NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, JODHPUR

ISSUE OF NATIONAL
SECURITY IS NOT EASY
FOR ANY COUNTRY
SUBMITTED TO : SUBMITTED BY : AYUSH ARYA
Dr. R.K. PUROHIT PAYAL JAIN
RUDRAKSH VAISHNAW
 DEFINITION OF NATIONAL SECURITY

National security is the ability to preserve the

nation's physical integrity and territory; to maintain
its economic relations with the rest of the world on
reasonable terms; to preserve its nature,
institution, and governance from disruption from
outside; and to control its borders. Macmillan
Dictionary (online version), defines the term as "the
protection or the safety of a country’s secrets and
its citizens" emphasizing the overall security of a
nation and a nation state.
 INTRODUCTION
 National security refers to the security of a nation state, including
its citizens, economy, and institutions, and is regarded as a duty of
government.
 Originally conceived as protection against military attack, national security is
now widely understood to include non-military dimensions,
including economic security, energy security, environmental security, food
security, cyber security etc. Similarly, national security risks include, in
addition to the actions of other nation states, action by violent non-state
actors, narcotic cartels, and multinational corporations, and also the effects
of natural disasters.
 Governments rely on a range of measures, including political, economic,
and military power, as well as diplomacy to enforce national security. They
may also act to build the conditions of security regionally and internationally
by reducing transnational causes of insecurity, such as climate
change, economic inequality, political exclusion, and nuclear proliferation.
 ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL SECURITY
The elements of national security may differ depending upon
different viewpoints and percept's. Besides the military
aspect of security, the aspects of diplomacy, politics;
society; environment; energy and natural resources; and
economy are usually discussed. The elements of national
security are interconnected with the elements of national
power. Security from narcotic cartels, economic security,
environmental security and energy security are listed as the
non-military elements of national security. The Elements of
National Security are mentioned below.
1.Military Security : This is traditionally, the earliest recognized
and mostly construed form of national security. Military security implies
the capability of a nation to defend itself, and/or deter military
aggression to its frontiers. Alternatively, military security implies the
capability of a nation to enforce its policy choices by use of military
force .

2. Political Security : The political aspect of security has been

offered by Barry Buzan, Ole Waever, Jaap de Wilde of Copenhagen
School of Thought as an important component of national security.
Political security is about the stability of the social order closely allied
to military security and societal security, other components proposed in
a framework for national security.
3. Economic Security : Economic security contributes to the
overall security in a big way. Without ensuring the economic security,
other forms of security remain incomplete. The economic security of the
people and state is interdependent. In today’s complex system of
international trade, characterized by multi-national agreements, mutual
inter-dependence and availability of natural resources etcetera, the
freedom to follow choice of policies to develop a nation’s economy in the
manner desired, forms the essence of economic security. Economic
security calls for an assured basic income for the people in a state.

4. Energy Security : Energy security and economic security are

intrinsically linked to each other as energy assumes the role of lifeline for
economic security. 85 % of the country’s estimated 40,000 MW potential
remains untapped. At the level of people, the load shedding of electricity
and gas has created problems for the people of Pakistan. The provision
of these commodities is responsibility of state. Resources include water,
sources of energy, land and minerals.
5. Diplomacy: Diplomacy is one of the many instruments that a
government utilizes in its pursuit of national interests. It never functions
in isolation from the other instruments of national power but at times
may be emphasized as the situation warrants. In its simplest form,
diplomacy is the official means by which one state formally deals with
other states. Being an important pillar of statecraft and effective tool
amongst the nations to interact with each other, this must be effectively
and most judiciously utilized.

6. Media/ Information Base: Being the 4thpillar of state, it must

provide security to the state against all external and internal anti-state
narratives and themes. It is this ability of the media that makes it fight
on conceptual, psychological and ideological planes. If media is
effective, proactive and responsible, it will augment national spirit and
societal bondages. On the contrary, it will weaken the social/ national
fiber by spreading more chaos and confusion.
7.Human Security : One of the important dimensions of national security is
human security which is slightly a departure from other forms of the traditional
security focusing on the state. Human security has the people as its primary
focus. Human security has multiple dimensions i.e. economic security, food
security, water security, personal security, community security, environmental
and Health Security.

8. Food Security: Food security entails that all people of a particular state at
all times have easy access to basic food. According to the United Nations, the
overall availability of food is not a problem; rather the problem often is the poor
distribution of food and a lack of purchasing power prevailing amongst the
people.

9. Health Security: Health Security covers assurance of minimum protection

from diseases and unhealthy lifestyles. According to the United Nations, in both
developing and industrial countries, threats to health security are usually more
for poor people in rural areas, particularly children. The threats include the
dangers emerging from emerging and re-emerging infections and public health
emergencies of national and international concern. Non provision of health
security is due to malnutrition and insufficient access to health services.
10. Environmental Security: Environmental security is linked with
energy, food and water security. Environmental hazards accentuate the
problems of the people in relation to health, food and energy security of
the people. Environmental security aims to protect people from the
consequences of nature, man-made threats in nature, and deterioration
of the natural environment. Global warming, caused by the emission of
greenhouse gases, is another environmental security problem.

11. Personal Security: Personal security can be defined as set of

several things. “Personal security is the feeling of being secure, having a
personal or residential security system, or being aware of your
surroundings. Personal security guarantees the subject people from
physical violence, both from the state or external actors, from domestic
abuse, or from predatory adults. At large the common cause of personal
insecurity is due to crimes especially violent crimes.
12. Community Security : Community security aims to protect
people, their families and belongings as a shared responsibility. The
community seeks to protect itself against any kind of violence
stemming from ethnic and sectarian angles. Normally minority ethnic
and sectarian groups are often threatened. It is the state responsibility
to provide security to all communities irrespective of their size and
strength.

13. Political Security: Political security is about honouring the

basic human rights of the people by the state. According to a survey
conducted by Amnesty International, political repression, systematic
torture, ill treatment or disappearance was still practiced in 110
countries. Human rights violations are most frequent during periods of
political unrest.
 THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY
 INTERNAL THREATS:
1. Organized crime - is a national security concern . The challenge of illegal drugs in
particular, has grown into a major threat to the national community.
2. Grave incidence of poverty -is also a serious threat top national security,
especially to the extent that it breeds rebellion, crime and dissidence
3. Economic sabotage- undermines the market economy, the financial system and the
nation’s resources. Under this category are underground activities such as
counterfeiting, money laundering, large-scale smuggling, inter-oceanic poaching
and commercial dumping.
4. Graft and corruption -has become another threat to our national security by virtue
of the huge scale by which it saps public resources, undermines the morale of the
civil service and affects the delivery of quality basic services.
5. Persistent environment degradation –poses a long term security threat. The
attrition of forest and watersheds, air-land-water pollution and the proliferation
of toxic substances are a cause of sickness, death and the diminution of national
productivity and well-being .
 EXTERNAL THREATS:
1. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS: one of the most difficult challenges is obtaining timely and
accurate insight on potential attacks The public health community’s dream is to make
the arrival and spread of communicable diseases as easy to predict and track as the
weather.
2. NUCLEAR WEAPONS : No high-tech sensors exist to help break up black markets, detect
and intercept nuclear materials in transit and there are no financial tools to disrupt this
dangerous trade.
3. CYBER-ATTACKS: Technology, in this case, becomes a double-edge sword. “The very
technologies that empower us to lead and create also empower individual criminal
hackers, organized criminal groups, terrorist networks and other advanced nations day in
the not too distant future when attacks on computer networks cross the line from theft
and disruption to “destruction.”
4. CLIMATE CHANGE: “In the 21st century, we recognize that climate change can impact
national security — ranging from rising sea levels, to severe droughts, to the melting of
the polar caps, to more frequent and devastating natural disasters that raise demand for
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.”
5. TRANSNATIONAL CRIME: These groups cause instability and subvert government
institutions through corruption “Transnational criminal organizations have accumulated
unprecedented wealth and power through the drug trade, arms smuggling, human
trafficking, and other illicit activities.They extend their reach by forming alliances with
terrorist organizations, government officials, and some state security services.”
 MEASURES TAKEN TO ENSURE
NATIONAL SECURITY INCLUDE:
 Using diplomacy to rally allies and isolate threats.
 Marshalling economic power to facilitate or compel cooperation.
 Maintaining effective armed forces.
 Implementing civil defense and emergency preparedness measures (including
anti- terrorism legislation).
 Ensuring the resilience and redundancy of critical infrastructure.
 Using intelligence services to detect and defeat or avoid threats and
espionage, and to protect classified information.
 Using counterintelligence services or secret police to protect the nation from
internal threats.
 CONTROL ON NATIONAL SECURITY:
The Government has established following bodies in respect of controlling
national security.
1. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL (INDIA):
The National Security Council (NSC) of India is an executive government agency
tasked with advising the Prime Minister's Office on matters of national security and
strategic interest. It was established by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government on 19
November 1998, with Brajesh Mishra as the first National Security Adviser. Prior to the
formation of the NSC, these activities were overseen by the Principal Secretary to
the Prime Minister.
Members:
Besides the National Security Advisor (NSA), The Deputy National Security Advisor
(DNSA), The Ministers of Defence, External Affairs, Home, Finance of the Government
of India, and the Deputy Chairman of the NITI Aayog are members of the National
Security Council. Other members may be invited to attend its monthly meetings, as
and when required.
Organizational structure:
The NSC is the apex body of the three-tiered structure of the national security
management system in India. The other two tiers are the Strategic Policy Group, and
the National Security Advisory Board.
2. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR (INDIA):
The National Security Advisor (NSA) is the chief executive of the National
Security Council (NSC), and the primary advisor to the Prime Minister of India
on national and international security. Due to such vested powers, NSA is a
prominent and powerful office in the bureaucracy. All the NSAs appointed since
the inception of the post belong to the either Indian Foreign Service or to the
Indian Police Service.
The National Security Advisor (NSA) is tasked with regularly advising the Prime
Minister on all matters relating to internal and external threats to the country,
and oversees strategic issues. The NSA of India also serves as the Prime
Minister's Special Interlocutor on border issues with China, and frequently
accompanies the Prime Minister on Foreign State visits.
The NSA receives all intelligence reports and co-ordinates them to present
before the Prime Minister. NSA is assisted by a Deputy NSA. Retired Indian
Police Service officer Rajinder Khanna and Indian Foreign Service officer
Pankaj Saran currently serve as Deputy National Security Advisers.
NATIONAL SECURITY PICTURE
 NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
A National Security Strategy is a strategic-level
document that outlines the state’s role in providing
security for both the state and its citizens, presents
an understanding of the strategic environment and
possible threats to a state’s interests, and then
directs the activities and allocates the resources of
the state in order to protect society and the state
from those threats.
MODEL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY
STRATEGIES
 COUNTRY-BY- COUNTRY PERSPECTIVE
 Brazil
National Security ideology as taught by the US Army School of the Americas to military
personnel were vital in causing the military coup of 1964. The military dictatorship was
installed on the claim by military that Leftists were an existential threat to the
national interests.

 China
China's Armed Forces are known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The military is
sizeable with 2.3 million active troops in 2005.
The Ministry of State Security was established in 1983 to ensure “the security of the
state through effective measures against enemy agents, spies, and
counterrevolutionary activities designed to sabotage or overthrow China’s socialist
system.”
Muslim separatists in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are China's most significant
domestic threat.
 Russia
In the years 1997 and 2000, Russia adopted documents titled "National Security
Concept" that described Russia's global position, the country's interests, listed threats
to national security and described the means to counter those threats. In 2009, these
documents were superseded by the "National Security Strategy to 2020". The key body
responsible for coordination of policies related to Russia's national security is the
Security Council of Russia.
According to provision 6 of the National Security Strategy to 2020, national security is
"the situation in which the individual, the society and the state enjoy protection from
foreign and domestic threats to the degree that ensures constitutional rights and
freedoms, decent quality of life for citizens, as well as sovereignty, territorial integrity
and stable development of the Russian Federation, the defense and security of the
state."

 United Kingdom
The primary body responsible for coordinating national security policy in the UK is the
National Security Council (United Kingdom). It was created in May 2010 by the new
coalition government of the Conservative Party (UK) and Liberal Democrats. The
National Security Council is a committee of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and was
created as part of a wider reform of the national security apparatus. This reform also
included the creation of a National Security Adviser (United Kingdom) and a National
Security Secretariat to support the National Security Council.