Securing India in the Age of AI Warfare

Source: ET 

Why in News? 

The growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in defence, surveillance, and geopolitics has intensified debates on AI sovereignty, highlighting its significance as a national security priority for countries like India. 

How AI is Increasingly Used to Promote National Security? 

• Enhancing Military Precision: AI is being directly integrated into combat for lethal operations. Examples include the US military's use of Anthropic's Claude model in Operation Roaring Lion that killed Iran's  Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Israel's "Where's Daddy?" AI tool for tracking Hamas terrorists, which helps reduce collateral damage. 
• Strengthening C4ISR Systems: AI is crucial for modernizing the military's "nervous system" by being integrated into C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance). It accelerates decision-making by processing vast data, enabling predictive analytics to preempt adversary moves. 
  • For maritime domain awareness, it analyses satellite and ship data to identify "dark ships" involved in smuggling or illegal fishing. 
• Countering Asymmetric Threats: AI is vital for internal security against non-state actors. A major concern is that cheap autonomous weapon systems (like AI-powered drones) could enhance the destructive potential of terrorists, necessitating the development of AI-driven counter-drone and surveillance systems. 
• Hardening Critical National Infrastructure: AI provides proactive cyber defence by detecting anomalies in power grids and networks, and enhances the physical security of sensitive sites like military bases and nuclear facilities through AI-powered video analytics that recognize suspicious behaviour. 
• Countering Disinformation & Protecting Societal Cohesion: AI is a dual-edged tool for information warfare. Security agencies use AI to detect coordinated disinformation campaigns and bot networks, as well as to develop algorithms for identifying deepfakes, thereby preserving the integrity of public discourse and trust. 

How Weaponisation of AI Poses a Threat to India's National Security? 

• Threat to Military Dominance: AI enables asymmetric warfare, allowing adversaries to challenge India's conventional edge through lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS), drone swarms, and AI-enhanced Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategies by China in the Indian Ocean Region. Additionally, system glitches along the LoC/LAC risk triggering inadvertent conflicts due to dangerous escalation dynamics. 
  • E.g., In early 2026, China showcased that a single soldier can control a swarm of more than 200 drones with autonomous cooperation for reconnaissance and strike missions. It can complicate India’s defense strategy. 
• AI-Enabled Cyber Threat: Adversaries can use AI for adaptive cyber-attacks on the power grid (causing cascading blackouts), the financial system (paralysing banks), and defence networks (stealing secrets or disrupting command during crises).  
  • In May 2025, the Pakistani military launched a cyber attack codenamed "Iron Wall" on India, causing a massive power grid failure that collapsed power systems across 23 states. 
• Weaponisation of Information: Deepfakes and disinformation can be micro-targeted to exacerbate communal tensions, erode trust in institutions, and influence voting behaviour in India's massive elections, threatening the country's democratic and social stability. 
  • In the 2024 general elections, AI-generated deepfakes of political leaders were used to spread disinformation, exacerbating communal divisions and inciting violence across India. 
• Threats to Economic Sovereignty: AI-powered cyber-espionage enables the large-scale theft of intellectual property from India's booming pharma, space, and IT sectors. Furthermore, adversaries can use AI to map and weaponise supply chains, identifying and disrupting critical dependencies to cripple defence production. 
  • Chinese state-linked actors like APT41 have targeted Indian and multinational pharma firms to steal proprietary drug formulas, including treatments for diabetes and obesity. 
• AI-Powered Bioweapons: The convergence of AI with synthetic biology poses an emerging catastrophic risk. Adversaries or non-state actors could use generative AI models to design novel pathogens, toxins, or gene-editing payloads that bypass existing vaccines or target specific ethnic populations.  
• Data Poisoning: By introducing hidden biases or backdoors, adversaries could cause critical systems to malfunction at a crucial moment—e.g., a facial recognition system failing to identify a known terrorist, or an autonomous vehicle misclassifying an obstacle—without any visible signs of hacking. 

What Steps are Needed by India to Promote National Security in the Age of AI Weaponisation? 

• Building an Indigenous Defence AI Ecosystem: India needs a powerful Defence AI Agency (DAIA) to bypass bureaucracy and spearhead AI integration. This must be complemented by time-bound National Defence AI Missions like Project Drona (AI-powered drone swarms), Project Kavach (cyber defence for critical infrastructure), and Project Netra (real-time battlefield surveillance). 
• Securing the Nation's "AI Backbone": India must create a National Secure Data Set of labelled, security-related data for training algorithms. This requires simultaneous investment in sovereign AI infrastructure, including domestically designed semiconductors and high-performance computing centres located entirely within India to process sensitive defence applications securely. 
• Infrastructure Resilience: To deter adversaries, India must develop credible offensive cyber capabilities. Critically, the government must mandate "AI-safe" design standards for all new critical infrastructure projects (power plants, grids) to build resilience. 
• Cognitive Security: To protect its social fabric, India must establish a National Cognitive Security Centre. Its mandate would include real-time deepfake detection, neutralising bot networks, and launching large-scale digital literacy campaigns to immunise citizens against AI-generated disinformation. 
• Robust Regulatory: Formulate comprehensive guidelines for LAWS and AI-driven cyber warfare, emphasising human oversight to prevent escalation risks in nuclearised South Asia. 
• Global Partnerships: Deepen alliances (e.g., via the India AI Impact Summit 2026) for technology transfers while advocating for equitable AI norms in international forums. 

Conclusion 

The weaponisation of AI presents an unprecedented challenge to India's national security, threatening its military dominance, social cohesion, and economic sovereignty. A comprehensive strategy involving indigenous AI development, robust cyber defences, cognitive security measures, and global diplomatic engagement is essential to transform these vulnerabilities into strategic strengths. 

Drishti Mains Question: Examine the concept of AI sovereignty. Why is it becoming a central pillar of India's national security policy, and what challenges does India face in achieving it?

Grid Bottlenecks in India’s Renewable Energy Expansion

Source:TH 

Why in News?

At the Bharat Climate Forum 2026, policymakers and system planners highlighted a critical risk to India’s clean energy transition. They noted that transmission congestion and overly cautious grid operations are now the main barriers to scaling renewable energy, rather than shortages in generation capacity.

What are the Concerns in India’s Renewable Energy Build-Out? 

• Grid Congestion: Generation capacity is outpacing transmission (evacuation) capacity. For example, Rajasthan has 23 GW of renewable capacity but can only evacuate 18.9 GW; as a result, over 4,000 MW of fully commissioned capacity cannot evacuate power during peak hours. 
• T-GNA Shutdowns: If grid congestion were managed evenly, all projects would face a financially manageable ~15% peak-hour loss. 
  • Instead, the grid forces 100% shutdowns entirely on projects holding Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA). 
  • GNA is a mechanism under India's Central Electricity Regulatory Commission that allows power generators and consumers to access the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) on a short-term, non-discriminatory basis.  
    • Managed through the National Open Access Registry, T-GNA enables flexible, temporary, and advanced, or immediate, power scheduling. 
  • Projects with Permanent GNA operate uninterrupted, heavily penalizing new developers who met all their timelines and secured clearances in good faith. 
• Severe Under-utilisation of Existing Assets: High-capacity 765 kV double-circuit corridors designed to carry ~6,000 MW are routinely operated at just 600–1,000 MW (below 20% utilisation). 
  • As a result of this under-utilisation, several newly commissioned RE projects remain connected to the grid but are unable to inject their power. 
• Structural Disconnect: The Central Transmission Utility (CTU) plans corridors and allocates GNA to developers based on a full projected capacity (e.g., 6,000 MW). 
  • Grid India (the operator) subsequently permits only a fraction of that power to flow (e.g., 1,000 MW). 
  • This sharp divergence creates a credibility problem. Developers make billion-rupee investments based on CTU connectivity approvals, only to find the physical infrastructure does not translate into usable capacity. 
• Operational Conservatism: Grid operators cite "voltage oscillations and grid instability" to heavily restrict power flows, making extreme conservatism the default. 
  • Proven mitigation technologies such as STATCOMs, static VAR generators, harmonic filters, and special protection schemes are already equipped in many new plants, but operators do not allow them to be used to support the grid. 
  • Unlike advanced global operators, Indian institutions fail to employ modern techniques like dynamic security assessments, real-time contingency management, probabilistic risk evaluation, and adaptive line ratings. 
• Lack of Institutional Accountability: Government institutions face no performance reviews or penalties when the grid under-delivers.  
  • Meanwhile, renewable developers face financial ruin from stranded assets, and consumers pay for the under-utilised infrastructure through their electricity tariffs. 
• Lack of Storage: India requires an estimated 411 GWh of energy storage capacity by 2032 to maintain grid stability when the sun isn't shining, but current Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) deployments remain severely inadequate. 
• Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: India remains heavily dependent on imports for critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, rare earths) and raw materials required for manufacturing solar cells and batteries, making the sector vulnerable to global supply shocks.

What Measures can Resolve India's Renewable Grid Issues? 

• Redefine the Grid Operator's Mandate: Grid India must be explicitly mandated and rigorously evaluated to maximise asset utilisation within safe limits, rather than focusing solely on grid stability.  
  • Performance metrics must balance both reliability and efficiency. 
• Implement Equitable Curtailment: Power curtailments (shutdowns) during peak congestion must be distributed proportionately across all generators.  
  • The current system, which places 100% of the burden on projects with T-GNA, must be scrapped to prevent inequitable commercial outcomes. 
• Dynamic Capacity Reallocation: Any unused or under-utilised grid capacity (GNA) must be dynamically reallocated using transparent, real-time protocols to ensure no safe evacuation headroom is wasted. 
• Establish Automatic Accountability Reviews: If major transmission assets persistently fail to deliver their planned capacity, formal review mechanisms must be automatically triggered.  
  • These reviews must determine if the bottleneck is technical, operational, or due to delays, and the findings must be made public to ensure transparency. 
• Adopt Advanced Grid Management Frameworks: Grid operators must deploy dynamic security assessments, real-time contingency management, probabilistic risk evaluation, and adaptive line ratings. 
• Align Planning and Operations: Better coordination is needed between the Central Transmission Utility of India and Grid India so that transmission corridors planned for specific capacities translate into actual, usable power evacuation for developers. 

Conclusion 

To prevent billions in stranded assets, policymakers must urgently align transmission planning with dynamic grid operations and rapidly scale up energy storage. Ultimately, this shift from expanding generation to ensuring efficient power evacuation is non-negotiable for securing India's Net Zero 2070 goals.

Drishti Mains Question: India has rapidly expanded its renewable energy capacity but faces structural bottlenecks in grid infrastructure. Examine the causes and suggest measures to address them.

Removal of the Chief Election Commissioner

Source: TH 

Why in News?  

Opposition parties are considering an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over allegations of completely biased conduct.

How Can the Chief Election Commissioner Be Removed from Office? 

• Constitutional Safeguards and Provisions: To ensure the independence of the ECI, the Constitution provides strict security of tenure for the CEC. 
  • Article 324(5) of the Constitution: It provides that, subject to any law made by Parliament, the service conditions and tenure of Election Commissioners and Regional Commissioners are determined by the President. 
    • The CEC can be removed only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge, and service conditions cannot be altered to his disadvantage after appointment. 
    • Other Election Commissioners or Regional Commissioners can be removed only on the recommendation of the CEC. 
  • Following that, Parliament passed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provides for the resignation and removal process. It sticks to the same process as mentioned in the Constitution. 
• Grounds for Removal: The Constitution limits the grounds for the removal of a Supreme Court Judge (and by extension, the CEC) to only two specific charges: "proved misbehaviour or incapacity." 
• Terminology Note: While widely referred to as "impeachment" in political discourse, the Constitution technically reserves the term impeachment exclusively for the President of India (Article 61).  
  • For Judges and the CEC, the formal constitutional term is removal. 

Removal Procedure 

• The removal of the CEC follows a quasi-judicial procedure similar to that for removing a Supreme Court judge, governed by the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968. 
• Initiation of the Removal Motion:  A removal motion stating the grounds for removal can be introduced in either House of Parliament. 
  • It must be signed by 100 members in the Lok Sabha or 50 members in the Rajya Sabha. 
  • The signed motion is then submitted to the Presiding Officer of the respective House (the Speaker in the Lok Sabha or the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha). 
• Admission & Investigation: The Speaker/Chairman may admit or refuse the motion.  
  • If admitted, a three-member committee (SC judge, HC Chief Justice, distinguished jurist) is formed to investigate charges. 
• Report Submission: The committee investigates, and the CEC has the right to defend themselves.  
  • If the committee concludes that the charges are not proved, the motion is dropped, and the process ends. 
  • If the committee finds the CEC guilty of misbehaviour or suffering from an incapacity, the report is submitted to the House where the motion was originally introduced. 
• Voting in Parliament: To pass, the motion must be supported by a Special Majority in both Houses of Parliament during the same session.  
  • A Special Majority means a majority of the total membership of that House, and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting. 
• Presidential Order for Removal: If the motion successfully passes both Houses, a formal address is presented to the President of India.  
  • Finally, the President issues the official order for the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner. 

Read more: Independence of the Election Commission of India

LIGO-India’s 1st Gravitational Wave Observatory

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

India's ambitious Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project in Hingoli district, Maharashtra, is facing significant implementation delays, raising concerns over its timeline despite official assurances that it will be completed by 2030. 

What is LIGO-India Project? 

• About: LIGO-India is India's first major gravitational-wave observatory and represents the country's contribution to the global gravitational-wave detection network.  
  • The Indian observatory will feature an advanced LIGO-style interferometer, becoming the 5th node in the global network alongside the US facilities at Hanford and Livingston, Virgo in Italy, and KAGRA in Japan. 
• Lead Agencies and Collaborations: It is jointly led by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with the US LIGO Laboratory, and other premier Indian institutions like Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. 
• Scientific Objectives: As a "mega-science" project, it aims to enhance sky coverage, improve source localization (particularly in the southern hemisphere), and boost detection sensitivity for the international gravitational-wave network. 
• Technical Specifications: LIGO observatories have two 4-km-long arms built at 90-degrees to each other. These are vacuum chambers with reflective mirrors at their ends. Beams of lasers are reflected off these mirrors and are used to detect gravitational waves.  
  • The first such wave was detected in 2015, which was caused by the merger of two black holes 1.3 billion light-years away.  

 

What are Gravitational waves? 

• About: Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects and was first predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity in 1915. They are a groundbreaking phenomenon in modern physics, allowing scientists to observe cosmic events that traditional telescopes cannot detect. 
• Propagation Characteristics: These waves propagate at the speed of light and carry energy away from their sources, stretching and squeezing spacetime (and any matter within it) in a characteristic quadrupolar pattern (two pushes and two pulls simultaneously, at right angles to each other). 
• Distinction from Electromagnetic Waves: Unlike electromagnetic waves (light, radio, X-rays, etc), gravitational waves are not part of the electromagnetic spectrum. They arise from changes in gravitational fields rather than oscillating charges. 
• Primary Sources: The strongest gravitational wave sources include: 
  • Binary systems of black holes or neutron stars spiraling inward and merging 
  • Core-collapse supernova 
  • Events from the early universe 
• Detection Challenge: By the time they reach Earth, these waves are extraordinarily weak—typically causing fractional length changes of about 10⁻²¹ over kilometer-scale distances. This requires ultra-sensitive instruments like LIGO for detection. 

Easing of FDI Curbs from Land-Bordering Countries

Source: TH 

The Union Cabinet has eased restrictions under Press Note 3 (2020), allowing limited investments from countries sharing land borders with India, including China, while retaining safeguards for strategic sectors. 

• Press Note (PN) 3 (2020): It mandates government approval for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from countries sharing land borders with India.  
  • It mainly targets investments from China, while entities from Bangladesh and Pakistan already invest only through the government route and investments from other neighbours like Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Afghanistan remain minimal. 
  • The rule was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent opportunistic takeovers of Indian companies and continued amid national security concerns after the Galwan Valley clash. 

Revised FDI Norms 

• 10% Automatic Route Threshold: Investors with non-controlling Beneficial Ownership of up to 10% from land-bordering countries are now permitted under the automatic route, subject to sectoral caps and regulatory conditions. 
• Targeted Sectors: The easing strictly applies to capital goods, electronic capital goods, electronic components, polysilicon, and ingot-wafers for solar cells. 
  • Strategic sectors such as semiconductors continue to remain restricted due to national security concerns. 
• Ownership and Control Conditions: Majority ownership and control must remain with resident Indian citizens or Indian-owned entities at all times. 
  • Aligned with anti-money laundering rules, the Beneficial Ownership test shall be applied at the investor entity level to prevent proxy investments. 
• Time-Bound Clearance: To facilitate the ease of doing business, the government has set a strict 60-day deadline for processing and deciding on these investment proposals. 
• Mandatory Reporting: All such investments under the automatic route require the investee entity to report relevant details to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). 
  • A Committee of Secretaries (CoS) headed by the Cabinet Secretary has been empowered to revise the list of specified permitted sectors going forward. 
• Reasons for Policy Shift: Economic Survey 2023–24 recommended Chinese investment in non-strategic sectors to boost exports and Atmanirbhar Bharat. 
  • PN3 restrictions were also affecting global Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) funds with minor Chinese backing. 
  • The move responds to global supply-chain disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. 
  • It reflects a gradual India–China diplomatic thaw, including Kailash Mansarovar Yatra resumption and restoration of direct flights. 

Read more:  Charting a New Course in India China Relations

Cabinet Extends Jal Jeevan Mission Till 2028

Source: PIB 

The Union Cabinet approved extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) period up to December 2028 with enhanced total outlay (Rs. 8.69 lakh crore), focusing on structural reforms in rural drinking water supply under JJM 2.0. 

• JJM 2.0 Targets: JJM 2.0 aims for certification of all Gram Panchayats as 'Har Ghar Jal' by provisioning tap water connections to all 19.36 crore rural households by December 2028. 
  • Currently, around 15.80 crore (81.61%) rural households have tap water connections. 
• Digital Governance Framework: A uniform national digital framework, namely Sujalam Bharat, shall be instituted, assigning every village a unique Sujal Gaon/Service Area ID. It will digitally map the complete drinking water supply system from source to tap. 
• Community Ownership Mechanisms: To ensure transparency and accountability, it is mandatory to involve Gram Panchayats and Village Water Sanitation Committees in the commissioning of schemes under "Jal Arpan." A Gram Panchayat shall certify itself "Har Ghar Jal" only upon confirmation of adequate operation and maintenance mechanisms. 
• Strategic Vision: JJM 2.0 fosters the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 with assured 24×7 rural drinking water supply by shifting from an infrastructure-centric to a citizen-centric utility-based service delivery using a “Whole of Government" approach. 

Read More: Jal Mahotsav 2026

Death Anniversary of Savitribai Phule

Source: PIB 

Union Home Minister paid tribute to Savitribai Phule on her death anniversary (10th March, highlighting her role in bringing women into the fold of education during an era marked by deep-rooted social evils. 

Savitribai Phule 

• About: Savitribai Phule was a social reformer from 19th-century Maharashtra who fundamentally transformed Indian society by challenging patriarchal and caste hierarchies. 
  • She was born on 3rd January 1831 in Satara (Maharashtra) into the Mali community and married at the age of 9 to Jyotiba Phule. 
• Contributions: 
  • Women's Education: In 1848, she made history by founding India's first Indian-run girls' school in Pune, alongside her husband. The couple collectively established and ran 18 schools. 
    • She helped establish trusts like the Native Female School, Pune and the Society for Promoting the Education of Mahars, Mangs and Etceteras, directly challenging caste-based discrimination. 
  • Gender Justice: In 1852, she founded the Mahila Seva Mandal to raise awareness for women's rights, campaigning against child marriage and advocating for widow remarriage. 
  • Combating Female Infanticide: In 1863, the couple, founded the Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha, recognized as India's first home to combat female infanticide and provide shelter to pregnant Brahmin widows and rape victims. 
  • Caste Equality: She institutionalized social equality by initiating the first Satyashodhak marriage—a dowry-free, priest-free, and non-Brahminical ceremony—to subvert caste and patriarchal norms. 
  • Literary Contributions: A poet and author, her notable works include Kavya Phule (1854) and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (1892). Her famous poem, "Go, Get Education," encouraged the oppressed castes to break the shackles of slavery. 
• Resistance and Death: She faced extreme orthodox opposition, enduring social assaults and being stoned. She died in 1897 after contracting the bubonic plague while selflessly caring for a patient. 

Read More: Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule

MHA Revises Guidelines for Look Out Circulars

Source: IE 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has modified the guidelines for issuance of Look Out Circulars (LOCs), restricting the power to directly instruct the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) to block a person's departure. 

• Restriction on Statutory Bodies: The MHA has explicitly barred statutory bodies like the National Commission for Women (NCW), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) from directly requesting the BoI to open an LOC. 
  • All LOC requests from such bodies must now be routed through a law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction (e.g., Police, CBI). 
• Standardized Actions: The LOC proforma has been updated to include 3 standardized options for action, i.e.,  
  • Detain and inform the originator (agency that sought the LOC) 
  • Prevent departure and inform the originator  
  • See remarks for action. 
• Intelligence Agency Prerogative: The "see remarks" category may be used by intelligence agencies such as IB, R&AW, CBI, NIA and State Anti-Terrorism Squad units only for counter-terrorism purposes. 
  • The "See remarks" category allows flexible or non-standardized response in sensitive national security contexts where predefined actions may not suffice. 
• Handling Court Orders: When immigration receives a court order, it must immediately inform the agency that issued the original LOC. That agency must respond within 7 working days. The person cannot leave India until the Bureau of Immigration updates the LOC status as directed by the court. 
• Timelines for Custody: Strict timelines have been imposed for enforcement. If a person is detained under an LOC, the originating agency must take custody within 3 hours, failing which the individual will be handed over to local police. The originator then has 24 hours to assume formal custody. 

Read More: Look-Out Circulars to Wilful Defaulters