traditionally developing society to a modern state accentuated by an ongoing technological revolution. We are witnessing the awakening of dormant masses that wish to challenge the unity of elites at the top of the national pyramid.

 

Additional Secretary (CS), Ministry of Home Affairs, Ms. Anita Choudhary, pointed out that terrorism, left wing extremism and insurgency in the North-East India region are major threats to India’s security. There is, however, greater need for development of domestic manufacturing base for sophisticated security technology. She further highlighted that an increase in the number of business establishments in building capacity in security domain, including mobility equipment, communication devices, security equipment, forensic mechanisms etc. has nevertheless also heightened the need for security.  

 

Highlighting the opportunities in the security industry, Mr. Ajai Chowdhary, Chairman, CII National Committee on IT, ITES & E-Commerce, & Founder HCL, stated that since the world is restructuring its decades old treaties to accommodate India’s interests, India should exploit its technological capabilities. The security matrix should be refined further by moving ahead of a sensors based setup. The nation has to adopt technologies like data warehousing and mining for better tracking. Mr. Choudhary also pointed out that the Indian administration had beefed-up the budget for developing security and surveillance capabilities to US$ 10 billion.  Acquisition of radar for 7,500 km long coastline is in operation. The Ministry of Home Affairs has declared developing airborne capabilities for National Security Guards (NSG) and for the modernisation of State Police Forces.

 

Project Manager, APPSS, UK, Ms Toni Adnams, heading the British delegation of 21 members expressed that while she was satisfied at the steadily increasing participation of the British defence industry in major events in India like Def Expo, another important value addition was the support of the vibrant and hi-tech UK security sector. Shaun Hipgrave of Forensic Telecommunications Service (FTS) felt that education on telephone forensic measures was a major requirement in India, where prior to 26/11, there was neither much knowledge nor consciousness about such equipment. He said that forensic science had advanced so much that if cell phones of the victims or terrorists could be recovered, no matter how badly damaged, their sim cards could yield valuable evidence.

 

Mr John Patterson, an optical engineer, Ultrafine Tehnologies, demonstrated the fascinating achievement of cameras with probes which could stealthily, silently and swiftly penetrate thick concrete walls and provide still or moving views of the other side. Lt Col J Wood of the Royal Sappers, an explosives disposal and crisis handling expert said that national security had for the first time an all-embracing approach, even though attack by non nuclear explosives was not strategic in extent. 

 

Brig Gurmeet Kanwal (Retd), Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies felt that the old capacity for covert operations needed to be reorganised so that deadly terrorists could not continue killing with impunity. The covert operation need not be done by own troops or operatives as the same could be well outsourced to persons of the enemy or adversary country. Colonel Gobinder Singh (Retd), DMA/APPSS UK’s New Delhi-based South Asia representative, who has been instrumental in promoting and coordinating India-UK security industry meets, envisioned a good future for cooperation, including in purchases and joint ventures.  

 

While participants included industrialists, serving and retired officers of the three services, one category conspicuous by its absence was the police. In view of the large scale and long overdue process of modernisation and reforms, senior police officers should take a close look at such equipment. Besides these, there were many other sophisticated surveillance devices, protection systems against chemical attacks and various other gizmos, which Indian security agencies must have to tackle or neutralise extremely well-equipped terrorists. 

 

Mr S Sen, Principal Advisor, CII, mentioned in his valedictory address that since 1993, the CII had been working with the Ministry of Defence to increase industry participation in defence production. With this seminar, the CII intends to take ahead the initiative to the Ministry of Home Affairs as well. Based on the feedback from the seminar, CII will come out with a comprehensive long-term plan on Internal Security. The task force will envisage forward-looking policy for the security environment; drawing guidelines from the best practices in the industry; and spreading awareness about technology amongst the security agencies. Lt Gen PPS Bhandari (Retd), President, Rolta Thales Limited, observed that the inclusion of the security sector into the defence industry would expand the scope of imports and hoped that it would result in a major enhancement of capabilities of Indian security agencies.

 

(Report prepared by Col (Retd) Anil Bhat)