NEW SOPs FOR CRPF
   Date :02-Apr-2019

 
 
 
 

 
 
THE Pulwama massacre has lent some vital and hard lessons to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) authorities. A new set of dos and donts have now been introduced under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure greater safety during movement of convoys. During the Pulwama terror attack as many as 2500 CRPF personnel were moving in a convoy of 75 vehicles. The CRPF authorities have realised that this is an open invitation to disaster. In a suicide attack such huge contingent becomes a sitting duck. Hence, now very prudently, it has been decided to reduce the vehicle strength to just 45 to minimise the risk. Besides, other important decision taken under the new SOP is that the convoy during its movement will be commandeered by a senior Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officer whose experience as a senior officer will be of immense value to the critical operation of movement of convoys in a vulnerable area like Jammu and Kashmir. Since the State is under constant threat of terror attack new safety steps are essential.
 
CYBER DETERRENTS
 
THE steady shifting of warfare on digital battlefield was evident after the recent terror attack in Pulwama by Jaish-e-Mohammed group and subsequent air strikes on their camps in Pakistan by Indian Air Force. In both events, information on warfare was used as a potent tool through social media by Pakistan-based groups and their handlers. Spreading confusion and terror through specially-designed posts on social media is the new technique intelligence as well as armed forces are resorting to in this age of cyber warfare. As India puts in place comprehensive deterrence capabilities a report titled “Credible Cyber Deterrence in Armed Forces of India” has stressed on urgent need of equipping our Armed Forces with capabilities of cyber exploitation and probing operations. It is a challenge for the R&D standards as the digital battlefield is evolving with each passing day. Cyber attacks on intelligence and military sources is a critical factor. India must have cyber weapons for causing destruction as well as effective deterrence.