Topic: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
Q5. How does the multiplicity of central security forces affect India’s internal security response? Identify the problems of functional overlap and coordination. Suggest measures for greater institutional convergence. (15 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question
The expanding and overlapping responsibilities of central security forces have raised concerns about fragmented command, operational duplication and coordination with State police.
Key Demand of the question
The answer should explain how multiple specialised forces both strengthen and complicate India’s internal security response. It must identify functional and coordination problems and suggest measures for institutional convergence.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Introduce India’s internal security architecture as a combination of specialised central forces and State police, whose effectiveness depends on coordination without eroding functional expertise.
Body
- Impact of multiple forces: Indicate how functional specialisation and additional deployment capacity improve security response, while institutional fragmentation can reduce operational coherence.
- Overlap and coordination problems: Cover mandate expansion, fragmented command, information silos and inadequate interoperability among central forces and State police.
- Institutional convergence: Suggest clear division of responsibilities, unified operational command, integrated intelligence-sharing and common training and communication standards.
Conclusion
Conclude that institutional convergence should create unity of command and purpose while preserving the specialised capabilities of individual security forces.
