UPSC Mains 2017 GS3 Q20 — Terrorism and Funding
The scourge of terrorism is a grave challenge to national security. What solutions do you suggest to curb this growing menace ? What are the major sources of terrorist funding ? (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- suggest
- Scope keywords
- scourge of terrorismgrave challenge to national securitysolutionscurb this growing menacemajor sources of terrorist funding
- Implicit sub-parts
- A brief situational analysis of why terrorism is currently a 'growing' menace in the Indian context (radicalization, lone-wolf attacks, technology).
- Classification of funding into internal (extortion, drug trade) and external (state-sponsored, hawala, NGOs) channels.
- Institutional, technological, and diplomatic solutions to plug the funding and operational gaps.
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing too much on the history/definitions of terrorism instead of focusing on 'solutions' and 'funding' as asked.
- Ignoring the role of emerging technologies like cryptocurrency and the dark web in modern terrorist financing.
- Providing only generic solutions like 'education' and 'poverty' without mentioning specific legislative or institutional frameworks like UAPA, NIA, or FATF.
- Failing to distinguish between cross-border state-sponsored terrorism and domestic insurgency/left-wing extremism.
- Dimensions required
- Legislative (UAPA, PMLA)Financial (FATF, FIU-IND)Technological (Cyber-surveillance, AI)Diplomatic (Global conventions, UN Security Council resolutions)Social-Economic (De-radicalization, intelligence-led policing)
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 3-4 marks (60 words) to the sources of funding, as it is a specific technical requirement. Devote the bulk of the answer—about 7-8 marks (120 words)—to the multi-dimensional solutions suggested. Use the remaining 4 marks (70 words) for a concise introduction on the security threat and a forward-looking conclusion emphasizing international cooperation.
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