New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said a common ATS structure for the police force across the country and an impenetrable and strong anti-terrorism grid — vigilant and capable of swift, result-oriented action — are essential for “uniform preparation at every level” to counter terror attacks.
The home minister also said a new plan to launch “a 360-degree assault on organised crime” would be brought in the coming days, and that these databases would form a “core asset of the zero-terror policy”.
He inaugurated the two-day Anti-Terrorism Conference–2025 in New Delhi. The conference was organised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Addressing the conference, Shah said the forum reflected Prime Minister Narendra Modi s vision of zero tolerance towards terrorism.
“Under the Prime Minister’s vision of zero tolerance against terrorism, this annual conference has emerged as a platform to address emerging threats,” Shah said.
During the event, Shah unveiled the updated crime manual prepared by the NIA, the Organised Crime Network Database, and the Lost, Looted and Recovered Weapon Database.
The conference was attended by senior police officers from States and Union Territories, officials from central agencies, and experts from law, forensics, and technology.
He added that the conference had become an annual exercise over the last three years and had moved beyond discussions.
“This conference is not merely a forum for deliberation. Actionable points emerge from here, and the NIA, along with state agencies, works throughout the year to implement them,” he said.
Shah said the nature of terrorism continued to change due to increased use of technology, requiring agencies to remain ahead of threats.
“Because of the use of technology in terrorist incidents, the landscape of terrorism is also changing. We must stay two steps ahead of it,” he said.
He added that analysing terror incidents in India and across the world, along with intelligence inputs, remained central to strengthening counter-terror capabilities.
“It is our national responsibility to anticipate invisible future challenges and prevent them,” Shah said.
Shah said three key initiatives were launched at the conference and urged states to actively use them.
“The updated crime manual prepared by the NIA has been released today. I request all Directors General of Police to ensure that teams in their states study this manual for investigation and prosecution,” he said.
On organised crime networks, Shah warned of their linkages with terrorism.
“Organised crime networks initially operate for ransom and extortion. When their leaders flee abroad, they come into contact with terrorist organisations and use the proceeds to spread terrorism in the country,” he said.
He asked states to eliminate such networks using the new database with support from the NIA, CBI, and the Intelligence Bureau.
Referring to the Baisaran Valley attack, Shah said the incident shook the country and aimed to disturb communal harmony and harm tourism in Kashmir.
“Based on extremely precise intelligence, our forces neutralised all three terrorists and sent a strong message to Pakistan,” he said.
He added, “This is the first terrorist incident where those who planned the attack were punished through Operation Sindoor, and those who executed it were neutralised through Operation Mahadev.”
Shah said the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack would be studied globally and would place Pakistan “in the dock on international platforms”.
The Home Minister said investigations into the Pahalgam terror attack and the Delhi blast set new standards.
“These investigations are not examples of ordinary policing. They are outstanding examples of watertight investigation,” he said.
He added that alert officers and coordinated agencies prevented larger crises.
Shah stressed the need for operational uniformity across states. “A common ATS structure for the police across the country is extremely essential, and all Directors General of Police should implement it at the earliest,” he said.
He urged the mandatory use of NIDAAN and NATGRID in investigations. “When we use NIDAAN and NATGRID, cases are not investigated in isolation, and invisible links come to light,” Shah said.
Shah said coordination across the DGP Conference, Security Strategy Conference, N-CORD meetings and the Anti-Terrorism Conference remained crucial.
“Only through operational uniformity can we make accurate assessments of threats, properly utilise intelligence sharing and carry out coordinated counter-action,” he said.
He also stressed active participation in the Multi-Agency Centre and National Memory Bank.
