Inherent Structural Constraints Challenging India’s Internal Security

The words ‘internal security’ do not figure in the Constitution of India. At the time of the framing of the Indian Constitution, the lawmakers were more worried about preserving the unity and sovereignty of the new nation. The world was in a far more peaceful environment and issues like terrorism and cybersecurity were far from their minds. Their outlook was conditioned by the constitutions then in existence. The thought was that all law and order situations could be handled by the state governments and the role or duty of the Union government (Article 355) was to protect the states from external aggression and internal disturbances and to ensure that governance is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.