GS Paper III — Q19
Analyse the multidimensional challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also…
Analyse the multidimensional challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also discuss measures required to be taken to combat these threats. (Answer in 250 words)
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
भारत की आंतरिक सुरक्षा के लिए बाह्य राज्य और गैर-राज्य कारकों द्वारा प्रस्तुत बहुआयामी चुनौतियों का विश्लेषण कीजिए । इन संकटों का मुकाबला करने के लिए आवश्यक उपायों की भी चर्चा कीजिए । (250 शब्दों में उत्तर दीजिए)
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
(a) Challenges from state actors: Pakistan sponsors cross-border terrorism as asymmetric proxy war, seen in Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam (April 2025). China's transgressions along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh force a dual-front diversion of forces and complicate border management.
(b) Challenges from non-state actors: Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed carry out attacks; Northeast insurgent groups use sanctuaries in Myanmar and Bangladesh; and external arms and logistics once sustained Left-Wing Extremism, which the government declared ended in March 2026. Drone-borne weapon and drug drops and state-sponsored cyber attacks are emerging dimensions.
(c) Hybrid convergence: Adversaries use non-state conduits for the terror-narcotics nexus via the Golden Crescent, Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) to destabilise the economy, and social media for radicalisation and communal polarisation.
(d) Measures: Deploy the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) and smart fencing, and strengthen the post-26/11 coastal security grid. Defend critical information infrastructure through CERT-In and NCIIPC. Strengthen the NIA, integrate intelligence through NATGRID and the Multi-Agency Centre, and use the UAPA against terror financing. Maintain credible deterrence, as with the Balakot air strikes and Operation Sindoor (May 2025). Use FATF and the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee to curb terror financing and expose state sponsors. Pair security with deradicalisation and development in border areas under the Border Area Development Programme and Vibrant Villages Programme.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: Security: classify threat, vulnerability, response; stay calm
What earns full marks: Clear distinction of actors, specific measures, and analytical depth.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- The answer Classify state/non-state threats, link to internal security, and propose measures. 15 marks · 250 words
analyse— intro → causes → effects → stakeholders/linkages → way forward
Must cover
- Distinguish state vs non-state actors
- Link external threats to internal security
- Identify multidimensional challenges (e.g., terrorism, cyber)
- Propose specific legal/institutional measures
Loses marks
- Dramatic security writing without analysis
- Confusing external with internal threats
- Aspirational solutions without implementation
Earns more
- Mention specific border issues (e.g., LAC)
- Reference specific agencies (e.g., IB, RAW)
- Discuss cross-border terrorism dynamics
- Mention cyber security frameworks
Extra mark
- Cite specific recent incident (e.g., Pahalgam)
- Reference specific legislation (e.g., UAPA)
What "Analyse" is asking you to do
Break the subject into its working parts and show how they act on each other. The marks are in the interconnections — which factor drives which, and what the resulting structure explains — not in the inventory of factors.
Structure that answers it
Define the whole → separate it into its parts → show which part drives which → what that interaction produces → what the structure implies
Where marks are lost
A flat list of causes with no account of which drives which. An answer of neatly separated headings, each self-contained, scores as description.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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