PM: Surgical Strikes, Op Sindoor Bold Examples of India's Counter-Terror Policy

Gist Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India's transition to a "zero-tolerance" counter-terrorism policy, citing the 2016 surgical strikes, the Balakot airstrike, and Operation Sindoor as definitive evidence of this proactive stance. Concurrently, he provided a crucial update on the national Census, noting that the first phase is nearly complete with data from over 32 crore families recorded. For civil services aspirants, this dual focus illustrates the evolution of India's internal security doctrine from strategic restraint to active deterrence, alongside the administrative modernization of demographic data collection through digital self-enumeration. Background Historically, India's response to cross-border terrorism was heavily constrained by a policy of "strategic restraint," which was evident in the aftermath of major incidents like the September 2008 Delhi serial blasts and the Mumbai 26/11 attacks . The national security doctrine underwent a paradigm shift following the 2016 Uri attack, moving toward preemptive and retaliatory cross-border military strikes to establish deterrence. The national Census, the foundational exercise for demographic and socio-economic planning in India, is currently undergoing a modernisation phase that incorporates an online self-enumeration mechanism, moving away from an…